Skype 6.0 lands with Microsoft and Facebook account integration, Retina support

You're probably saying to yourself, "didn't Skype just get a Windows 8-friendly refresh?" Why yes, yes it did. But Skype 6.0 here isn't limited to Windows RT slates, instead it's designed for more traditional Windows systems and even has a similarly numbered OS X counter part. There's a number of notable changes here, including the ability to sign in directly with your Facebook or Microsoft account. (If you've got a Live Messenger, Hotmail or Outlook.com account, then you've got a Microsoft account.) The most visible changes, however, will be the "flattened" Don't-call-it-Metro-friendly UI on Windows and the addition of Retina display support on OS X. There's a few other minor changes, including some additional localizations, which you can read about at the source. And heck, since you're already there, might as well download Skype too.

LaCie intros Porsche Design drive for Macs with SSD and USB 3.0, helps the speed match the name

Porsche Design may not be directly involved in building German supercars, but there are certain expectations to be met, aren't there? LaCie is rolling out a new version of its Porsche Design hard driveskewed towards Mac owners that should offer more of the performance you'd associate with the automotive brand. The P'9223 Slim SSD is a third thinner than its ancestor but carries the option of a 120GB SSD that makes the most of the USB 3.0 port. If all runs well, nearly any Mac launched in 2012 can shuttle data along at a brisk 400MB per second. Demanding Mac fans will need to pay $150 for the flash-based edition to have the P'9223 feel truly Porsche-like; others only have to spend $100 if they're content with the Volkswagen pace of a 500GB spinning drive.

Nexus 4 appears early at Carphone Warehouse, October 30th release date

Whoa there! The next Nexus just got an early reveal over at UK retailer Car phone Warehouse. Delivery is currently pegged for October 30th and apparently it's got brand new Android 4.2 (or Android 4.1.2 -- the listing mixes in both). The pre order screen confirms plenty of details we've already heard, including that 4.7-inch 1,280 x 768 display, Snapdragon S4 processor and 8-megapixel camera. Unfortunately, at least according to the phone seller, there's only 8GB of storage and no micro SD card slot. Other curious parts include a "360-degree camera", whatever that is, and an on-screen render that's been previously been identified as a custom ROM. Diving into the supposed feature list, we're intrigued to see whether "gesture typing" will form a part of Google's new Android build -- the Car phone Warehouse compares it to Swype's finger-dragging input method.

Price-wise, it looks like you could get the handset for free on contracts over £31 per month, with both O2 and Vodafone named as prospective networks for the device in the UK -- but no news here on whether the 4G-capable EE will offer an LTE iteration. Excited? Good, because we're going to hear plenty more on this next week.

Update: And the page has been pulled. Hopefully, to iron out some of those suspect features...

Jelly Bean rolling out to Samsung Galaxy S III on Sprint beginning today

Sprint's the first US carrier to get the long-awaited Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy S III. Featured as an OTA update, your device may start seeing it as early as today. Don't worry too much if this doesn't happen right away; experience has shown us that these large-scale OTA rollouts can be a lengthy process spanning the course of a couple weeks. Feel free to shout out in the comments if your device has already prompted you for the update

Celebrate Windows 8 day with this livestream of Microsoft's launch event (video)

Microsoft's big coming out day for Windows 8 is finally upon us. In celebration, Redmond's throwing a launch party for its newest OS update on New York City's Pier 57. You may not be able to join in on the fun in person, but we've got this handy stream beyond the break should you wish to play along virtually, and it's starting any minute.

Update: Some folks are having issues with the primary stream, and if you're one of those folks, you may wanna redirect your browser here for an alternative feed.

Update 2: The stream is back, this time with a focus on the Surface RT.

PSA: Windows 8 available to buy starting tonight

Microsoft's stunning new operating system is finally ready for public consumption, starting tonight. The new OS is launching globally in more than 140 markets and in over 37 languages and you'll be able grab either Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro (not to mention the Microsoft Surface), from 12.01am local time at participating US retailers including Amazon, Best Buy and Staples. Meanwhile, Microsoft will also be offering up its Windows 8 upgrade online. Anyone looking to upgrade their PC (and you'll be able to from XP to version 7) will need to stump up $40 -- just keep that source link below bookmarked for later. 

Apple Q4 2012 earnings: $36 billion in revenue, $8.2 billion net profit

Just a day after introducing the iPad mini, a revised iMac, a 4th-generation iPad and a retooled Mac mini, the company is outing its Q4 2012 earnings -- and it looks as if it has narrowly fell short of Wall Street estimates. Revenue was pegged at $36 billion (compared to estimates of $35.08 billion), with net profit at $8.2 billion. For the sake of comparison, the outfit's fourth quarter of 2011 saw $28.27 billion in revenue alongside $6.62 billion net profit -- at the time, those comically large numbers were actually not up to Wall Street's comical expectations. If you're looking for a quarter-over-quarter comparison, the company's Q3 2012 report showed $35 billion in total revenue, with $8.8 billion in net profits.

The company is guiding for $52 billion in revenues for Q1 2013, while announcing that it sold 26.9 million iPhones (up from 17.01 million a year ago), 14 million iPads (up from 11.12 million) and 5 million Macs (up from 4.89 million) in this quarter. As for the waning iPod business? Predictably, it sold just 5.3 million of those, representing a 19 percent drop from the year-ago quarter. Naturally, the company is expecting its next earnings report to be the one that blows everyone away, with holiday sales -- combined with a slew of new kit -- to propel things leading into 2013. Apple also announced that shareholders that hold stock as of November 12th will pick up a $2.65 / share dividend.

As for other specifics, we're told that gross margin was 40.0 percent compared to 40.3 percent in the year-ago quarter, while international sales accounted for 60 percent of the quarter's revenue. Peter Oppenheimer, Apple's CFO, proudly boasted: "We're pleased to have generated over $41 billion in net income and over $50 billion in operating cash flow in fiscal 2012. Looking ahead to the first fiscal quarter of 2013, we expect revenue of about $52 billion and diluted earnings per share of about $11.75." As for the outfit's current stash of on-hand cash? $121.3 billion. Yeah. The financial results call will get going at 5PM ET, and we'll be liveblogging it right here!

Apple adds Rubles and other currencies to App Store, bumps minimum price to €0.89 in Europe

After announcing slightly under par financials, Apple has added more ways it can be paid for apps, though it also bumped the minimum freight to get one across Europe. The new lowest price users in France, Germany, Italy and other nations "over there" can pay for an app is now €0.89, a euro-dime bump from before -- apparently due to the weak euro and local tax hikes. On the other hand, Cupertino also added more currencies accepted at its store: South African Rand, Turkish Lira, Russian Rubles, Indian Rupees, Isreali New Shekel's, Saudi Arabian Riyal, Indonesian Rupish and UAE Dirham can all now be used to pay. Apple has tinkered with its prices before in varying amounts overseas depending on the nation, so you may want to check your own country's App Store for the news -- bad or good.

Clearwire sees wholesale revenues dip, LTE delays as it posts a $41.3 million net loss in Q3

Clearwire's figures show that the network it isn't cool to love will be making placating faces at its bank manager for yet another quarter. It pulled in revenues of $313.9 million for the three month period, but with business costs (and depreciation) clocking in at $646.7 million, the company posted an operating loss of $332 million and a net loss of $41.3 million. If that wasn't bad enough, it's also hacked back a target to add TD-LTE to 5,000 sites before mid-2013 to just 2,000. A similar problem has occurred over at newly-minted majority owner Sprint, which has found itself a quarter behind its own LTE timetable thanks to parts shortages -- so let's hope the folks over at Softbank can help both companies improve their estimating skills.

OpenELEC-2.0 Linux distro released, turns your PC into an 'appliance-like' home theater device

If you're itching to park that AMD or Intel PC beside your TV as a dedicated home theater device,OpenELEC would like to offer up the first stable release of its Linux distro, version 2.0, for your consideration. The new build is now available for free (with the option to donate, of course), and the group behind it says that the installation takes less than five minutes and requires "zero Linux experience." Once you've done that, it'll be ready to serve your media needs in less than 10 seconds from a cold start, according to OpenELEC, with only a remote control needed to start surfing. The system updates automatically, including the XBMC V11 media core, and now includes PVR support, improved AMD functionality, CEC adapter compatibility, NFS, AFP, CIFS and SSH shares and Airplay / Airtunes support. If you're already Mac- or Windows-centric, an OpenELEC system will play well with all your existing media, so if you're ready to see how the Linux media crowd rolls, hit the source.

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Sprint Nextel takes control of Clearwire after increasing stake to 50.8 percent

A securities filing has just revealed that Sprint Nextel has acquired 50.8 percent of Clearwire Corp giving it control of the firm. The deal comes after buying out Eagle River Holdings' stake in the telco. This comes just days after Sprint was subject to a sale of its own, to Japanese operator Softbank. The news is the latest twist in the up and down relationship between the two firms, and hints at a more assertive LTE strategy -- given that it now has more say over Clearwire's spectrum. Although it remains unclear how this will affect deals with other operators.

To All the iPhone 5 Haters! - Ty's iHelp by tysihelp

TweetBot for Mac reaches the Mac App Store, keeps the 3rd-party Twitter client flame alive

When Twitter put out its strict new API guidelines, there was some doubt as to whether or not third-party clients like Tapbots' Tweetbot for Mac would even make the cut -- the user caps and other curbs on unofficial apps potentially made it tough to develop competition around a different (and possibly better) experience. That makes today's official appearance of Tweetbot in the Mac App Store as much symbolic as it is practical. While there won't be many significant shocks for those who've been participating in Tweetbot's alpha and beta stages, the finished version gives everyone running OS X Mountain Lion a major and sometimes more advanced alternative to official choices, such asTweetDeck, as well as existing third-party options like Twitterrific. A $20 price doesn't make Tweetbot the cheapest way to buck convention by any means, but it might be worth the investment if you're already committed to Tapbots' iOS apps or want to make a statement on the value of third parties in an ecosystem.

Zach Ware of the Downtown Project: It's All About Community by techcocktail

Google's Q3 2012 earnings: $14.10 billion in revenue, $2.74 billion in operating income

In an apparent error, Google's Q3 2012 earnings have gone live smack dab in the middle of the trading day, instead of after the closing bell as expected. Early indications are that the search giant has notched third quarter revenues of $14.10 billion, representing a 45 percent uptick compared to Q3 2011. GAAP operating income in the third quarter of 2012 was $2.74 billion, or 19 percent of revenues, and that would explain the near 10 percent slide in the company's stock price. A year ago Google nailed down $3.06 billion, or 31 percent of revenues, when looking at operating profit; investors were expecting some $10.65 per share, while they got just $9.03 per share. When looking at net income, Q3 2012 saw that figure at $2.18 billion, whereas the company raked in $2.73 billion in the same quarter a year ago. Presently, trading has been halted on the company's stock as the dust settles, but one thing is exceptionally clear: pulling in billions in a single quarter won't go over well with Wall Street if its expectations see you pulling in even more.

Zach Ware of the Downtown Project: It's All About Community by techcocktail

Apple says no Java for you, removes plugin from browsers on OS X 10.7 and up

Apple has recently released a Mac update for OS X Lion and Mountain Lion that removes its Java plugin from all OS X browsers. If you install the update, you'll find a region labeled "Missing plug-in" in place of a Java applet; of course, Apple can't stop you from clicking on it to download a Java plug-in directly from Oracle. The Cupertino-based company had previously halted pre-installing Java in OS X partially due to the exploitable factors of the platform, so this update signifies further distancing from Larry Ellison's pride and joy.

Ubuntu 12.10 launches with web apps and search, Canonical plans for more secretive 13.04 development

An Ubuntu release is always a momentous occasion for a large portion of the Linux community, although it's coming with a mild share of controversy this time around. Ubuntu 12.10 (Quantal Quetzal) is finished and brings with it support for pinning web apps to the Launcher as well as search that includes web results, detailed photo results and quick previews. They're all appreciated upgrades -- what's raising hackles is the development strategy for 13.04, or Raring Ringtail. Company head Mark Shuttleworth wants a "skunkworks" approach that will silence pre-release discussion of some features outside of key, trustworthy community members. While there will still be open-source code and only a light layer of secrecy, Ubuntu's progress in the near-term won't be quite as transparent as we're accustomed to with Linux. There's a good chance that most end users won't mind the difference enough to skip the download.

Google draws 25 million new building footprints in Maps, shapes up your neighborhood

The fine, well labeled lines of Google Maps may show a clean layout of your neighborhood, but without buildings, it looks too much like a two-dimensional spread of undeveloped tract housing. Google's finally filling in the gaps, outlining 25 million building footprints in cities all across the United States. Residents of Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Houston, Detroit and other cities can now see the familiar outlines of their local stomping ground on the services' mobile and desktop maps. Most of these buildings were algorithmically generated from aerial photographs,locals can pen in their own content by using Google Map Maker to add new buildings or tag their favorite local eatery. The tweak sounds minor, but it certainly makes the standard map's criss-cross of roads look more familiar.

NEC LaVie Y brings Lenovo's 360-degree IdeaPad Yoga hybrid tablet to Japan

Don't think that Lenovo is keeping the IdeaPad Yoga's bendy secrets all to itself: its Japanese partner NEC is bringing a variant of the ARM-based Yoga 11 to the land of the rising sun as the LaVie Y. The 11.6-inch blend of laptop and tablet keeps the signature 360-degree display, 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage as its more internationally-minded counterpart, and confirms that there's a quad-core Tegra 3 powering either of the Windows RT systems. What differences exist will stem from the software: there's hints of a custom NEC app on an otherwise vanilla interpretation of Microsoft's platform. The LaVie Y should precede its IdeaPad sibling by days, arriving in stores around November 22nd, although any local buyers will pay dearly for the privilege with an estimated $1,136 price. We'd suggest that patience ought to be a virtue for everyone else.

Chinese online retail giant 360buy spreads worldwide, may keep Amazon on its toes

Many of us who live in North America and Europe consider Amazon synonymous with online retail -- yet we forget that the company barely even registers in some parts of the world. That misconception is about to be cleared up now that one of China's largest online retailers, 360buy, is going global. A just-launched English version of the store is initially shipping China-made goods for free to 36 countries that include obvious candidates like Australia, Canada, the UK and the US as well as France, Germany and southeast Asia. You're unlikely to find a Kindle Fire HD equivalent in the selection, but the mix could still make Amazon nervous when the brand-agnostic can already find real bargains. Combined with long-term plans to set up local distribution points, 360 buy's international expansion could get more of us comfortable with buying from China and heat up a retail race that some thought had already been won.

Formlabs FORM 1 high-resolution 3D printer spotted in the wild, we go eyes on (video)

Last time we checked in with the 3D printing upstarts over at Formlabs, their Kickstarter was doing splendidly, having over doubled its initial funding target. Well, less than a month later, and with the money still rolling in, the current total stands (at time of writing) at a somewhat impressive $2,182,031 -- over 20 times its initial goal. When we heard that the team behind it, along with some all important working printers, rolled into town, how could we resist taking the opportunity to catch up? The venue? London's 3D print show. Where, amongst all the printed bracelets and figurines, the FORM 1 stood out like a sore thumb. A wonderfully orange, and geometrically formed one at that. We elbowed our way through the permanent four-deep crowd at their booth to take a closer look, and as the show is running for another two days, you can too if you're in town.

Evernote for Android gets new offline notebooks, widgets and more

Evernote has already revamped a few of its offerings this month, and it's now brought some changes to its Android app as well. That includes new offline notebooks for premium subscribers that'll let you download multiple notebooks in one shot, a pared down note editor toolbar, retooled Action Bars for Android tablets and a new resizable Grid Widget for your homescreen. Not surprisingly, Evernote also says that the update includes a slew of other fixes and tweaks that promise to make the app "faster and more reliable," and it's promising that there's still "lots more to come." 

Delta Six controller gets redesigned, Kick started

Most video game controllers sporting a firearm form factor are a far cry from realistic -- bright colors,odd shapes and obvious thumbsticks leave many accessories looking more like toys than weapons. Not David Kotkin's Delta Six. This gun-shaped controller's first prototype looked so much like a real rifle, Kotkin told us, it had to be redesigned. An orange tip, whitewashed body and a few less authentic looking components don't make the Delta Six look any less believable as a digital soldier's modern musket, but itdoes make it less likely to be mistaken for the real McCoy. The peripheral's internals haven't changed though -- an accelerometer to help players aim and turn, cheek-sensing pressure sensors (for looking down the scope), faux-recoil and its assortment of modular components are still all on target.

Like all budding hardware projects these days, the Delta Six is looking towards the crowd to source its production. According to the peripheral's Kickstarter page, the Delta Six will be available between July and August next year, boasting compatibility with the Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii U and even the OUYA. Pitching in $89 buys the basic submachine gun body (with a free rifle attachment for first-week buyers), and subsequent levels tack on additional attachments, bonus items and more. Kotkin needs $500,000 to make his rifle-shaped dream a reality. Like-minded FPS gamers can join him at the source link below. Not a dreamer? Feel free to read on for the official press release (and an additional image), instead.

The High-Tech Gooseneck Putter by Samuel DiMatteo & ... by outskirtspress

After running with other alliterative code names such as Oneiric Ocelot, Precise Pangolin and Quantal Quetzal, Canonical has announced the latest in its line of fauna-inspired Ubuntu releases -- Raring Ringtail. With version 13.04 CEO Mark Shuttleworth plans to start seriously laying the groundwork forphone, tablet and TV interfaces, which he hopes to have in place for the next LTS release in April of 2014 (14.04). Don't expect a full-fledged Ubuntu smartphone OS in six months, however, the first step will be working on core aspects of the OS, such as power and memory management, that will prove crucial to its success as a mobile platform. First though, the company needs to get through today's planned launch of 12.10, which will deliver some highly-anticipated webapp integration.

Feed your blog posts to your Facebook fan page automaticall by automatemywealth

Google Catalogs makes web-based catalog browsing a reality

For folks who prefer to get their retail therapy in digital form, Google Catalogs is a godsend. In case you forgot, it's an aggregation portal with digital catalogs from myriad merchants that lets you browse retailer wares without killing trees and now it's available on the web. When Catalogs first debuted, it was only available as a tablet app for iPad or Android. The new web-based catalog browser, however, lets users peruse wares from over 300 merchants -- including Crate&Barrel, Brookstone and even Fredrick's of Hollywood -- on any device with an internet connection. The holiday season's approaching folks, so head on down to the source and get your shopping out of the way early -- or, at least flesh out your personal wish list.

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Yandex launches its own browser targeting Russian market

How many browsers is enough? Between Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Internet Explorer, (not to mention, Baidu, Amazon, Maxthon, Dolphin, etc...) you'd think we'd have plenty ways to surf the web. Not according to Yandex. The Russian search company has just released its own branded browser built around a Webkit base using Chromium as a starting point. This isn't its first foray into the world of software though, it's been offering a customized version of Firefox for some time, with Yandex as the default search engine. The new entry into the crowded browser market also borrows threat scanning technology from Kaspersky and Opera's Turbo for quickly loading content on slow connections. Tigran Khudaverdyan, head of mobile services at the company, even suggested to Business Week that a mobile version was in the works. For now it's only available for OS X and Windows, however. 

ICS and Jellybean now on a quarter of all Android devices, but over half still stuck on Gingerbread

It seems like only yesterday that Google bundled Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 in its little biscuit layers and sent it off into the world (it was December, 2011, actually). That Android flavor has since climbed the charts rapidly, around four percent each month for the last while, and now occupies the ROM on 23.7 percent of robot-based devices -- up from 20.8 percent last month. That's in part due to new devices (like many in China) still coming out of the box with it, on top of older warhorses like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 finally grabbing some ICS. Meanwhile, its smooth-running younger sibling, Jelly Bean, made a slight gain to 1.8 percent of all Google-run slates and phones -- though that will likely change when the Galaxy Note II hits the market en masse and the Galaxy S III OTA 4.1.1 disseminates to all its owners. Meanwhile, Gingerbread still dominates Google OS installed devices at 55.8 percent, probably thanks to delays or denials of newer flavors to legacy devices.

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Vizio's 'extra-large' holiday HDTV lineup goes from 55- to 70-inches

While Vizio's summer has been all about PCs, set-top Google TV boxes and even the odd ultrawidescreen HDTV, it's getting back into its usual garb for the fall. As is its customs, it's rolling out a few new HDTV models ahead of the big shopping season, which range in size from 55- to 70-inches. Other than the 58-inch CinemaWide ultra widescreen model there are also three representatives from its M-Series, with a 55-inch model for $949, and a 65-inch model that's $1,699 with 3D and $1,499 without. The other two models are in its E-Series line, and are 2D only edge-lit LED sets that feature a new thin bezel / slim frame design. The 60-inch version is priced at $999, while the 70-inch goes for $1,999. They all include the Yahoo Widgets powered Vizio Internet Apps (Netflix, Vudu, Hulu, Amazon etc.)

Maingear welcomes AMD A-Series APUs to its F131 and X-Cube desktop PCs

In a move to make its desktops more palatable to the masses, Maingear is bringing AMD's integrated A-Series APUs to its F131 tower and X-Cube desktop PCs. Upon learning the news, we took a peek at the manufacturer's website and found a customizable X-Cube available with a $649 starting price, which compares favorably to its $939 Intel counterpart. Unfortunately, the company has yet to update its website with AMD customization options for the F131. Regardless, we're told that shoppers can expect to find both standard and Black Edition options for AMD's chips, the latter which should appeal to overclockers. 

SMS Audio outs an on-ear option for its Street by 50 headphones, ships October 7th for $180

If you're a fan of emcee-endorsed headphones, you're in luck. SMS Audio -- the folks behind the SYNC by 50 line -- has just announced another portable audio option that gets the recommendation of Mr. Jackson himself. The Street by 50 moniker now sports a wired, on-ear option to go alongside its current over-ear and in-hear offerings. These cans house 40mm pro-tuned drivers, folding hinges and memory foam cushioning while sporting Shadow Black and Ghost White color schemes. Anxious to snag some? Well, you can pre-order a set now, but they'll start shipping on October 7th -- if you're willing to shell out the requisite $179.99, of course. As for us, we're patiently waiting on the Keenan Cahill model.

MoviePass launches iPhone app and card combo, takes unlimited viewing to all US theaters

While MoviePass was in early beta, it got more than a small amount of pushback from theaters that didn't like someone changing the price formula without their explicit say-so. The company just found an end-run around that conspicuous obstacle. It's releasing both an iPhone app and a reloadable card that, when combined, let MoviePass' effectively unlimited subscription model work at just about any US theater. The app unlocks the card for a specific showing; after that, it's only a matter of swiping the plastic at a payment kiosk like any old credit card. It's not as sophisticated as NFC or Pay With Square, to be sure, but it should keep the rude surprises to a minimum. Both the iOS app and the card require an invitation to the $30 monthly service if you're eager to get watching movies today. If either is too limiting, there's promises of both an Android app and wider availability in the future.

Lenovo building PC production facility in North Carolina

North Carolina is fast becoming a haven for tech behemoths, with Chinese giant Lenovo becoming the latest to plant its flag in the Southeastern soil. The Wall Street Journal reports that the company is readying a PC production facility near its US headquarters which will kick off operations next year. Aside from securing bragging rights over competitors which no longer manufacture in the US, the factory is intended to satisfy stateside customers who "demand for flexible supplies and product customization." While it's initially a small operation -- employing slightly over 100 people -- the aim is to expand in the future, meaning that elusive "Made in America" sticker may become a little more commonplace.

Apple's app search engine goes dark, Chomp joins Ping in obsolescence

Ping wasn't the only Apple service to go offline at the tail end of September. Chomp, an app search engine purchased by Cook and Co. earlier this year, also closed up shop. In the spring, the service discontinued support for Android apps, and now its entire website and iOS application have been shuttered. Folks who still have the app installed are greeted with the bad news upon launching it: "Chomp has been discontinued as of September 30. Thanks for being a loyal user." If you're mourning the loss, we hear Yahoo would be delighted to make your acquaintance.

Editorial: Square gets the attention, but credit cards rule

Lower Manhattan, Pearl Street, the Financial District. A Starbucks with broad windows, great for people watching. Sipping my $5 flavored coffee, I watched a homeless man sit on the sidewalk. I liked him immediately: his sharp gaze and thoughtful expression. When I left, I squatted down next to him and put five bucks in his jar, contributing the cost of my first-world coffee to the man's case for survival.

We talked. He knew his tech, this man of no possessions, describing his favorite productivity gadgets of the past decade, scorning Apple for form over function. He had been living on the street day and night for two years. My five dollars was "huge," he said. I knew that was true only microcosmically. He liked cigars. That's where the cash would go.

Meanwhile, Starbucks had recently cut a deal with Square, one of the hottest startup stories of the season, so that people with five dollars to spend on coffee needn't pull out a wallet and ponder their privilege.

Deutsche Telekom mulling T-Mobile / MetroPCS marriage

Well, turns out that rumors of a MetroPCS and T-Mobile merger weren't completely off base. While we wouldn't expect Deutsche Telekom to announce the sale of its US property any time soon, the German giant has confirmed that its holding talks with America's sixth largest mobile operator to combine the two networks. The prospective deal would involve combining the two into a single entity, with Deutsche Telekom as the majority shareholder. Of course there are significant obstacles in the way, including divergent network technologies and distinctly different marketing strategies. This is, of course, just the latest scene in the ongoing piece of corporate theater that almost saw the struggling magenta carrierabsorbed by AT&T. We'll of course be following closely to see if such a move would sit a little better with government regulators.

First non-game titles now available on Steam, game dev tools lead the charge

Valve Software -- maker of the iconic Half-Life series and proprietor of digital storefront Steam -- today released Steam's first non-video game software (originally scheduled to launch in early September). ArtRage Studio Pro, CameraBag 2, GameMaker: Studio, 3D-Coat, 3DMark Vantage, and 3DMark 11 join Valve's own Source Filmmaker in the newly minted software section of the Steam store. All non-Valve software is PC-only for now -- we imagine Mac software will also show up at some point, but nothing's available just yet. Like Steam's games, software titles will receive streamlined updates via the Steam client, and consumers will enjoy similar discount offers to the games section -- the first such sale is already on, with launch day software getting a 10 percent discount until week's end. Bizarrely, the software titles also have Steam achievements. Finally, developers get rewarded for porting their games to Android by something other than crushing piracy!

Oregon Scientific MEEP! tablet ships for $150, gives kids a safe, exclamation-filled place to play

For all the enthusiasm Oregon Scientific put into launching (and naming) its MEEP! tablet, the company has been a bit timid about getting the kid-friendly Android device into the market -- we're just seeing it go on sale eight months after it was first shown to the world. Now that the slate is here, it may be worth the patience from parents. The 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 chip, 512MB of RAM, 800 x 480 screen and 4GB of storage won't have the adults regretting their Kindle Fire purchases, but the MEEP! does come in a smash-resistant form with remote parental control and an allowance-based store that lets kids 'buy' apps with virtual coins. Oregon helps its case through the use of Ice Cream Sandwich, preloaded games likeAngry Birds and a raft of accessories for games and music. The $150 asking price is just low enough that we can see a few families starting their youngest technophiles on a MEEP! before graduating them to igger, badder tablets with less punctuation in the name.

GOWEX bringing free WiFi to French rail stations, starting with Marseille

We take free WiFi at our transportation hubs for granted here in the US. (Heck, we've even got it deep in the bowels of NYC.) In other countries, it's not a given that you'll have high-speed broadband at your disposal while waiting for a train or plane. France is working on it though, with GOWEX signing a deal with the National Society of French Rail (SNCF) to bring wireless internet to rail stations across the nation. The first part of the puzzle will be the bustling Marseille St. Charles in the south of France. At some point in 2013 (though, the company refused to specify when) the switch will be flipped and tourists in and around the Marseille station will be able to enjoy 512Kbps internet for free.