With the relaunch of BGR over a year ago, I decided to switch comments to a more robust platform that I thought would give us more than useful sign-in options like Facebook and Twitter, but also features to help moderate comments and better reduce noise. One request we receive regularly is to do a better job at moderating the comment section. While we can’t moderate every comment all the time, I believe that discussion on BGR is incredibly important. In the early days, I couldn’t find a better place to engage with passionate people about the topics we covered. Now, a very small group of people are ruining the discussion with personal attacks on other commenters, on us, and on each other.

We’re working on a much-improved solution for commenting on BGR. In the meantime, we’ve added a feature that allows readers to turn comments off at will, and by default keep comments off until they are re-enabled.

I’m disabling comments for a bit, though. I’m tired of reading nonsense and of interacting with people that solely troll this site just to get a rise out of other commenters and start a holy war in the comments section. I’m tired of having to delete crap and I’m tired of people complaining that a few thousand people ruin it for millions.

Google’s flagship device, the Galaxy Nexus, has been widely acclaimed and we had great things to say in our review of the world’s first Ice Cream Sandwich phone. The device is fast, responsive, and Android 4.0 is the most polished version of Android yet. Numerous users are reporting a bug that randomly reboots their devices, however, and the exact cause of the issue is unclear at this time. The majority of these reports come from owners of the GSM version, although Verizon’s CDMA model isn’t immune immune to the problem. The issue is widespread, with users suffering reboots while streaming music, playing games or even while the device is idle. Additionally, affected customers are reporting that the reboots seem to occur more frequently as time progresses. Google has indicated that the company aware of the problem and is investigating it.

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It’s scary to think that we’ve grown so much with just a small group of talented people. With that said, we’re looking to expand our team and hire a full-time editor on the East Coast, as well as a full-time writer on the East Coast. If you’re an amazing writer, have a ridiculous (read: unhealthy) obsession with tech and mobile gadgets, and you want to be part of our family, we want to hear from you. Please contact us (jobs at bgr dot com) with the following information in the body of your email (no attachments please):

• A brief introduction followed by your resume — please be sure to highlight related experience in your intro
  • College degree in a related field preferred but not required
  • Experience reporting on tech business, mobile and/or consumer electronics preferred but not required
  • Experience with live coverage of press conferences and trade shows preferred but not required
• Three sample posts written in a style similar to what you might find here on BGR — these may be posts published on other websites or new content

I haven’t turned on my Xbox 360 in almost a year. I did to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, though.

Modern Warfare 3 doesn’t differ greatly from previous editions of the game, though that’s not always a bad thing. The story events pick up right where Modern Warfare 2’s storyboard ended and you’re plopped right in the middle of downtown New York City, which is under siege and swarming with Ruskies. The storyline itself doesn’t have much depth, but for something you can get through in around five to six hours, it doesn’t exactly need to. Besides, the gameplay and graphics surely pull the weight here.

As far as multiplayer mode, it’s more focused than ever before but there are a few additions to multiplayer like Team Defender and Kill Confirmed. Team Defender is a version of capture the flag, except, you know, with grenades going off and buildings crumbling around you. Kill Confirmed is based around a quest to retrieve dog tags of your friends and enemies, and just as you can collect them from fallen players around you, your opponents can try to grab them before you can. There are other new additions like killstreak rewards that are now baked into Strike Packages, allowing you to customize them, and there are new customizable weapons as well.

I didn’t play co-op mode that much, though, but the new survival mode was insanely difficult. You basically stand there while an endless surge of enemies come at you, but each wave gets harder and harder for you and the other players.

Infinity Ward and Activision’s Call of Duty and Modern Warfare titles have consistently pushed the boundaries of what a first-person shooter can be, and I don’t think Modern Warfare 3 is any different. I’m not a serious gamer, but I couldn’t resist the temptation to pick up a copy and review this game. Multiplayer mode is obviously the big draw here, and for good reason — it’s excellent. While single-player mode is fun, the story definitely isn’t going to win any Oscars. But the gameplay and the graphics are incredible, and this is probably my favorite first-person shooter ever.

We just spent a couple minutes with HTC’s latest and greatest, the HTC Rezound for Verizon Wireless complete with Beats audio, and it’s surely positioned as an iconic media device. It’s reasonably thin, packs 4G LTE, a super high resolution 720p display which looks amazing, and that’s not mentioning the 8-megapixel camera with improved optics and low-light performance. And then, of course, there’s Beats audio processing that will work with the included Beats headphones or ones you might already own. All in all, Verizon’s lineup for the holidays is incredible, and the HTC Rezound will surely be music to a media-centric person’s ears. Check out all of the photos in our gallery!

I’m incredibly excited to share that we’ll be launching our second regional site, BGR Germany, next month. And it’s going to be big. We’re launching BGR Germany in partnership with the largest Internet company in Europe, United Internet. We’ll also be powering the technology and mobile news sections of Germany’s largest web portals, GMX.net and web.de, and we’re looking for some talented writers to help lead BGR Germany with us. If you or someone you know might be interested, details on how to apply can be found after the break. Make sure you stay tuned to BGR and BGR Germany starting early next month at de.bgr.com — we have some great stuff coming up.

Here is what we’d like from (in English, please) you if you’re interested:

• Your cover letter and CV/resume — please be sure to highlight related experience in your cover letter, and please include salary requirements
  • University degree in a related field preferred but not required
  • Experience reporting on tech business, mobile and/or consumer electronics preferred but not required
• Three sample posts written in a style similar to what you might find here on BGR — these may be posts published on other websites or new content attached to your application email

Please email the requested information to jobs@bgr.com.

BGR has always been a site focused on delivering the biggest and best stories in the tech sector, and we’ve always done that with a pretty lean and mean team. However, as we concentrate on expanding and reaching millions more people, our team needs to grow. We’re currently looking for talented individuals to join us as we take BGR to the next level. Hit the jump for more.

Here is what we’d like from you if you’re interested:

• Your cover letter and resume — please be sure to highlight related experience in your cover letter, and please include salary requirements
  • College degree in a related field preferred but not required
  • Experience reporting on tech business, mobile and/or consumer electronics preferred but not required
  • Experience with live coverage of press conferences and trade shows preferred but not required
• Three sample posts written in a style similar to what you might find here on BGR — these may be posts published on other websites or new content attached to your application email

We’re currently looking to fill the following positions:

• Writer (New York area)
• Writer (San Francisco area)
• Writer (any location)
• News Editor

These are all full-time jobs with competitive benefit packages and pay commensurate with experience. It’s exciting times around here, and we’re looking forward to seeing the brand growth with some awesomely talented new people. Plus, maybe we’ll actually be able to moderate comments for once.

Interested parties should send the information requested above to jobs@bgr.com

Acer’s former chief executive Gianfranco Lanci may join Samsung to assist with building the Korean firm’s notebook business, DigiTimes reported on Monday. Gianfranco Lanci resigned from Acer in March of this year after the company hit a rough patch. Rumor has it Lanci’s attractive management expertise in European sales channels attracted both Dell and Samsung as suitors. DigiTimes said Lanci signed a one-year non-compete agreement with Acer when he left his executive role, however Samsung will reportedly work to negotiate that agreement if Lanci joins the company. Neither Acer nor Samsung have confirmed Lanci’s potential move.

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On Tuesday, Sony took the wraps off of two new Android tablets, the S1 and the S2, but two other devices — the “Freestyle Hybrid PC” and the “Ultimate Mobile PC” — were also teased by Sony execs during its IT Mobile Meeting in Tokyo. Sony’s keeping the specs for both devices close to the vest for now, but the Freestyle Hybrid PC offers a tablet form factor with a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard that doubles as a stand. Sony’s Ultimate Mobile PC appears to be a new thin and light laptop with HDMI-out, but its screen size and other specs remain unknown. We wouldn’t be surprised to see both of these devices break cover in time for the back to school season.

[Via Engadget]

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On Wednesday Microsoft confirmed with enthusiast blog LoopinSight that it will launch Service Pack 1 for Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 next week. The update will reportedly include performance enhancements, as well as security and stability fixes, but it will also include major changes for Outlook for Mac. After applying the software patch, users will be able to sync their Outlook calendars, tasks, notes, and contacts with Apple’s Sync Services, and it includes support for CalDAV calendars. The update will also add a new redirect and resend buttons. iPhone and iPod touch devices will also stay in sync, Pat Fox, Microsoft’s senior director of product management told The Loop. Service Pack 1 does come with one caveat, though: users will not be able to use Sync Services to sync with the MobileMe calendar beginning on May 5th.

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While speaking with blog Phone Scoop, AT&T spokesperson Seth Bloom acknowledged his company’s plans to support the mobile hotspot feature available in iOS 4.3. “To utilize this feature, customers will need to subscribe to the DataPro 4GB, $45 tethering data plan,” said Bloom. The $45, DataPro plan is currently required by iPhone customers looking to tether their device via USB or Bluetooth. Apple will make iOS 4.3 available to the public on March 11th. Bloom did not indicate whether the feature would be supported then, on day-one, but we can’t imagine too much lag time (especially since some iOS 4.3 beta users have it working now). How many of you AT&T users are going to shell out an extra $20 a month for some Wi-Fi hotspot action?

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The existence of this next handset is very much a rumor, but it’s a rumor that is almost too good to ignore. Blog AndroidandMe, quoting a “regular source who has provided accurate information about several Android announcements in the past,” is reporting that HTC’s first dual-core, Android handset will be a T-Mobile offering by the name of the HTC Pyramid. Aside from a 1.2GHz, dual-core, Snapdragon processor (MSM8260), the handset will also boast a 4.3-inch qHD display and should be available sometime in May. We’re going to do some digging of our own and see if we can confirm this tasty little rumor with our own sources. We’ll be sure to report back with what we find.

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Today, Palm announced an update to its webOS Facebook application, version 1.3. The update brings with it selectable news feeds, revised photo tagging, support for landscape viewing, the ability to clear multiple notifications, and fan pages. We have more details on some of the changes after the bounce. webOS aficionados, let us know your thoughts.

Hi all,

The team’s been hard at work finalizing Facebook for Palm webOS 1.3, polishing and packaging new features from the most recent beta releases. What’s part of this official release?

1) Selectable news feeds. Now you can select which news feed you’d like to view by type (i.e. status updates vs. photos vs. links), networks (i.e. workplace or school), locations and lists. You can also switch comments in the feed on or off by swiping down from the top-left corner (to bring down the app menu), tapping on Preferences & Accounts, then switching Show Comments in Feed on or off.

2) Revised photo tagging. Users can now tag both themselves and their friends in photos. To tag someone, simply upload a photo, then view it on your profile. Tap on the photo, then tap on the tagging icon that appears below it. Begin typing someone’s name to select them from your friends list, then tap Done.

3) Support for landscape viewing. Just tilt your Palm webOS phone to the side and Facebook for Palm webOS will switch orientations accordingly.

4) Clearing multiple notifications. To clear all of your existing notifications, tap on the notification globe at the top-left corner of the app, then tap See All Notifications, then perform a back gesture (by swiping from right to left below your screen) or tap the Facebook logo.

5) Fan pages (under Search , more under the hood fixes, tweaks and performance enhancements.

Grab it here: http://developer.palm.com/appredirect/index.php?packageid=com.palm.app.facebook

What do you think of this release? What else would you like to see in a future release? As always, our team’s listening closely so sound off in the comments below!

Justin

P.S. If you currently have a beta release installed and choose to update (rather than download the official release separately), you’ll soon be able to update to 1.3.1 (Beta Release). This is identical to the official 1.3 release, differing only in names and versions.

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Earlier this month, we told you about the Sony Ericsson Vivaz; an S60 powered smartphone that was destined for AT&T. Today, via a press release, AT&T has made the mid-level handset official. The handset will have a quad-band GSM and UMTS/HSPA radio, 8.1 megapixel camera with 720p video recording, 3,2-inch 360 x 640 TFT nHD resistive touch-screen display, Bluetooth, aGPS, micro-SD card slot, and come in Galaxy Blue and Venus Ruby. The device will be priced at $79.99 after a $50 mail-in-rebate. You can tell how excited AT&T is about the S60 device by the brevity of its press release. We have said release ready for your scrutiny after the break.

Channel Your Inner Filmmaker with the New Sony Ericsson Vivaz™ Now Available Exclusively at AT&T

News

• AT&T* and Sony Ericsson today announced the Sony Ericsson Vivaz™
• Capture HD video1 or high resolution photos with 8.1 megapixel camera
• Available in the vibrant Galaxy Blue or for a limited time at www.wireless.att.com in the attractive Venus Ruby.
• Vivaz comes complete with a 3.2” nHD 16 million color touchscreen
• Exclusive for AT&T customers for $79.99, with a two-year service agreement and after a $50.00 mail in rebate, on September 5 in AT&T company-owned retail stores and online at www.wireless.att.com.
  Customer Benefits

With Vivaz™, AT&T customers can capture spontaneous moments and memories instantly with two quick camera keys – video and photo, which lock focus on the action as soon as it starts. Pre-loaded links to YouTube™ and Picasa™ Web Albums make it easy to upload HD videos and high resolution photos for sharing with friends and even the world.

In addition to its superb imaging features, Vivaz is loaded with applications to keep customers connected to their world. Topping that list is AT&T Social Net, allowing customers to share exciting moments with friends– on Facebook®, MySpace™ and Twitter®– all through one simple application. Other highlights include Wi-Fi®, aGPS with AT&T Navigator®, Stereo Bluetooth® wireless technology, and Vlingo® voice recognition interface for searching the Web, composing notes, and more.

Key Features

• AT&T Wi-Fi Hotspots – With Vivaz™ and a qualifying AT&T data plan, you have unlimited access to AT&T’s entire nationwide Wi-Fi network at no additional cost. Perfect for uploading your latest HD video masterpiece while taking a load off your feet.
• 3.2″ nHD screen – Customers can view photos and videos in vivid nHD detail.
• Multitask Effortlessly – Have multiple applications running simultaneously and easily switch between them, including the ability to multitask while uploading HD video via Wi-Fi.

Quotes

“Working with Sony Ericsson to deliver a best-in-class video and camera phone on the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network gives our customers even more opportunities to express themselves through their favorite social networks,” said Michael Woodward, vice president, Mobile Phone Portfolio, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “With Vivaz capturing photos and video in stunning HD and sharing it on YouTube™ or Picasa™ Web Albums is quick and easy.”

“Shooting and sharing brilliant HD content is what creativity-minded consumers want from their mobile devices right now and we are delivering it with Vivaz™,” said Paul Hamnett, senior vice president, Sony Ericsson North America. “With a host of dynamic multimedia and social networking features, and offered at a very attractive price, we are putting the power of spontaneous HD in the hands of everyone.”

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Last week we got to see the Droid X strut its stuff on video, so it’s only fitting that this week we get to see the Droid 2 do likewise. Well, sort of. The guys over at Android and Me managed to score a Droid 2 from sources unknown and decided to show it off on film. As has been noted in the past, the two devices are very similar when it comes to physical characteristics. The main differences are 1) a more curved bezel, and 2) the re-sculpting of the keypad which has allowed for wider, more pronounced keys along with the elimination of that cursed D-pad in favor of arrow keys. But inside the phones slightly curvier frame is where the real differences lie. The old 500MHZ OMAP3 CPU has been swapped out for the much more powerful 1GHz OMAP3630 model (just like we said) and the RAM has been doubled to 512MB, both of which help the second iteration of the Droid achieve some impressive benchmark scores. Regrettably we don’t actually get to see the tests in action as the phone was not powered on during filming, but we’ll just have to take their word for it until we know the full story on June 23rd. We imagine you’re quite anxious to see the video, so click through to check it out.

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