The Glider

Microsoft has released version 1.0 of its Kinect for Windows SDK and runtime, expanding the Kinect's possibilities beyond the Xbox 360. - Microsoft has made the version 1.0 of its Kinect for Windows software development kit and runtime available for download. “Looking towards the future, we are planning on releasing updates to our SDK and runtime 2-3 times per year,” Craig Eisler, general manager of Kinect for Windows, wrote in ...

Sprint and ZTE have teamed up to offer a 7-inch Android-running 3G tablet for $100 with a two-year contract. Will it distract consumer attention from the $200 Kindle Fire? - Sprint will begin selling ZTE's first tablet for North America Feb. 5. In a world of fast-selling Apple iPads and Samsung Galaxy Tabs, the ZTE Optik is likely to attract attention for its selling price: $100 with a two-year service agreement. The Optik runs Android 3.2, known as Honeycomb, an...

Mozilla's Firefox 10 is relatively light on new user features, but includes a variety of new tools for developers, particularly those creating multimedia experiences. - In keeping with its rapid release cadence, Mozilla has released Firefox 10.0 for Windows, Mac and Linux. While the latest browser version features relatively few cosmetic changes, there are some under-the-hood additions that could prove vital for developers trying to create next-generation Web exper...

Aggressive LTE rollouts will make spending on 4G LTE the primary source of wireless infrastructure spending by 2013, says IHS iSuppli. Spending will triple from 2012 to 2013. - With the Verizons and AT amp;Ts of the world racing to roll out 4G Long-Term Evolution networks, the technology is expected to become the industry's primary area of infrastructure spending. Analysts with IHS iSuppli, in a Jan. 31 report, said they now expect global capital spending on LTE tech...

Facebook could make some big-time acquisitions, such as bidding for streaming video giant Netflix, or snapping up some mobile assets. Big data may also be on tap. - Facebook's $5 billion IPO will give the company the capital boost to expand into new services and make some larger acquisitions it might not want or be able to do while private, analysts agree. Gartner analyst Ray Valdes believes Facebook might use its new capital to acquire larger companies than ...

The rugged Kyocera DuraPlus mobile phone on Sprint's network can survive in a meter of water and features Direct Connect push-to-talk connectivity. - Sprint and Kyocera Communications have unveiled the rugged Kyocera DuraPlus mobile phone to withstand the extreme conditions of military, public safety, construction and utility work. The DuraPlus is one of the first phones to work with Sprint's new Direct Connect push-to-talk service. Sprint ...

Doctors have embraced the Apple iPad, but more software innovation is needed for clinical computing on the tablet, Spyglass Consulting Group reveals in a new study. - Although doctors believe the Apple iPad will play a beneficial role in health care, many say the popular Apple tablet lacks the software innovation needed in the medical profession, according to a new study by Spyglass Consulting Group. In the report quot;Point of Care Computing for Physicians 201...

No matter what team you find yourself rooting for this Super Bowl Sunday, pretty much everyone can agree that a high-definition, beer-soaked and burger-filled Super Bowl party is close to a patriotic duty. However, the Super Bowl is about more than chips and dip, overhyped commercials, and overblown halftime shows haven't we heard enough from Madonna in the past three months? There's the game, of course, but also the opportunity for you to show off to your friends the latest gadgets and gizmos to make your party the one to remember, whatever the outcome of the game. On top of that, football fans have a wide selection of smartphone apps available through Apple's App Store or Android Market to keep you up to date with scores, trivia and other game information. Last but not least, there's the odd cooler-plus-goalpost folly, which we've included to keep things interesting. Here are our picks for the biggest, best and HD-brightest of the bunch. - ...

Apple's attempt to banish the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1N tablet in Germany hit a wall when a court denied its motion for a preliminary sales ban. - Samsung ratcheted up another victory in its legal battles with Apple over patent violations, when a German court refused to grant Apple a preliminary sales ban on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1N tablet and Galaxy Nexus smartphone. Apple can perhaps take consolation in the fact that, although the M...

Nokia led the overall phone market during the fourth quarter and all of 2011. Apple leaped ahead of LG for third place, while No. 2 Samsung was on Nokia's heels. - Apple topped the smartphone market during the fourth quarter of 2011, but add in feature phones, and it's Nokia that, despite falling shares, is still the global leader, according to market research firm IDC. Nokia shipped 113.5 million units during the quarter, down from 123.7 million during t...