Apple launches iTunes Match
iTunes 10.5.1 includes iTunes Match which scans a user’s library to find music that was not purchased from Apple. Should Apple find a match in its own Music Store library, the company will provide the user with a cloud-based version at the same quality as music bought off in iTunes — as long as the user is a paid subscriber to the matching service, which costs $24.99 a year.
The feature made its debut at Apple’s developer conference in early June, and has been in developer testing in beta versions of the music software since early August.
RIM launches BlackBerry Bold 9790 and Curve 9380
Meanwhile, RIM has finally launched its latest BlackBerry smartphones, the Bold 9790 and Curve 9380. Both devices run BlackBerry OS 7 with its newer browser, support for NFC and, of course, BlackBerry Messenger, and will come preloaded with Documents To Go Premium, BlackBerry Protect for backup, and BlackBerry Balance that will let users have a virtual wall between corporate and personal content.
The Bold 9790 is updating the classic Bold QWERTY form factor with a curvier look, updated buttons reminiscent of the BlackBerry Torch 9850, and a 2.44-inch, 360 x 480 touchscreen. Specs include a 1GHz processor, 8GB of onboard memory, and a microSD slot for expansion, plus a 5-megapixel camera at the back.
On the other hand, the Curve 9380 is essentially a Curve 9360 that ditches the physical keyboard in favor of a 3.2-inch, 480 x 360 touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera, and a rumored 800MHz processor with 1GB of storage. No dates have been specified but the phones will be available globally in the coming weeks, according to RIM.
Facebook “buckles” under Salman Rushdie’s wrath over real-name policy
The famous novelist Salman Rushdie earlier today expressed his exasperation about Facebook’s deactivating of his account after discovering what it apparently concluded was a breach of its real-name policy. After deactivating his account Facebook, the author tweeted, turned him into Ahmed Rushdie, which is how he is identified on his passport. He had never used his first name, Ahmed, he pointed out; the world knows him as Salman.
The author had to send a photograph of his passport to Facebook, as well as a series of exasperated tweets, to get his account reinstated. After his identity was returned to him, Rushdie tweeted out the news saying,”Victory! #Facebook has buckled! I’m Salman Rushdie again. I feel SO much better. An identity crisis at my age is no fun. Thank you Twitter!”
Facebook was not immediately available for comment.
