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Using space telescopes to measure black hole distortion

An innovative X-ray telescope operated by NASA, working in concert with a European Space Agency satellite, has directly measured the rotation of a supermassive black hole lurking at the heart of a distant galaxy, researchers said Wednesday.

The observation confirms predictions made by Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity regarding gravity's ability to twist and distort the fabric of the cosmos and gives astronomers a powerful new tool to probe the evolution of galaxies and the black holes that now appear to be a common, if not required, feature.

"The result we're announcing today is that … Read more

Defense Department opens contracts for Apple, Google

The U.S. Department of Defense announced today that it was further dropping its exclusive BlackBerry contract and opening all of its mobile communications networks to Apple, Google, and other device makers.

"The Department of Defense is taking a leadership role in leveraging mobile device technology by ensuring its workforce is empowered with mobile devices," Defense Department Chief Information Officer Teri Takai said in a statement today. "As today's DoD personnel increasingly rely on mobile technology as a key capability enabler for joint force combat operations, the application of mobile technology into global operations, integration of … Read more

AT&T Mobility CEO says he's open to Firefox OS

BARCELONA, Spain--AT&T has cracked open the door to Mozilla's recently unveiled Firefox mobile operating system.

"I think there is room for more" operating systems, said Ralph de la Vega, CEO of AT&T Mobility, in an interview with CNET.

When asked whether the industry could support multiple operating systems, de la Vega affirmed the sentiment: "absolutely."

Ultimately, it comes down to consumer demand, he said. If people are vocal about the desire for a Firefox phone and there's a likelihood of succeeding, AT&T will provide a device, de la … Read more

BlackBerry Z10 makes passage to India, with $800 price tag

India is now the latest country to get BlackBerry's Z10 handset.

The company today announced that it has launched the smartphone in India for 43,490 rupees ($800). The device is already available in the U.K. and Canada.

According to BlackBerry, the handset will be offered in over 2,000 retail locations across 50 cities around India. The handset will support carriers running 3G or HSPA+ networks, and the handsets will fully support global roaming.

BlackBerry is taking its time offering its new line of handsets around the world: The U.S. is expected to get the Z10 … Read more

Samsung amps up business push with Knox security software

BARCELONA, Spain--Samsung Electronics is getting serious about attacking the business world.

The South Korean consumer electronics giant unveiled Knox, an additional layer of security software that will run as part of its SAFE (Samsung for Enterprise) initiative. Samsung is considering embedding Knox into Samsung's next flagship smartphone, YH Lee, executive vice president of Samsung Mobile, told CNET.

Samsung considers the business world to be its next avenue of growth, and has already positioned its ads to emphasize the security and enterprise-ready aspects of its products. In doing so, Samsung is going after a business long dominated by BlackBerry, and … Read more

Instagram reportedly says no native app for BlackBerry 10

As BlackBerry 10 works to get a foothold in the smartphone market, it's considered crucial that the platform carry all the components important to users. Besides a camera, Wi-Fi support, and a well-designed interface, the smartphone also needs to be able to carry popular apps.

However, it's looking like one of the world's most popular apps isn't planning on developing a version for BlackBerry 10. Instagram is reportedly not going to create a native BlackBerry 10 app, according to AllThingsD. VentureBeat also reported on this back in October.

"There will be no [native] Instagram for … Read more

BlackJet, the Uber for private jets, takes off

SAN FRANCISCO--In an era of "Entourage" and a well-publicized fleet of planes personally owned by Google's top execs, the private jet has never before seemed as accessible to so many.

The truth is, of course, that just a tiny fraction of the population will ever set foot on any plane other than a commercial airliner, but traveling by Gulfstream has become romanticized in popular culture, and as that's happened, there's been a rise in the number of companies aiming to provide a more efficient, and more affordable way to fly private.

Into that new environment … Read more

Apple lands $159M government contract for iPhone, iPad

BlackBerry devices typically have been the go-to phones for government accounts, but that seems to be changing. Apple is increasingly getting into the lucrative business contract game.

The New Zealand Police announced today that it has sealed the deal for 6,000 police officers to get an iPhone and 3,900 officers to also get an iPad, according to The National Business Review. The contract is for 10 years and the police force expects to spend around $159 million on the initiative.

Apparently, the New Zealand Police chose Apple products over BlackBerry, Google, and Microsoft after surveying its officers, who … Read more

Ex-BlackBerry co-CEO Jim Balsillie dumps entire stake

Jim Balsillie, the former co-CEO of BlackBerry, has sold off his entire stake in the company, according to a regulatory filing.

A year ago, Balsillie was one of the largest individual shareholders in BlackBerry (formerly known as Research In Motion) with 26.8 million shares in the company. But in a document filed today, BlackBerry disclosed that Balsillie no longer holds any shares in the company.

Balsillie and fellow former co-CEO Mike Lazaridis stepped down last March amid shareholder criticism over the way the company was being run and a stunning drop in its share price. Current CEO Thorsten Heins … Read more