Atari has released a brand new level pack for its hit Breakout: Boost iOS app game and it is themed around Valentines Day. The level pack, which features 50 new ‘romantic levels’, is a welcome upgrade to its hugely popular app which has seen 2.5 million downloads across the Apple iOS platform.

Now who ever said that a physical company couldn’t be romantic? PR below.

Be Mine Brick-breaking – Breakout^®: Boost Valentine’s Day Pack With 50 New Levels Now Available

London, United Kingdom – February 7th, 2012 – Atari’s popular Breakout^®: Boost, which has achieved 2.5 million downloads on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, today received a sweet update: a Valentine’s Day level pack, available now through a £0.69 / €0.79 / AU$0.99 in-app purchase. The pack celebrates Valentine’s Day with 50 new, romantic levels and brick layouts displaying candy heart sayings and cute pictures. Also included is a Cupid’s Arrow power up which helps break those romantic bricks to pieces more quickly. Lastly, players can show their love for the new levels by competing for leaderboard placement and earning new achievements for completion.

Players can purchase the new content for £0.69 / €0.79 / AU$0.99 by updating their App and selecting the Valentine’s Day Pack under “New Game”.

Download the original, free Breakout: Boost, with 5 original levels and over 250 more available through in-app purchases, including the new Valentine’s Day levels: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/breakout-boost/id476059948?mt=8.

©2012 Technology Blogged, News. All Rights Reserved.

Technology news. Hot on the heels of a little experiment eBay did a short while ago it appears Amazon may be opening up a high-street store in US city Seattle according to The Huffington Post. Rumours suggest that the store will stock a vast amount of boutique related items, however sources close to us believe if the Amazon high-street store ever did open, it would focus on their Kindle brand primarily and also feature a high quality fit and finish as to entice high-street shoppers.

So far Amazon has failed to comment on this latest news rumour, however we have e-mailed them for a response and expect one soon (ish). All in all, they probably have better things to do though, but if this high-street store were to open it could be a solid foundation for other online retailers to test the high street such as Play.com, Base.com and others.

Via: The Huffington Post

©2012 Technology Blogged, News. All Rights Reserved.

Do you love your white smartphones? Well if you do, The Samsung Galaxy Nexus white edition has been revealed as coming to the UK a whole week before this years MWC (Mobile World Congress), probably as to not take any thunder away or indeed to the Galaxy Nexus against Samsung’s next gen devices.

This technology news follows on from recent rumours regarding an official white Galaxy Nexus release with many speculating it might not even come to the UK.

“After much speculation, we are pleased to announce the availability of the Galaxy Nexus White which follows the great reception the phone has received since it was launched back in November,” said Simon Stanford, Samsung’s UK and Ireland head of the Telecommunications and Networks Division.

Overall this is good news for consumers as the white Galaxy Nexus adds another option available to consumers against Apple’s white iPhone 4S.

Via: T3

©2012 Technology Blogged, News. All Rights Reserved.

Many people use the Internet for shopping. However, not everyone purchases from sites they visit the first time. Most people visit trusted websites for their shopping needs. If you want your visitors to purchase from your site — or even if you just want them to download your eBook, signup for your newsletter, or share your site — you’ll need to give them a reason to trust your site. When it comes to success, trust is the key. Here are eight great ways to get earn website visitor trust.

1. Include all your information

Who are you? Where do you live? What is your story? If you have a brick and mortar store, where is it located? You should provide a map and directions to your store. Including your information shows that you are not afraid to reveal your identity, thus helping people to trust your website.

2. Include a privacy policy

This practice not only helps people trust your site, but it also helps Google trust your site. Some site owners claimed that their sites with a privacy policy tended to rank higher in the search engines than their sites without a privacy policy. Additionally, don’t hide your privacy policy. Make it clear, easy to read and easy to find.

3. Use VeriSign

Many people back out of a purchase at the checkout screen. The reason is obvious: They are not sure they are on a secure page. Who wants their sensitive information stolen? Identity theft is at an all-time-high, and it is your job to make sure your visitors feel safe. The VeriSign seal tells customers that they are on a secure page.

4. Join the digital BBB

The Better Business Bureau does not endorse businesses that don’t adhere to its strict ethical codes of conduct. In order to join the BBB, you must abide by their standards and practices. This tells people that you want them to know you are serious about the quality of your business.

5. Use your picture

Some business owners practice this trust-building method, and some don’t. Let your preference be your choice. However, many people trust sites to which they can associate a face. If you opt to use your picture, dress nice, and take a professional photograph against a neutral background. Don’t strike a pose that gives people a reason not to trust you.

6. Give a money-back-guarantee

This is a well-known practice among business owners. Businesses that can promise to refund consumers’ money tend to be more trusted than other sites. Make your return policies clear and easy to read. Don’t give a guarantee that is deceiving or misleading. That will certainly hurt your site.

7. Use real testimonials

Many untrustworthy site owners write fake testimonials and put fake names to those testimonials. You should never do this. In fact, every time you receive a testimonial, you should ask to not only include the customer’s name, but also his home city and state and possibly the name of his workplace. The more information the better.

8. Keep all of your text honest

By now, consumers are used to reading text that over-hypes the products it is describing. Consumers think to themselves, “I know — your product is the best on the market and I’d be a fool to let these deals slip through my hands.” However, consumers don’t want hype; they want information. The text on your site should be clear and simple. Describe the product, list any benefits or disadvantages and list the price.

Hopefully these tips help you secure trust with your visitors. Like everything else, this will take time. However, your customers will appreciate your honesty and integrity. Keep your promises and keep things simple.

Brain Host is an industry-leading shared hosting provider. Our hosting packages include unlimited addon domains, unlimited storage and data transfer, and expert 24/7 technical support. To learn more about web hosting plans from Brain Host, visit http://www.brainhost.com.

©2012 Technology Blogged, News. All Rights Reserved.

One of the last things that business owners want to worry about is software licensing, but it’s a problem that cannot be ignored. While software licenses are certainly expensive to purchase, they are nowhere near as costly as being caught with illegal software.

Many businesses, even those that make good faith efforts to comply with licensing agreements, are unknowingly running pirated software. In fact, the Business Software Alliance (BSA) whose members include Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, Macromedia, Symantec, Dell, IBM, and others, recently found that a third of all software installed on computers worldwide in 2003 was pirated.

How big is the problem?

Many companies may be running illegal software without realizing it. One of the primary ways that businesses end up with pirated software on their machines is through the actions of their employees. Other ways include unknowingly purchasing pirated software or PCs with illegal software already installed.

Employees may download or otherwise install illegal software onto business computers mistakenly, and sometimes they may eve do so deliberately in an effort to save money. However this software ends up on the company’s machines, however, illegal software is expensive. The potential civil penalty for each software title application is $150,000, and in some cases, criminal fines are also levied. In an organization with more than 500 computers, even 10 illegal copies of an application can cost the business tens of thousands of dollars.

Another common way that businesses obtain pirated software is by purchasing it directly from a “bargain” vendor. Often business software deals that are “too good to be true” are just that and should be avoided.

What are the risks?

The BSA is attempting to crack down on illegal software distribution and is conducting many more audits. In fact, the organization recently announced that it would award whistleblowers payouts of up to $1 million. Companies who ignore software licensing do so at their own peril—they will almost certainly be hit with hefty fines. Apart from the monetary consequences, however, pirated software can cost businesses in other ways.

Pirated software may also expose corporate machines to viruses or other malicious software. Much of the illegal software that is available for download contains within it code that may jeopardize the computer that it is installed on.

Another unintended consequence is that illegal software does not come with the same support as does legal software. Some companies may end up purchasing the same software multiple times in order to get the support that they need.

What can you do?

As you get your business in line with software licensing, you’ll be protecting your assets now and in the future. If you do not know whether you are currently running illegal software, the best thing you can do is conduct a software audit. Check all the computers in your business for the software that is installed on the machines and whether these programs have the appropriate certifications and licenses. If any copies of illegal software are found, replace them with legitimate software applications.

You should also ensure that your employees understand that your business’s firm anti-piracy policy and put into place practices for PC deployment and software distribution that will help avoid problems from arising. In corporations with remote offices, a centralized software database could be created for legal remote software installation such as Dell Kace product.

Author David Malmborg.  David works with Dell Kace and enjoys writing about technology, computers and saving money.

©2012 Technology Blogged, News. All Rights Reserved.

The good news now however is that I’m back on my feet and ready to go. To start with, I’m going to publish up to date news at a rate I feel suits this Technology Blog and then I am going to set to work writing up extremely well written articles much like all of the ones you can find here.

The reason I’m doing this post is to just let all our readers know that this technology blog is going to see a fair bit of solid content added to it over February and March, and I’d really appreciate it if you our faithful readers could take the time to retweet where applicable and bookmark where you find an article informative. 2012 is going to be a good year for Technology Blogged, I can feel it.

©2012 Technology Blogged, News. All Rights Reserved.

Oh you lucky chaps (and chapettes). Yes, the Nokia Lumia 900 is now up for pre-order in the US  at one of Microsoft’s fifteen retail stores to be found across the United States, and to secure yours you need only deposit $25. According to most recent rumours, the Nokia Lumia 900 will be in customers hands by March 18th in the US, whilst UK folk will have to wait for any news regarding a release date as non have been specified at this moment.

The Nokia Lumia 900 adds LTE to its Lumia line up and features a bigger screen than the beautifully crafted Lumia 800, Nokia’s current flagship smartphone. Other specs include a Qualcomm Snapdragon system on chip clocked at 1.4GHz (an APQ8055 + MDM9200), an eight megapixel camera, WVGA screen resolution, 16GB onboard storage and a 1830mAh battery that can power the phone for up to seven hours.

©2012 Technology Blogged, News. All Rights Reserved.

It’s no secret that major U.S. tech companies have a strong presence in the developing world, China in particular. These countries are used to source materials, manufacture products, and provide server hosting capabilities at discount cost. The lower costs, in turn, allow technology companies to build new products quickly and expediently in order to stabilize margins and react to changing market trends. Even in the tech industry, this phenomenon of outsourcing is certainly nothing new.

But most major tech companies have been immune in recent years from criticism related to their outsourcing policies. That changed in the past couple weeks, when the New York Times published a string of articles exposing Apple’s manufacturing practices in China. According to the article, Apple has repeatedly ignored and overlooked signs of dangerous working conditions, worker maltreatment, and harmful chemical use in its Chinese factories. These factories are largely operated by Foxconn, a contract manufacturer that also works heavily with Hewlett-Packard.

The New York Times articles use worker interviews to describe a string of incidents at the Chinese factories. Over the past year, the articles report, there have been two similar explosions at Foxconn factories that killed several workers and injured numerous more. Although both explosions stemmed from unsafe ventilation practices, and although the second one almost identically mirrored the first in cause and circumstance, Apple took no concrete action to change its practices after either one.

The articles go on to discuss the working conditions at the plants, where employees are subjected to extremely long work shifts, cramped and rat-infested living quarters, meager wages, and physical abuse. Apple, it was argued, encouraged these practices by making worker, production, and cost demands that could not otherwise be fulfilled. When Apple needed an immediate shipment of iPhones, workers were forced to use a hazardous chemical so that the phone’s screens could be cleaned in an efficient manner.

The report included anonymous quotes from Apple insiders who questioned the company’s commitment to its workers in the face of widespread cases of mistreatment. Publically, however, Apple has responded angrily to the Times article. In an email, CEO Tim Cook wrote that the company cares about each and every worker, and that allegations to the contrary were “patently false and offensive.”

Reaction to the report in the technology world has fall on both sides of the spectrum. A large number of bloggers, consumers, and analysts have rushed to defend Apple, arguing that the company conducted an audit whenever maltreatment was reported and that it is simply getting singled out from among the numerous American corporations that do business in China. Furthermore, supporters have argued that we should not judge Chinese working conditions based upon Western standards.

On the other side of the debate are those who believe that Apple’s mission statement, corporate identity, and brand name all require that the company be held to a higher standard. As a company known for its perfectionist attitude and desire to always do everything in a flawless manner, they argue, Apple’s oversight of worker deaths and repeated abuses reflects that its executives care more about the bottom line than about the people who make its products. Regardless of whether this criticism carries any validity, it should surely be concerning to Apple. After all, the company relies largely on a dominant brand name and on an energized (and politically liberal) fan base for support. Signs of maltreatment could throw that dominance into question.

Will the tech industry begin receiving the same scrutiny overseas that shoe companies got during the 1990s? Apple’s current case should stand as a revealing benchmark. Stay tuned.

©2012 Technology Blogged, News. All Rights Reserved.