State tech awards announced: Isilon, DocuSign, Swype and ...

Judges couldn't decide on the top commercial tech product or service in the Washington Technology Industry Association awards program tonight and declared a tie.

Sharing the award are DocuSign, a leading electronic signature platform, and Isilon, the enterprise storage vendor that was acquired last November by EMC for $2.25 billion.

The tech trade group announced the winners of its 16th annual Industry Achievement Awards at a dinner event at the Showbox Sodo.

"This impressive group of companies shows that Washington state continues to be a place where passionate technologists can leverage the talent and resources here to achieve great success," WTIA Chief Executive Susan Sigl said in a release.

Here are the other winners:

Consumer product or service of the year: Swype, which offers a text-input system for touchscreen devices

Service provider of the year: HasOffers Affiliate Tracking Program, a cloud-based platform for retailers and brands to manage affiliate programs.

Best early-stage company of the year: Ground Truth, a mobile analytics company

Best seed-stage company of the year: SPARQcode, which provides marketing tools using QR barcodes scanned by customers with mobile phones.

Innovative manufactured product of the year: XKL and its "DarkStar" fiber optic transport products for enterprises to link campuses and datacenters and create regional networks

Best use of technology in government, nonprofit or education: OpenDataKit.org, a collection of free data collection tools

Technology leader of tomorrow: Gizan Gando, a sixth grader at Asa Mercer Middle School in Seattle.

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Apple iPad 2 mock up appears online days before unveiling

Claims to be the real deal

Japanese blog iBlack Box has posted pictures and details of what it claims to be an accurate mock up of the forthcoming iPad 2. It states that the design and build shown in the photos has been recreated by a Chinese case manufacturer to the exact specifications and measurements of the new Apple device, based on what it was told by the Cupertino company.

Certain elements are definitely convincing: It sports a wide speaker grille on the back for enhanced audio - something we are expecting from the real deal - and rear and front facing cameras. Plus, there's a slot for an SD card, which is also something the genuine device is rumoured to have.

However, there's one nagging doubt that we've got on Pocket-lint that just won't go away... It's pig-ugly! If real, it's a marked move away from the sleek lines and rounded back of the original, and looks, instead, to have been trodden on by a rhino.

It may look more practical and industrial, but when have those two words appeared in an Apple presentation before?

Nonetheless, we'll soon find out whether it's a kosher leak or not... Wednesday can't come too soon.

Read

Tags: Tablets Apple iPad 2

         

Apple iPad 2 mock up appears online days before unveiling originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:29:00 +0000

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It?s official: Angry Birds coming soon to Windows Phone 7

Flock yeah! Angry Birds, the smash-hit smartphone game, is headed for Marketplace—and that’s just for starters.

Microsoft today announced its new spring lineup of games for the phone and it includes titles that I’m sure are on many of your wish lists. Besides Angry Birds, the other games are:

• Doodle Jump
• Plants vs Zombies
• Hydro Thunder Go
• Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I
• geoDefense. 

The six games will start arriving in the spring. Even better, they’re all Xbox LIVE friendly, featuring achievements, leaderboards and more.

The lineup was unveiled today at the company’s Spring Showcase games event in San Francisco and is part of the new Must Have Games program for Windows Phone.

[Update] Check out the Must Have Games site on Xbox.com for more details.

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Gears of War 3 coming 20 September

Epic details new features

20 September 2011, that’s the date that you need to mark in your calendar if you are a Gears of War fan after Microsoft confirmed on Wednesday that the follow up to the hugely popular Gears of War 1 and 2 would be getting a global release.?

This time around the story takes place eighteen months after the events of Gears of War 2 and the loss of the human stronghold of Jacinto. Marcus, Baird, Dom and company continue their fight to save human civilisation, as they battle the Locust and face new threats from within the planet throughout the campaign mode.?

According to Microsoft here is what else you can expect from 2011’s most highly anticipated Xbox 360 game:

- An enthralling cinematic story that captivates players in an intimately intense action game

- Five-on-five multiplayer experience as well as four player campaign co-op experience

- New multiplayer game modes including ‘Beast Mode’ – offering a new twist to the game where you take on the role of the locust horde and their assorted variations!

- New maps including: Trenches which features an impressive sand storm that reduces your visibility, as well as Overpass, Mercy, Checkout, and Thrashball

- New weapons including: The Bayonet Charge, The Retro Lancer, The Sawed-off Shotgun, The OneShot?(a heavy sniper rifle that shoots through shields or cover for a surprise one shot kill), The Incendiary Grenade, The Digger Launcher and a few subtle tweaks to old favourites Hammerburst and The Classic Lancer.

No word however on Kinect friendly version.

And to tide you over until then here's a video of some of the gameplay we grabbed when Epic demoed the game at E3 last year:

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Microsoft Epic Games Epic Gears of War 3

 

Gears of War 3 coming 20 September originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:18:00 +0000

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1PlusV, Microsoft, and the Anti-Google AstroTurf

The latest action against Google comes from 1PlusV while AstroTurfing group 'Consumer' 'Watchdog' carries on with the anti-Google agenda, this time with the "somebody, think of the children!" tactics

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Microsoft pulls Windows Phone 7 update for Samsung Omnia 7

Working on fix

Microsoft has pulled the Windows Phone 7 update released at the start of the week for the Samsung Omnia 7 and Samsung Focus, after users of the new smartphone found that in some cases the new?Windows Phone 7 update was breaking Samsung Omnia 7 phones.

“We have identified a technical issue with the Windows Phone update process that impacts a small number of phones. In response to this emerging issue, we have temporarily taken down the latest software update for Samsung phones in order to correct the issue and as soon as possible will redistribute the update,” a Microsoft spokesman told Pocket-lint.

The comments come after some Samsung Omnia 7?users who’d updated their phones on Monday, following the pre-update to the copy and paste update, had found themselves with nothing more than an expensive paper weight.

Pocket-lint is still waiting for a response from Samsung about the action that should be taken by those affected. Hopefully the company will be allowing people with "bricked" handsets to return them.?

We will keep you posted.?

?

?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Windows Phone 7 Samsung Samsung Omnia 7 Microsoft

Microsoft pulls Windows Phone 7 update for Samsung Omnia 7 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:11:00 +0000

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WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Minus

A simple new way to share your world

Sharing is good. Memories, jokes, news, pictures - anything that will make your fellow man's life a bit richer is well worth sharing. And the Internet has made sharing about as easy as it's imaginable to be, hasn't it?

Apparently not, as min.us has come along and made it even easier.

This really is an elegant example of just how simple things can be. No fuss, no frills, just a simple interface for you to share your pictures with anybody you like. You can link them through to your favourite social networks, or share them through them, and everything is slick and straightforward. You can drop your files onto the landing page and the site does the rest.

There's a whole raft of tools, including desktop apps, browser plugins and mobile versions either available now or coming very soon.

It really is that simple and we applaud it, and it could very soon be the default way for people to share their images online.

Tags: Websites Software Online WebsiteOfTheDay

WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Minus originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 01:00:00 +0000

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Links 27/2/2011: X Server 1.10, Last Firefox 4 Beta

Links for the day

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Apple iPad 2 review: SEO monkeys go crazy already

Reviews already out it seems

That’s right, days before the official announcement of what is expected to be the launch of the Apple?iPad 2, some are already claiming they’ve reviewed the iPad 2 from Apple.

Shocking we know, and a shocking trend that is starting to happen as more and more sites try to trick Google into believing they have content that they don’t actually have or couldn't possibly have.

Take Exkild?for example, his video dominated the tech sites at the beginning of the week with a spoof video on YouTube claiming to have “hands-on” with the new iPad 2.

Press play on the video (722,214 people already have) and you get:

“iPad 2 review - Hands on - Very thorough and high quality review. ipad 2 review hands on critic apple imac iphone ipod high quality hd eskild e. fors anders ?vergaard exkild andyax funny parody lol humor iparody ipun apps angry birds” as the You Tube description would say.

Of course it’s not really the iPad 2, but rather a dude in a beanie hat (not sure what that’s got to do with it) pretending that his 27-inch iMac is the new iPad.

At 6 minutes 45 seconds it goes on rather longer than it should, still he’s done well to get a chuckle.?But Exkild isn’t the only one trying to play Google.

allgaminginfo, a kid from somewhere, believes he’s got the inside scoop too claiming to let you in on what the new iPad 2 has and what he thinks of it. Six minutes of rambling later from the kid, in what appears to be his parent’s home office, and you soon realise that he knows nothing. 3D, really?

What about Pubate1 a shark that’s got the inside knowledge and says the iPad 2 will come with USB support. The fact that it's coming from one of the most dangerous creatures of the sea and not a respected tech pundit should give you the answer. Oh dear.

But it doesn’t stop there - Legonut88 a ginger kid also on YouTube, thinks it’s great before revealing that the new iPad 2 is in fact a slate tablet complete with wood finish and microfiber black screen that works well with chalk.

It’s the funniest one of the bunch, but you’ll of course feel cheated ahead of the 2 March media event.

Then, of course, there are the sites that have gone as far as to name their site iPad2review.co in the hope that might help them even more; or the ones that will tell you the essential features for the iPad 2 written back when the first iPad came out in 2010.

And that’s before the dozens of sites that will claim to have reviewed it come 10 minutes after the 2 March event has started, let alone finished.

Please feel free to read how Pocket-lint reviews products via our Reviews policy page.

Tags: Tablets iPad 2 iPad Apple SEO

Apple iPad 2 review: SEO monkeys go crazy already originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 14:25:00 +0000

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10 of 10 - Aesthetics and alignment matter

When hanging a picture frame, we typically strive to make it look straight, making sure all edges are aligned to the adjacent walls and ceiling. A crooked frame disturbs layout order and draws our attention. Incorporating new elements to an existing space should continue the visual balance and order already laid out.
Proper alignment is also the starting point to achieve a beautiful and approachable application. Then using the right aesthetics and a professionally created visual design should come after. This topic brings us to the last of our list of top ten things to check in your application when you think you are done.

The grid system
The Windows Phone 7 platform is structured with a grid system following design principles defined by the ?Metro? guideline. When creating your application, we recommend respecting default margins offered in panorama and pivot models. All pages should respect the 24px margin on the left, providing a perimeter for all content to stay in. Content should be left aligned to the 24px margin, continuing the balance and flow of the existing controls. Elements flowing outside or inside the margin creates visual imbalance, drawing unnecessary attention to the inconsistent margin.

Visual Hierarchy
Aside from keeping elements aligned properly, add visual interest to accentuate specific items. Hierarchy provides users with a navigational structure, while highlighting content of more importance. Consider utilizing different font sizes and proper spacing to guide users in the correct path. Enlarging the font size, for example, adds prominence to specific elements, providing a navigational guide. The combination of hierarchy and properly spaced elements will provide users with a balanced, navigable experience.

Creating a good impression.
Visual noise like inconsistent margins often gives users the feeling that an application is complex and unapproachable. Randomly aligned elements, combined with a confusing hierarchy and poorly designed graphics will cause users to view your application as less professional and will make them feel uneasy when attempting to use it. That bad feeling would quickly affect the perception of the effectiveness or performance of the application.

It has been proven that aesthetics matter and that attractive things work better. Happy people are more effective finding alternative solutions and as a result are tolerant of minor difficulties. Making sure your application gets the right level of attention to the visual components is a crucial component in creating a great holistic experience.

- Alfred Astort
Follow the Windows Phone Design Team on Twitter: @WPdesignteam

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Lacie Little Big Disk features new Thunderbolt

"offload hours of content in minutes"

With the new Apple MacBook Pro the first to incorporate Intel's new Thunderbolt high-speed interface, other manufacturers are beginning to shout that Apple aren't the only ones who'll get the new tech. And Lacie is one of them, as it's just announced the Lacie Little Big Disk.

The new Lacie Little Big Disk has apparently been "brought to market with collaboration from Apple", and is designed to store large audio and video files in order to bring a new level of performance to workflows with ultra-fast data transfer, complete system backup in minutes, and faster content editing.

"Thunderbolt technology is a breakthrough in I/O technology and represents the future of mobile computing. Soon you will be able to carry workstation-class power and functionality in compact devices," said Philippe Spruch, chairman and general manager, Lacie. "LaCie is excited to be one of the first to deliver Thunderbolt technology with the LaCie Little Big Disk."

To be fair "one of the first" is a bit of a stretch, as Lacie will not be launching the Little Big Disk with Thunderbolt until "summer 2011", and there are already rumours that other manufacturers such as Western Digital and Promise might be pipping them with a spring-time launch of devices.

It's tricky to know how much of an impact this new super-speedy connection tech will have on the market in light of USB 3.0, however such is Apple's influence on the market, its lead in making Thunderbolt available early might just make the difference.

Tags: Hardware Storage LaCie Lacie Little Big Disk Hard drives Thunderbolt

Lacie Little Big Disk features new Thunderbolt originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 11:40:51 +0000

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State tech awards announced: Isilon, DocuSign, Swype and ...

Judges couldn't decide on the top commercial tech product or service in the Washington Technology Industry Association awards program tonight and declared a tie.

Sharing the award are DocuSign, a leading electronic signature platform, and Isilon, the enterprise storage vendor that was acquired last November by EMC for $2.25 billion.

The tech trade group announced the winners of its 16th annual Industry Achievement Awards at a dinner event at the Showbox Sodo.

"This impressive group of companies shows that Washington state continues to be a place where passionate technologists can leverage the talent and resources here to achieve great success," WTIA Chief Executive Susan Sigl said in a release.

Here are the other winners:

Consumer product or service of the year: Swype, which offers a text-input system for touchscreen devices

Service provider of the year: HasOffers Affiliate Tracking Program, a cloud-based platform for retailers and brands to manage affiliate programs.

Best early-stage company of the year: Ground Truth, a mobile analytics company

Best seed-stage company of the year: SPARQcode, which provides marketing tools using QR barcodes scanned by customers with mobile phones.

Innovative manufactured product of the year: XKL and its "DarkStar" fiber optic transport products for enterprises to link campuses and datacenters and create regional networks

Best use of technology in government, nonprofit or education: OpenDataKit.org, a collection of free data collection tools

Technology leader of tomorrow: Gizan Gando, a sixth grader at Asa Mercer Middle School in Seattle.

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APP OF THE DAY - Personal Blocklist by Google (Chrome)

Get rid of sites you don't like

App of the day as you know isn't just about iPhone or Android apps, but about all apps on all platforms including Google's Chrome browser. In steps this handy little extension that will over time make your Google searching a lot better than it probably currently is.

Personal Blocklist by Google

Format

Chrome?

Price

Free

Where

Chrome Web Store

Personal Blocklist by Google is an extension that you install into Chrome, the browser, and then it allows you when searching on Google to?block domains/hosts from appearing in your Google search results.

The idea is that if you are constantly getting poor results from Google when you search from stuff you can set the system to omit those results so you don't have to see them every time.?

On the flip side that information is then passed back to Google to help make the results better for everyone.

?

But as you can imagine that might take some time, so instead this extension lets you do it straight away with the effects and changing happening in real time.?

Once installed all you have to do is monitor what you don't want. In Google a small message now appears next to every listing. Clicking on "Block xyz" you then push that site to a blocked list which you can control and edit.?

To access the blocked list at any time you just have to press on a small red button with a white hand and can edit either part of the url or unblock the site if you feel you've blocked them by mistake.?

Overall the system in simple, basic, but highly effective in making your search results even better.?

We like it.

Tags: Software Google App of the day Chrome

APP OF THE DAY - Personal Blocklist by Google (Chrome) originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 18:00:00 +0000

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Upcoming Events for Startups and Entrepreneurs in Seattle

Upcoming Events for Startups and Entrepreneurs in Seattle:

			Recurring
FRI	February 25
SAT	February 26
SUN	February 27
MON	February 28
TUE	March 1		Seattle Startups Open Coffee (Seattle)
WED	March 2	Start-up Checklist eIQ (Seattle)	Seattle Lean Coffee (Seattle) Eastside Startups Open Coffee (Redmond) TechFoam: Eastside Startup Meetup (Bellevue)
THU	March 3	The Investor Pitch with Marc Barros, Contour, and Geoff Entress, Voyager Capital (Seattle)	Hops & Chops Happy Hour (Seattle)
FRI	March 4	TechCafe Lunch @Hark (Seattle)
SAT	March 5
SUN	March 6
MON	March 7
TUE	March 8	Demystifying Term Sheets eIQ (Seattle)
WED	March 9	Healthcare Transformation: How Systems Biology Is Shaping 21st Century Medicine (Bellevue)
THU	March 10

More Startup Events in Seattle...

Don't see your event? Submit your Startup event to our calendar.

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It?s official: Angry Birds coming soon to Windows Phone 7

Flock yeah! Angry Birds, the smash-hit smartphone game, is headed for Marketplace—and that’s just for starters.

Microsoft today announced its new spring lineup of games for the phone and it includes titles that I’m sure are on many of your wish lists. Besides Angry Birds, the other games are:

• Doodle Jump
• Plants vs Zombies
• Hydro Thunder Go
• Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I
• geoDefense. 

The six games will start arriving in the spring. Even better, they’re all Xbox LIVE friendly, featuring achievements, leaderboards and more.

The lineup was unveiled today at the company’s Spring Showcase games event in San Francisco and is part of the new Must Have Games program for Windows Phone.

[Update] Check out the Must Have Games site on Xbox.com for more details.

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Getting to Beta

LazyMeter has now been in beta for 2 weeks. Our first cohort of 50 users has already completed hundreds of actions using LazyMeter. After being told repeatedly to “just get to beta”, I now know why: 

• Extra Motivation: Having users adds purpose and urgency, so our pace has increased significantly.
• Better Prioritization: Instead of guessing what to build next, we listen to our users. Our top priorities have changed, and we’ve discovered important features we hadn’t planned.
• Validate Usability: What you think makes perfect sense can be completely misunderstood. The sooner you solve usability challenges at the core of your design, the better.
• Improve Messaging: Beta isn’t just a test of a product – it’s also a test of its messaging. Beta helps you fine-tune your messaging so users get hooked on their first visit.
• Data: Beyond user feedback, there’s a lot to be learned from monitoring usage patterns.

Some lessons we’ve learned from our beta:

• Set realistic expectations. Many outside the industry will not recognize the meaning of the word ‘beta’.
• Encourage negative feedback. Especially if your users include friends and family, you need to make them comfortable providing negative feedback. Ask “If you’re using it, what can be improved? If you’re not using it, why not?”
• Don’t just ask for feedback – hunt it down. Speak with the users who aren’t responding to your requests feedback - they’ll have some of the best insights.
• Listen. It’s easy to respond to feedback by explaining how something works, or why you did it that way. Don’t just respond to feedback – seriously consider if something should be changed.
• Find patterns. If you get the same feedback or question more than once, take serious note.
• Parent-proof your product. The user interface needs to be natural, and also backed up by detailed documentation from day 1. If your parents can figure out your product, your target audience will have an even better experience.
• Beta is just the beginning. We have a lot of work to do.   

We are making improvements based on the first group's feedback, and then we’ll open up to a second cohort. Thanks to those who have been waiting patiently.  I'll share more details about LazyMeter as we approach a more broad release.

Aaron Franklin is co-founder of LazyMeter, an application designed to end procrastination and forgetting.

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Windows Phone Radio 19 now available

Happy Friday! What a better way to end the week than a new episode of Windows Phone Radio? This week, we welcome Aaron Woodman from the Windows Phone product management to talk about the recent trip to Mobile World Congress, the start of the first phone update and much more. Matt speaks to game news from the Xbox event in San Francisco, and I chat up the new HTC Arrive for Sprint. Tune in, stream or download in Zune or iTunes now!

Brian (@brianseitz)

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Windows Phone Radio 19 now available

Happy Friday! What a better way to end the week than a new episode of Windows Phone Radio? This week, we welcome Aaron Woodman from the Windows Phone product management to talk about the recent trip to Mobile World Congress, the start of the first phone update and much more. Matt speaks to game news from the Xbox event in San Francisco, and I chat up the new HTC Arrive for Sprint. Tune in, stream or download in Zune or iTunes now!

Brian (@brianseitz)

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Feature: Anonymous vs. HBGary: the aftermath

The RSA security conference took place February 14-18 in San Francisco, and malware response company HBGary planned on a big announcement. The firm was about to unveil a new appliance called "Razor," a specialized computer plugged into corporate networks that could scan company computers for viruses, rootkits, and custom malware—even malicious code that had never been seen before.

Razor "captures all executable code within the Windows operating system and running programs that can be found in physical memory," said HBGary, and it then "'detonates' these captured files within a virtual machine and performs extremely low level tracing of all instructions." Certain behaviors—rather than confirmed signatures—would suggest the presence of malware inside the company.

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Blog Post: SBS2011 Ready To GO (RTG) Campaign is Live

 

Small Business Server 2011 Standard is out and ready for Prime Time!  Now its time to get the word out and we have put together the resources to enable you to start marketing it today.  So what are you waiting for ??  http://www.mspartnerdirect.com/sbs2011sp

 

Technorati Tags: Windows Small Business Server 2011,SBS2011,RTG,Ready to Go,SBS 2011 Essentials

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