$25 Million Superyacht Will Come With Complimentary Matching Supercar

Beating the Bugatti Veyron hands down for exclusivity, the supercar has 880bhp from its twin-turbo V12 engine and a claimed top speed of 234mph. Only six will be built, each capable of hitting 60mph from rest in 3.2 seconds.

But what about the design, yo?!

Designer, Sweden-based 33-year-old Eduard Gray, told CNN that he took inspiration from the lines and curves of sports car, the Ferrari Testa Rossa.
"We have really tried to achieve a strong harmony in our design -- so that the car looks like it was literally born inside the hull of the yacht," he said.
But ultimately, he said, he wanted to design "something you want to be seen in -- the sexiest damn boat in the harbor!"

Sorry Eduard, but I think we can all agree the sexiest damn boat in the harbor is my dinghy. Just sayin: seats one comfortably, comes half-mast. Ooh -- did I mention the pirate flag? There's a pirate flag. Plus a compass.
Hit the jump for a bunch more pictures of the yacht you'll never own (unless you really are rich in which case I wasn't joking about the HJ).

How internet flow comes to your PC

Gizmodo paid $10,000 for “lost” iPhone 4G

The Internet is abuzz today with Gizmodo’s hands on preview of what appears to be Apple’s next-gen iPhone. In case you missed the build-up to the story, someone found a cased iPhone on the floor of a bar in Redwood City. From the outside, the device appeared to be an iPhone 3GS, but upon removing the device from its specially designed case, it was clear that this was no ordinary iPhone. Rather, it appeared to be Apple’s next-gen iPhone. Found. In the wild. A solid two months before anyone expected to see pictures of it.
In other words, this was the motherload of all Apple scoops.
The individual who found the iPhone sent pictures of the device to Engadget, but it was Gizmodo who scored big by actually obtaining the iPhone itself. It’s been reported by in-the-know Apple blogger John Gruber that Apple considered said iPhone “stolen”, and was keen on getting it back.
But with Gizmodo’s report blowing up the Internet today, the cat is out of the bag. At the time of this writing, Gizmodo’s story alone is bordering on 2.5 million page views [Edit: it's now pushing 4 million pageviews as of early Tuesday morning].
Now word is leaking out that Gizmodo paid a cool 10 grand for the iPhone prototype, which all things considered, seems like a bargain given Apple’s typically tight rein on product leaks.
Update: Apple Legal sends letter to Gizmodo asking them to return iPhone 4G
$10,000 has undeniably diverted a ton of eyeballs to Gizmodo’s site, and the surge in web traffic probably has Gizmodo editors jumping for joy. But you have to wonder if Gizmodo, in the grand scheme of things, tarnished their “relationship” with Apple for a short term spike in pageviews.
Think about it - Steve Jobs is probably livid right now, and what are the odds that Gizmodo, going forward, gets invited to Apple’s always popular “special events.” And what are the odds now that Gizmodo will get a review unit of the upcoming iPhone 4G? Though, to be fair, they apparently already have one.
On another note, there has been talk about Apple legal going after Gizmodo, but that doesn’t seem plausible for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the damage has already been done. The pictures and information gleaned from Gizmodo’s hands-on have already been dispersed into the ether of the Internet. If Apple demanded Gimzodo remove its detailed post, it would a) confirm that the device is, in fact, the next-gen iPhone and b) ultimately have no effect whatsoever given that hundreds, if not thousands, of other websites have already copied and pasted the pertinent information.
Second, it’s hard to see how exactly Apple could go after Gizmodo from a legal standpoint. Word is that Gizmodo purchased the device last week, but it’s unclear if Apple was aware of the exchange, and if so, if Apple sent a legal warning to Gizmodo not to publicize the device. But even if Apple did deliver a legal warning, Gizmodo ostensibly didn’t coerce an Apple employee into handing over a top secret prototype. Rather, Giz simply paid top dollar to a guy who found a different looking iPhone on the floor of a bar. From that vantage point, there’s not much illegality involved.
Matt in the comments directs us to this entry on lost/stolen property from Wikipedia:

Property is generally deemed to have been mislaid or misplaced if it is found in a place where the true owner likely did intend to set it, but then simply forgot to pick it up again. For example, a wallet found in a shop lying on a counter near a cash register will likely be deemed misplaced rather than lost. Under common law principles, the finder of a misplaced object has a duty to turn it over to the owner of the premises, on the theory that the true owner is likely to return to that location to search for his misplaced item. If the true owner does not return within a reasonable time (which varies considerably depending on the circumstances), the property becomes that of the owner of the premises

That said, it would seem that Apple’s legal beef lies more so with individual who sold the device than Gizmodo. Either way, going after Giz or the dude who’s now $10,000 richer would attract a wave of bad publicity that Apple would, we would guess, much rather do without.
Update: A comment from Hacker News directs us to this section of the California Penal Code:

One who finds lost property under circumstances which give him knowledge of or means of inquiry as to the true owner, and who appropriates such property to his own use, or to the use of another person not entitled thereto, without first making reasonable and just efforts to find the owner and to restore the property to him, is guilty of theft.

The question, then, is if the legal responsibility of the original “finder” is transferred over to the party who acquires said property. We’re guessing that it does. Also, remember that Gawker was previously served with a cease and desist letter from Apple back in early January for offering $50,000 for pre-release photos or videos of the iPad and $100,000 for actual hands-on time with the device.
And if that weren’t enough to chew on, Gawker managing editor Nick Denton sent out the following tweet earlier this afternoon:

For people who want to know the backstory to Gizmodo’s iPhone exclusive, it’s coming. And it’s a corker.

Update x2: Gizmodo exposes identity of Apple engineer who lost the iPhone at the bar
Update x3: Gawker editor Nick Denton said that the company paid $5,000 for the device, with some reports claiming that additional fees were to be paid if certain traffic goals were met.

Via:Edibleapple

iPhone OS 4.0 Features Explose-Like Multitasking

Word on the Web is that the next iPhone OS update -- version 4.0 -- will finally deliver multitasking support via an Expose-like interface. That means users will be able to launch multiple apps, including third party ones, in the background and switch between them, a feature Android and Windows Mobile users take for granted.

"Those familiar with the design of iPhone 4.0 said that the user interface will resemble Apple's desktop Expose feature, in that a key combination -- reportedly hitting the Home button twice -- will trigger an expose-like interface that brings up a series of icons representing the currently running apps, allowing users to quickly select the one they want to switch to directly," AppleInsider reports. "When a selection is made, the iPhone OS zooms out of the Expose task manager and transitions to that app."

Sounds groovy, and there will be more to iPhone 4.0 than just multitasking. Pre-release builds have shown that a global mailbox view has been added, as well as the ability to add individual contacts to the iPhone's home screen.

Via: Appleinsider

Magellan Introduces RoadMate App For iPhone

iPhone users now have another GPS option for their phones. Magellan GPS recently announced the Magellan RoadMate App for iPhone for the United States and Puerto Rico. The app uses the same interface as the company's dedicated personal navigation devices.

Feature highlights include:

• Spoken street name guidance
• Highway lane assist
• In-app music control
• iPhone address book integration
• Pedestrian Mode
• Most current maps provided by NAVTEQ

The Magellan RoadMate App does not have any recurring subscription fees and is available for use on the iPod touch (2nd generation) with the Magellan Premium Car Kit (sold separately). The app is available at an introductory price of $39.99.

Source:Hothardware

Google introduces warnings on suspicious Gmail use 'Last accessed from China, you say?'

Gmail warnings

Google has introduced a warning system for Gmail that will tell you if your account is being used suspiciously.

The company is keen to show people when it appears that their details are being compromised, and will now put a high visibility bar in your account if it appears to be being accessed by someone other than you.

"Now, if it looks like something unusual is going on with your account, we'll also alert you by posting a warning message saying, "Warning: We believe your account was last accessed from…" along with the geographic region that we can best associate with the access," explains the official Google blog.

Broad geographical location

"To determine when to display this message, our automated system matches the relevant IP address, logged per the Gmail privacy policy, to a broad geographical location," it added.

"While we don't have the capability to determine the specific location from which an account is accessed, a login appearing to come from one country and occurring a few hours after a login from another country may trigger an alert.

"By clicking on the 'Details' link next to the message, you'll see the last account activity window that you're used to, along with the most recent access points."

Common sense prevails

Google did add that it was important users did not rely entirely on the new safeguards, but continue to apply the normal common sense procedures for their accounts.

"Keep in mind that these notifications are meant to alert you of suspicious activity but are not a replacement for account security best practices," added the blog.

"If you'd like more information on account security, read these tips on keeping your information secure or visit the Google Online Security Blog."

Source: Techradar

Google May Leave China on April 10

Google’s decision to cease its operation in China is edging closer to reality after months of negotiations. China Business News reports that Google plans to leave China on April 10.

The report cites an unidentified Google China employee, but this information has not been confirmed by Google. Allegedly, Google gave its China employees the option of moving to the company’s U.S. headquarters or working for its Asia-Pacific operations.
If this is true, it once again raises the question of what, exactly, is Google pulling out from China: its entire operations or just the search engine, which it has declined to censor? The latter now seems more likely.
In any case, if Google does pull out, it may be a long, long time before it returns. Peter Lui, who was formerly Google’s financial controller for the Asia Pacific region, said that Google’s public announcement to leave had “burnt bridges… There is no way Google can ever come back.”
Via:Mashable

Windows Phone 7 Series won't have copy and paste

Ready for another long, drawn-out copy and paste controversy to overtake your every waking moment for a year or two? Good: Microsoft just mentioned in a Q&A session here at MIX10 in no uncertain terms that clipboard operations won't be supported on Windows Phone 7 Series... so that's that. Kind of ironic considering that the WinMo of old has been enjoying the functionality since time immemorial, isn't it? Of course, anything is possible going forward -- they've said on several occasions in different talks and sessions this week that they're already looking at a number of enhancements that were scoped out of the initial release of the platform -- but for the phones you buy this holiday season, don't expect to be copying anything between apps.

Update: We just super-double-ultra-plus-confirmed this with Microsoft -- Windows Phone 7 Series will not have copy and paste functionality. There is a data-detection service built into the text-handling API that will recognize phone numbers and addresses, but Microsoft says most users, including Office users, don't really need clipboard functionality. We... respectfully disagree? Sure, let's leave it at that.

Via: Engagdet

Internet Explorer 9 Is Looking Positively Sexy

Microsoft browser—we'd have beaten you with a stack of TPS reports. This week, well, it's a different story. The actual IE9 browser isn't available for download yet, but Microsoft has made what it calls the Internet Explorer 9 Platform Preview available for download. Internet Explorer 9 offers a bevy of new features compared to IE8 (or anything else), but the most exciting feature is the browser's built-in GPU hardware acceleration.

As it turns out, there's quite a bit Microsoft can do, even with a modest integrated GPU. AMD's Robin Maffeo has put together a blog post that summarizes several key differences between IE9 and its predecessors.

• The MSHTML rendering layer has been enhanced to use Direct2D and DirectWrite instead of GDI. Direct2D enables GPU accelerated 2D graphics and text, and allows sub-pixel positioning. In addition, the GPU is used for scaling (bitmaps are mapped to textures), which is ideal for zooming and moving images around the screen. This GPU support translates directly into improved readability of pages, more precise placement of text and images, and smooth scrolling and zooming.
• JavaScript performance is greatly improved from older versions of Internet Explorer, and should be competitive if not better than competing browsers. In the past, JavaScript in IE was interpreted and not compiled into native processor instructions. The JavaScript engine now includes a JIT compiler which emits x86 instructions and compiles the code before it runs, resulting in a dramatic performance uplift. Instruction generation can also be tailored to the underlying processor to take full advantage of the underlying platform.
• IE9 is more standards compliant than previous versions, with new support for HTML5 elements such as
• The Javascript performance improvement is still a bit murky; let's unpack it with some help from the official IE9 blog. "To improve JavaScript performance even more, Chakra [IE9's Javascript engine] does something quite different from other script engines today. It has a separate background thread for compiling JavaScript. Windows runs that thread in parallel on a separate core when one is available. Compiling in the background enables users to keep interacting with webpages while IE generates even faster code. By running separately in the background, this process can take advantage of today’s multi-core machines – so, users with a Core2Duo or QuadCore or i7 can apply that power to making webpages faster without any additional effort. "
  
  
  
  Still shots don't do the rendering engine justice. Picture 256 icons spinning at 60 frames a second, without slowing anything else down.
  
  IE9 isn't expected to drop until 2011 and its GPU-accelerated rendering engine isn't compatible with Windows XP due to fundamental differences between Windows XP's software rendering style and the Desktop Window Manager that ships with both Windows 7 and Windows Vista; it's not clear if Microsoft will release IE9 for XP or simply continue to maintain IE8's security patches. It's hard to capture some of the coolest things the IE9 Platform can do in a static screenshot; head over to Microsoft's website and take a look yourself if you're curious. When you consider how much of our time is spent within a browser, this is the sort of innovation that could genuinely be called a game-changer. We'll undoubtedly see announcements and demonstrations from Chrome, Firefox, and Opera in the days ahead—the sooner this tech hits the desktop (without being buggy) the better.

Via:IE Blog

Google partners call for clarity on China plans

(Reuters) - Chinese firms selling advertising space on Google's search pages have demanded clarity about the search giant's plans in China, as speculation increases over Google's future in the world's largest Internet market.

Their demand comes amid signs that Google Inc may soon move to close Google.cn, more than two months after it hit back against sophisticated hacking attacks from inside China and said it was no longer willing to offer a censored search engine.
Google and China have been tight-lipped since then about any talks to reconcile their differences.
A letter purportedly from 27 Google-authorized sales representative companies says the wait has gone on for too long, eroding their business, scaring off employees and putting big investments in jeopardy.
"We see a constant stream of information but cannot predict the future, we see business sliding, but there is nothing we can do," says the letter, which was also posted on a website affiliated with China's central television. "We are waiting now in incomparable pain and disquiet."
Google has received the letter and is reviewing it, spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker said.
Many of the signatories, contacted by Reuters, would not comment on the letter, or said they were unaware of it.
Some said that neither their affiliation with Google.cn nor the fight between Google and the government had hurt their business, although others acknowledged hesitancy by customers unsure of Google's future in China.
"We don't want Google to pull out. We believe Google will give us a proper explanation," said a customer service manager, surnamed Sheng, at Suzhou Universal Internet Media, adding she was not familiar with the contents of the letter.
The Wall Street Journal quoted one anonymous source who confirmed the contents of the letter, but added that not all the signatories had been involved in drafting the letter.
The companies sell advertising spots on Google search-result pages tied to certain searches.
COMPENSATION
The letter spells out demands for redress -- for investors, employees and clients -- that could add to the economic and political pressures on Google if it shuts down Google.cn and perhaps withdraws other operations from China.
The letter demands that Google develop a plan spelling out when customers' pre-payments for advertising will be returned to them, how employees of the advertising agents thrown out of work will be compensated, and how the companies themselves will be compensated for investments.
Addressed to Google's top executive for China, John Liu, it demands negotiations with the company.
A commerce ministry spokesman on Tuesday warned Google to obey Chinese laws and rules, including alerting the ministry to any exit plans.
Google's chief executive, Eric Schmidt, said last week he hoped to have an outcome soon from talks with Chinese officials on offering an uncensored search engine in the country of 384 million Internet users.
Many experts doubt China's ruling Communist Party would compromise on censorship. The Financial Times reported at the weekend the talks had reached an impasse and Google was "99.9 percent" certain to shut Google.cn.
A Google spokesperson said on Monday that talks with Chinese authorities had not ended, but added that the company was adamant about not accepting self-censorship.
China requires Internet operators to block words and images the ruling Communist Party deems unacceptable. Google.cn has not yet lifted that filter.
Internationally popular websites Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are entirely blocked in China, which uses a filtering "firewall" to block Internet users from overseas content banned by authorities.
Via: Reuters

Google Buzz Now Available as an iPhone App

Here it is folks, the first ever third-party application for Google Buzz, now available through the iTunes App Store. It's called Buzzie, and for the next few days, you can snag it for 33 percent off as part of a special introductory price.

If you're a fan of Google's newest social networking tool and can't imagine owning a smartphone other than the iPhone, then this is probably the best news ever. But you don't have to be a Buzz user to check it out. Non-Gmail users who want to see what all the fuss is about can play the part of mobile voyeur and read through local Buzz conversations without ever logging into the service. Should you decide to log in or sign up, you can then jump into the discussion.

Buzzie is a pretty straightforward app that's so far been well received, according to the user reviews. The app also taps into the iPhone GPS feature, but also gives you the option of marking your Buzz as private or public depending on whether or not you want your location out there for all to see.

You can snag the app here, and if you do, be sure to let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Source: Hothardware

iPhone Banned in the USA

Eastman Kodak is after your iPhone AND they want to take away your BlackBerry.
They won't come and pry the device out of your hand, but they definitely want to halt the phones from being imported until they get their piece of the pie.
Eastman Kodak claims that Apple Computers and Research in Motion are guilty of infringement of patents. Kodak has taken the step to request the U.S. International Trade Commission prevent both companies from importing their smart phones into the United States. Nokia filed a similar complaint in December 2009.

Kodak says both companies have infringed on patents regarding digital imaging, Apple for its iPhone and Research in Motion for its BlackBerry phone. The companies had been negotiating with Kodak to settle the potential compensation matter, but those talks broke down after neither side could break the impasse.
Kodak wants to ban devices with touch screens, like the Apple iPhone, the BlackBerry Storm and other camera phones such as the Tour, Bold, Curve and Pearl. The main issue is the built-in cameras. Kodak has more than 1,000 patents involving digital imaging.
Kodak's complaint says the iPhone and BlackBerry infringe on the patent approved in 2001 regarding the ability to preview images. Kodak made more than $622 million on intellectual property last year and expects to receive more than $450 million in royalty this year from Samsung. It is seeking a similar agreement with Apple and Research in Motion.
The ITC has 45 days to decide whether it will consider the complaint and would hold a hearing about the matter within the next year. Kodak has filed a similar suit against Samsung and LG and currently has licensing agreements with both companies, as well as Sony Ericsson, Motorola and Nokia.
This is just another round in the smartphone war. Apple filed a complaint against Nokia with the USITC last month that was designed to block the import of Nokia's Oyj phone into the United States. The ITC has agreed to consider the complaint. Nokia, the world's largest manufacturer of mobile phones, filed its own complaint to ban imports of the iPhone, iPod and MacBook. The USITC said it would review that complaint, too.









Source: Better Trades

Top 10 Google Settings You Should Know About

As the outcry over Google Buzz's privacy has shown us, it's smart to explore settings in Gmail, along with other places you're sharing data with the search giant. Let's take a look at 10 privacy, convenience, and annoyance fixers you should know.

10. Turn off auto-displayed pictures from Gmail contacts

By default, Gmail hides images embedded into emails from chain letters and unknown sources—and that's a smart move, given spammers' tracking tactics and malware tendencies. But it still shows images from contacts you've previously sent mail to, which can be a pain if you've got relatives who just love hi-larious forwards. Head to your Settings page, and look for the "external content" setting, which you can switch off to always ask you to confirm showing images in any email. If you've got just a handful of offenders, open up one of the egregious emails, hit the "Show details" link near the bottom of the to/from/subject details, and click the "don't display from now on" link. (Original post)

9. Fine-tune Google Apps for your domain

Google Apps, formerly know as Apps for Your Domain, has a lot of goodies tucked inside it for anyone who owns their own site, runs a family name domain, or operates a small business. Unlike Gmail, however, the new features and disabled offerings aren't as apparent (or blogged about). Gina gave us a great tour of Google Apps, showing how you can control privacy and access, choose which Labs features make it into your domain's email, and otherwise set up your site to your liking.

8. Prevent Android from automatically signing into Gchat

Simple and easy, but also easy to miss: If you've got an Android phone and have launched Google Talk from it just once, you might notice that you seem to catch any and all chats throughout the day. That's because Talk can sit in the background upon launching, ready to pick up messages. That's fine if that's what you want, but if you want a choice in the matter, head to the Google Talk app, hit your Menu key, and choose Settings. Un-check the "Automatically sign in" option, hit your back button, and then hit Menu and sign out of Google Talk. You'll need to sign back in if you're downloading apps from the Market (odd pairing, indeed), but you're otherwise free to chat when you want to. (Original post)

7. Turn off Buzz, Chat, and Labs in Gmail

Not big on Buzz? Chat more distracting than useful? Gmail Labs making your inbox feel lag-ish? You can kill all of them, if you'd like, and get back just a plain vanilla inbox. Scroll all the way to the bottom of any page inside Gmail, and at the bottom, you'll see two links to turn Gmail's chat sidebar and Buzz inbox on or off. Actually, you don't really "turn off Buzz" so much as remove it from your inbox, so be sure and check your Buzz settings at your Google Profile, if you have a Google Profile. If Labs features seem to be slowing down, or even breaking, your Gmail experience, you can turn them off entirely by loading Gmail from this URL: https://mail.google.com/mail/?labs=0#. Bookmark it as your main Gmail link, or title it "Gmail (Safe Mode)" if you'd like to still venture into all the goodies on occasion.

6. Disable SafeSearch (or lock it in semi-permanently)

Google's SafeSearch isn't an entirely comprehensive solution to preventing impressionable eyes from the worst realms of the internet. It is, however, a good stopgap until they learn to grow up and install other browsers, wipe out cookies, and customize user scripts. Whether you don't have any young ones in the house and want to turn SafeSearch off altogether or you want a complete SafeSearch lockdown on your computer, head to your search preferences, scroll down to the SafeSearch section, and find the setting that fits you. (In Google Image Search, they've helpfully placed the control right under the search box on your first result.) If you want to permanently enable SafeSearch, click the "Lock SafeSearch" link—and repeat for any browsers the little ones use. Now when they're performing a Google search, you should see some giant Google-colored balls in the upper-right corner—or else they've gotten too smart.

5. Set your default SMS location

For those without web-connected smartphones, or at least a decent data connection, Google's SMS service is seriously helpful—it's how I (used to) get by with just an iPod touch and a standard phone. To make it even more helpful, text set location, followed by the city and state or ZIP code where you spend the most time. Now you can just text "weather" or "pet store" to get the skinny on what's happening. (Original post)

4. Link and integrate your apps

Taking off the privacy and preference hat for a moment, Google's apps have a lot of neat settings just beneath their surface that make using them all together a tight experience. You can turn emails into tasks, and then map those tasks on your calendar. You can send voice messages and SMS from Google Voice to Gmail, and mark them as read when you open them there. Gina previously ran down seven easy ways to integrate your Google apps, and even more seem to come along every week.

3. Turn off Search History, logged in or not

If you're logged into Google for Gmail or any other service, there's a good chance Google's keeping tabs on all your searches, months after you made them. If you aren't logged in, Google's probably still tracking and personalizing your searches based on what you previously typed in. This one-stop solution should work for most users, but if it doesn't, log into Google and head to google.com/history. A notice at the top will tell you if you've "paused" or otherwise stopped your search history, or else you'll see your recent searches listed with dates and times. You can clear out this history by hitting the "Remove items" link on the left. If you aren't logged in, look for the "Web History" link in the upper-right corner. From there, you can choose whether Google tracks your searches via cookie and IP address and customizes your results.

2. Back up Google apps' data

For all you've heard about Buzz, privacy, and Google this week, you still can't fault them too much for their efforts to let you take your data with you if you decide to leave their app ecosystem. The Data Liberation Front site, a pet project from Google's engineers, explains how you can pull your information, documents, and other data out of nearly any Google product. Gina's also covered some of Google's apps in a cloud backup feature, and Adam tackled the best-at-that-time tools for Google backups in 2007. (Original Data Liberation Front post)

1. Control what Buzz says about you on the web

Google's new social service Buzz showed up suddenly in everyone's Gmail accounts this week, and right away it wanted to get you connected with the people you contact over email and chat the most. Before you let it turn you loose, though, consider whether you want the world to see exactly who you "follow." Google has since improved the on/off visibility, but if you want to make sure you're not broadcasting your inbox to the web at large, we suggest visiting your profile and checking your follower counts. If you don't see a profile at all, or don't see the followed/following numbers, you're likely in the clear, but as with many aspects of Buzz in this early stage, you can't be too careful. And when you actually start using the thing, be careful not to broadcast private email addresses yourself. (Original posts: Buzz update, private emails).

Bonus item: Open search results in new tabs

Lifehacker copy consigliere Dustin Luck mentions yet another reason to hit up your search preferences from time to time. With a single click, you can choose to open the results you click on in new windows. If you've set up your browser the right way, those new windows become new tabs, and little research projects on Google just became far more convenient.

Source:lifehacker