Lenovo has reported record-high PC sales over in the US market surpassing Apple for the first time ever.

Despite industry-wide PC declines, Lenovo has surpassed Apple for the very first time taking third place, sitting behind industry giants HP and Dell.
Lenovo’s surprisingly high sales have pushed its net profit to
$817m (£485m).
According to a press release, the new figures have been gathered over the past three months along with additional numbers provided by the IDC.

In the final quarter of 2013, Lenovo managed to ship more PC devices to the US than Apple, helping Lenovo secure its place as the third biggest PC provider.
Lenovo CEO and Chairman Yuanqing Yang said: “The record sales and profits that we delivered last year prove that Lenovo can grow and deliver its commitments, no matter the market conditions.

"Not only did we strengthen our leading position in PCs, but we gained three points in tablets by quadrupling sales volume and became the fastest growing major smartphone company in the world."
Lenovo has also performed well in other areas selling 9.2m tablets and 50m mobile devices, which the company plans to increase by 69 per cent with its recent $2.1bn purchase of Motorola.

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Samsung shows a smartwatch concept you control by waving your hands

Touchscreens on smartwatches are limited by their very nature; there's only so much you can fit on a tiny piece of glass. However, Samsung might overcome that surface area limit if it ever implements a recently published patent application.

Its smartwatch concept would let you perform relatively complex tasks just by waving your hands in front of a built-in camera. You could send content to a TV just by flicking your hand, for example, or select something by pointing your finger.

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ESPN mulls streaming Major League Soccer to fans without cable subscriptions

ESPN's latest Major League Soccer news could be a boon for cord-cutters. At the moment, there are a few different ways to watch the sports channel's soccer football offerings, but they require a pay TV subscription to do so. According to Reuters, though, that could change in the future.

Company president John Skipper says that he's looking for ways to increase revenues for his company and sees a direct-to-consumer sales approach as a possible step toward that. The reasoning? Well, he forecasts that digital advertising revenues (online ads, bumpers during V-O-D broadcasts) will be the "most promising" area of growth over the next two to three years.

Skipper mentions the network's recent purchase of rights to digital MLS broadcasts is a clue to future plans, but was quick to note that none of these plans are "very far along." Despite that, Reuters' anonymous sources still claim that a firm plan could be in place within a few months and that the games could be offered through the ESPN3 app

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Lenovo's next flagship phone is all about metal, a quad HD screen and a big battery

Lenovo's current flagship phone, the Vibe Z (K910), opted for plastic instead of metal like its predecessor, so it's nice to see metal making a comeback on the next model, dubbed the Vibe Z2 Pro.

This is according to several photos that have been making the rounds on Sina Weibo, and our sources have since confirmed that these were taken at an internal event, so someone's been a bit naughty

The specs are top notch: 6-inch quad HD display, 16-megapixel OIS camera (with dual LED flash), massive 4,000mAh battery and 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 chip. These are all wrapped inside a 7.7mm-thick metallic body that also supports NFC.

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The US Air Force's oldest bomber is now a flying network

The B-52 may be one of the US Air Force's most reliable bombers, but it's not exactly a technology powerhouse; some of its systems were only fresh when Kennedy was President. The aircraft's newly-delivered
CONECT (Combat Network Communications Technology) variant is finally catching up with the times, though. It's effectively a network hub with wings. A wideband satellite link keeps the machine in touch with other Department of Defense systems, letting it receive new mission plans and redirect smart weapons after they've launched.

The upgrade also helps communications between crew members, which get an internal network to both control multiple systems and chat over a digital intercom. The CONECT B-52 still isn't cutting edge -- it's just getting keyboards and trackball mice, and it will take a while for all 76 of the Air Force's B-52s to get the revamp. However, showing off isn't really the point. The modernized bomber should be smart enough to survive in the internet era, where real-time battlefield data is as important as having the right kind of firepower.

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Japan is building a huge 'ice wall' to block Fukushima's fallout water

No one can blame Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) for the earthquake and tsunami that wrecked its Fukushima nuclear plant in 2011. Since then, however, the company has been accused of having a "weak sense of crisis" in responding to the accident's many knock-on effects.

This includes the leakage of contaminated groundwater that passes under the damaged plant and into the Pacific Ocean -- something that is happening right now at a rate of 400 tons per day. This week, after more than a year of back and forth, the TEPCO has finally managed to get the Japanese nuclear regulator's approval to create a massive wall of frozen soil to hold the groundwater back.

At the government's expense, a refrigerant chemical will now be passed through an underground network of pipes, stretching for almost a mile underneath the plant, in the hope of cutting leakage down by around two thirds. A 10-meter test wall has already proven effective, but this is unlikely to be the end of the story: There's a risk the frozen soil could thaw during the wall's expected seven-year life span, or that it could cause areas of earth to sink. Meanwhile, nobody has so far been able to predict the long-term impact of the radiation that has already made its way into the sea, and much of the land around Fukushima is still home to nothing but ghost towns.

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Museum teams up with Samsung to render mummies in 3D

Thanks to more advanced medical CT scanners, we can now look at what's inside the British Museum's mummies even if they remain wrapped.

The museum has partnered with Samsung to provide 3D visuals for eight mummies of people who lived in the Nile Valley as far back as 4,000 years ago created using high-res CT scans.

These visuals (some of them even interactive) show you what lies underneath all those mummified layers, from accessories and hairstyles that indicate their status in life, to the state of their health when they passed away.

For instance, you'll see that a man of high status was buried with gold leaves and facial features painted on his wrappings, while a lowly temple doorkeeper had his severed head roughly reattached with wooden poles. The exhibit's already live for anyone interested in (digitally) peeling layers off the ancient remains, and it'll be around until November 30th this year.

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This Is The Most Fun I've Ever Had Sitting In A Chair

The future is vibrant. The future is kinetic. The future is a chair that spins around when you sit on it. The future is incredible.

As soon as we started unboxing all of the fancy toys we got a few weeks ago, Herman Miller’s “Spun Chair” stole the spotlight and made us all wildly unproductive. Its flagship feature is (obviously) spinning, which gives you a sweet little thrill for that first moment you are sure you are going to fall backwards but then don’t. Aside from that, it’s also fully functional (and pretty comfortable!) as a writing chair, so long as you don’t squirm too much.

The downside is that it costs $US700 (!) if you want one of your own. Sitting has never been so fun.

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Real Madrid overcame city rivals Atletico 4-1 in the Champions League final

Gareth Bale joined the firmament of Real Madrid players here in Lisbon with a close-range, simple header that finally broke the resistance of the Spanish capital's other team in an enthralling final. Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo then finished the job.

When the hype stops and the chances come they must be taken, and Bale answered that call at the third time of asking. Half an hour into this tale of one city, a mistake by Atletico Tiago fed the ball to Bale and off he dashed to make his mark in history. Three opponents were cast aside but then came the shot: loose and screwed and wide.

On 77 minutes it happened again to this 24-year-old phenomenon from Wales.

A determined sprint into Thibaut Courtois' penalty area ended with him stabbing a shot wide the outside of his left boot when his right foot would have directed the ball more sharply. No matter. The collective will and all the ghosts of Real Madrid's history put them back in the contest as Spain's capital fought over the prize all the way into extra-time.

Watch Highlights - Youtube

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Watch All These Dogs Run On Their Dog Treadmills In Their Dog Gym

Sometimes, when you have a lot of dogs, they don’t all get the exercise they need. Not these dogs though — they get to use these sweet dog treadmills at their outdoor dog gym. So even though there’s a lot of dogs, they all get to be active. Well, most of them. The dog on the left is just out for a relaxing stroll.

Daily Picks and Flicks found this video from Dan Berber, the owner of all the pets. He has 10 treadmills in all for the dogs to exercise on.

Watch Youtube

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Crazy Kid Crawls Across The Railway Tracks Under A Running Train

Forget those crazy Russians, this American kid crawling across the railway tracks while a train is still running above his head is the most insane video I’ve seen in a long time.

Thanks to a bit of agility and a lot of luck he is not crushed like a bug. Skip to the 2:10 mark to see it.

Watch Now: YouTube

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Soldier Drops Grenade, Gets Saved By His Supervisor At The Last Second

Watch a Chinese soldier dropping a grenade backwards during training — only to be saved at the last second by his supervisor. It looks like the grenade slips from his hand as he was throwing it.

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Short-Throw Touchscreen Projector Means There's No Remote To Lose

Mounting projectors near the ceiling of a conference room keeps them out of the way, but it also means you’re almost completely dependent on a remote if you need to tweak any settings. If it goes missing, it’s time to find a ladder. Or, switch to Epson’s new EB-595WT short-throw projector which features built-in touchscreen functionality that works on the projected image.


Previous models relied on a special included stylus to turn the projected image into a touchscreen. But again, once that inevitably goes missing, so do those touchscreen capabilities. This time around Epson has included a sensor unit that bathes the screen in infrared light which it then uses to detect the presence and movements of a finger.

While the projector’s touchscreen capabilities can’t be used to control the OS of whatever computer’s hooked up, it can be used to access the settings menu for making tweaks to the image, or for zooming and scrolling the actual projection. So while the pen might be mightier than the sword, in this case the finger trumps them both.

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Evernote competitor Springpad to shut down soon

No one expected Evernote to explode the way it did, integrating with apps across the board and becoming the go-to productivity app for millions. Springpad tried to do what Evernote did, but sadly never managed to make its userbase reach anywhere near Evernote's millions.

Springpad was much better at creating template-based notebooks, proving especially popular with people who kept recipes or various lists, than Evernote was. But a better interface and more interesting designs did not help the app gain more traction.

The company behind Springpad managed to raise more than US$7 million in investment but it wasn't enough to keep the app alive. It didn't help that the app had no real revenue model unlike Evernote's Premium account options.

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Samsung reportedly set to unveil standalone watchphone soon

Samsung’s recent wrist-based wearables have been dependent on linked handsets to make calls, but its next device may be primed to handle its own business independent of a phone.

That’s according to a report from the Wall Street Journal, which claims that Samsung is nearing the debut of a new smartwatch that runs the Tizen operating system and has its own SIM card and cellular radio, allowing it to make calls, send texts, and use wireless data.

The device is also slated to include a camera, GPS, and heart-rate monitor built into its tiny frame, which means this alternative phone option is likely to be a fair bit more expensive than the company’s previous watch efforts. It will reportedly be announced sometime this summer.

We quite liked the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo after the so-so original Galaxy Gear watch, though the recent Gear Fit underwhelmed. Still the question has to be begged: How many people really want a smartwatch instead of a phone, rather than a watch that nicely complements one?

[Source: The Wall Street Journal]

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Experience Tennis as Roger Federer Sees It, Thanks to Google Glass

The video, which Federer posted on his YouTube page, also features footage shot from the sidelines, which shows him playing with the augmented reality glasses on and signing autographs after the game.

While the video does highlight the potential appeal of Google Glass as a camera for shooting sports video, Google will have to figure out a way to stabilise the video to make it viewer-friendly. This is just one of the many interesting uses of the wearable device.

Earlier in May, Google bought visual translation startup Quest Visual, whose app Word Lens lets users take a picture of text around them and translate it in real time.

More such interesting features may be implemented in the successor to Google Glass, thought to be called Google Glass 2, which is reportedly under development. The last major update to Glassware, the software used for Google Glass, added several apps, including Word Lens, to the wearable device's catalogue.

Google had earlier put a limited number of Glass devices on sale in the US for $1,500 (roughly Rs 90,000).

(Also see: $1500 Google Glass Costs Less Than $80 to Make: Report)

Google Glass competitors are likely to flood the market soon, with Epson already having announced a similar wearable device. Samsung is reportedly developing a Tizen-powered Glass rival too, which it may unveil along with the Galaxy Note 4 at IFA in Berlin later this year.

Watch Youtube

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Iran Court Orders Blocking of Instagram: Report

An Iranian court ordered that the photo-sharing app Instagram be blocked over privacy concerns, a semiofficial news agency reported Friday, the latest in a series of websites to be banned in the Islamic Republic.

The agency said a court order, stemming from a private lawsuit, had been given to Iran's Ministry of Telecommunications to ban the site. However, users in the capital, Tehran, still could access the application around noon Friday. Some previous reports in Iran of websites and Internet applications being blocked never materialized.

(Also see: Iran President Says It's Time to Embrace the Internet)

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BBM Protected Could Land This June for Enterprise Customers

BlackBerry announced BlackBerry Messenger for Enterprise (eBBM Suite), back at the Mobile World Congress in February.

The devices and services company had in February promised a launch in the summer, with the first iteration being BBM Protected (BBMP), which will be part of the broader eBBM Suite of enterprise-focused BBM services that will be offered to enterprise customers on a monthly per-user fee.

BlackBerry also said it planned to launch the services so that enterprise clients in regulated industries such as the financial sector to use its messaging application BlackBerry Messenger, or BBM, for corporate messaging purposes.

The service will allow employees of an organisation to chat with their colleagues under a level of enhanced security, while remaining free to message their BBM contacts outside of the organization easily and in privacy.

Now, a couple of unofficial videos have popped up featuring Jeff Gadway, Head of Product Marketing for BBM, at a presentation revealing the release dates for the various versions of eBBM or BBMP.

The videos, procured by Crackberry, indicate that the first version of BBM Protected, meant for devices running BBOS 6+ and with Regulated BB10.2+ activations, will launch in June.

This first iteration, according to the report, will feature Suite B (the required minimum for classified US government communications) compliant encryption over and above the BBM's scrambling encryption key (3DES Universal Key). BlackBerry says each message in a BBM Protected conversation is encrypted with a different random key.

Thereafter, Regulated+Balance and Balance activations will receive BBM Protected around September. Finally, Android and iOS devices will receive BBM Protected around November, alongside the launch of BES12.

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Google+ for Android gets flatter and faster with new update

Google+ loyalists, your time has come. Your social network of choice already has automatic photo journals, and now its Android app has gotten a hefty makeover to go with it. The update rolled out within the past few days -- it's aimed at making the G+ mobile experience simple, flatter and faster... especially if you're working with a bigger screen.

It's no secret Google's been trying on new looks for the G+ Android app, and the splashes of red and the floating pencil icon that lets you quickly craft updates were carried over from a leaked version spotted last month. Alas, the navigation bar that used to live along the bottom of the app is gone, while a revamped navigation menu provides fast access to your accounts and circles.

The shift is reminiscent of what Google's already done with its new Docs and Sheets apps, but that doesn't mean the new look doesn't have its detractors. That once-beloved navigation drawer that pulled out from the left side is gone -- even while it lives on in other Google apps -- and some aren't thrilled with the lack of translucent menu bards. To each their own, right? With Google I/O right around the corner, we have to wonder if Google will encourage even more design changes that'll impact developers and users alike. The sheer number of leaks means our money's on "yes," but we'll all find out together soon enough.

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Apple, Google, Intel, Adobe to Pay $325 Million to Settle Hiring Lawsuit

Four major Silicon Valley companies have formally agreed to pay $324.5 million to settle claims brought by employees who accused them of limiting competition by colluding not to poach each other's talent.

The settlement, between Apple Inc, Google Inc, Intel Corp, Adobe Systems Inc and roughly 64,000 workers, was disclosed in papers filed late on Thursday with a federal court in San Jose, California.
U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh has been asked to preliminarily approve the accord at a June 19 hearing, over an objection by one of the four named plaintiffs, Michael Devine, who says the settlement let the companies off too easily.

Read More: [Source]

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