Ideum unveils speedy Platform and Pro multi-touch tables, says PixelSense ain't got nothin' (video)

Who knew giant multi-touch tables would trigger the next big speed race? Ideum clearly thinks that the PixelSense-based Samsung SUR40 is lagging with that AMD Athlon II X2, because it just rolled out a pair of speed demon 55-inch, 40-point touch surfaces (but not Surfaces) in the Platform and Pro. The Platform has a respectable dual 2.2GHz Core i7 and 8GB of RAM, but it also carries a pair of 256GB solid-state drives in case that museum exhibit app won't load quickly enough. Hopping to the Pro switches to two not quite as speedy 500GB hard drives in standard trim. It more than makes up for this with a quad 3.4GHz Core i7 and NVIDIA's Quadro 600 for the truly stressful projects -- the combination can juggle multiple users and tasks even more smoothly than its MT55 Pro ancestor. Outside of raw speed, picking a table depends mostly on svelteness versus expansion: the Pro has a full-fledged HP tower inside that can drop in SSDs and other upgrades you might fancy, while the Platform is half as thick as a SUR40 (at two inches) and sleeker overall than its big brother. We're working to get price quotes, but the early five-digit figures we've seen in the past likely rule out upgrading the family coffee table. You can convince yourself with a video after the break.

Valve Source Filmmaker makes a movie out of any Source game, now you're directing with Portals (video)

Creating machinima with a video game engine usually requires accepting one of two truths: either that it will require a lot of fudging or that it will have all the sophistication of playing with action figures. Valve Software isn't very happy with that dichotomy, which is why it's posting its very own movie-making tool, Source Filmmaker, as a public beta. Any game that runs on the Source engine, whether it's Left 4 Dead 2, Portal 2 or another in the family, can have gameplay run-throughs edited and dissected right down to custom facial expressions. As Valve expounds in the video after the break, throwing a gaming-grade PC at the task gives directors the advantage of seeing exactly how any changes will look in the final scene; there's no rough wireframes or pre-rendering here. Budding Francis Ford Coppolas can sign up for an invitation to the Filmmaker beta at the project page. If you'd just like to see how far someone can go with the end results, we've also included the latest Team Fortress 2 character profile video, Meet the Pyro, after the jump.

Instagram adds Photo Page to web: new colors, user comments, not much else

Instagram's been moving along briskly with its Android and iOS apps, but the hipster-tinter-photo-sharing-Facebook acquisition's web presence has been lagging behind in comparison. But there's good news now if you're desk-bound thanks to the new "Photo Page," which lets you log in, change your profile and add comments or likes to images. The other tweak is a fresh look for the site, matching the app with a blue, dare we say, Facebook-esque theme and larger images, no doubt to show off those mega-megapixel smartphone cameras. It's likely a first step in unifying its web offering and apps, and with a name like Photo Page, no one can accuse it of wasting that Facebook booty on marketing whizzes.

Qualcomm restructures itself for summer, R&D division becomes wholly owned subsidiary

You know all those lawsuits swirling about in the tech industry? Yeah... Qualcomm is looking to avoid some of the weighty implications of courtroom battles with an air gap strategy that will restructure its R&D division into a new, wholly owned subsidiary known as Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. (QTI). While the parent company will retain the company's existing patent portfolio, QTI will be responsible for product development and the existing semiconductor business. Interestingly enough, it's also said that the subsidiary will ramp up its use of open source software, and it'll strive to avoid the patents of parent company, Qualcomm. It's also said that the restructuring will help the business bring its products to market more quickly, and if the company is able to avoid just one lawsuit / injunction, it may be very correct with that assertion.

Samsung brings out WB100 camera with 26x lens for zoom-loving Brits

Samsung has been quiet on the superzoom camera front, but it's leaping back into the fray with the WB100. The camera doesn't have the longest zoom we've seen, but with a 26x lens and a wide-angle 22.3mm minimum zoom, odds are that just about anything you come across during vacation will fit into the frame. A choice to use AA batteries instead of a lithium-ion pack also emphasizes that focus on travelers. We're otherwise looking at a very deliberately middle-of-the-road camera with a 16-megapixel sensor, ISO 80 to 1,600 sensitivity (3,200 if you like 3-megapixel photos) and 720p movie making. The company doesn't have pricing, nor word as to which countries get the WB100 treatment outside of the UK -- for now, you're most likely to see this camera slung around a suntanned British neck in Ibiza.

Twitter for Windows Phone gets pushy, adds Notifications support

Starting this week, Windows Phone users with a Twitter fixation will have a much easier time feeding the little, blue, bird-shaped beast. The latest update to the app features long-awaited Notifications support. Downloading version 1.5 will deliver such important Twitter info as retweets, mentions, direct messages, new followers and favorited tweets to the forefront where they belong. You can download the app in the source link below and then tell all your friends through the microblogging service of your choice, whatever that might be. Fair warning in the meantime -- a number of folks are reporting issues with the update, and we've had some difficulty getting it up an running on our own handsets. Feel free to sound off in the comments below -- since you may have some trouble doing so on Twitter.

Government-backed movie streaming service coming to China in Q4, bringing Paramount titles along

Government-helmed China Movie Channel's site M1905 announced this week that it's joining forces with Jiaflix -- a consortium comprised of Hollywood-types like former Columbia exec Sid Ganis -- to launch a movie streaming service in China. The still unnamed offering is set to stream both Chinese and international films, including a deal struck with Paramount that will bring the studio's back catalog and future releases to the service. The fruits of the partnership are set to launch in the fourth quarter of this year, bringing streaming to a number of platforms, including smartphone and tablets. Jiaflix and China Movie Channel added that they'll have a plan in place to combat potential piracy through the service, but have yet to spell out what such a plan of action would entail.

RIM: QWERTY BlackBerry 10 phone launches in 'close proximity' to its all-touch cousin

RIM hasn't had much good news to offer along with its glum fiscal first quarter, but it has given a reason to mark early 2013 on the calendar if you're a BlackBerry fan. CEO Thorsten Heins revealed during the results call that the first QWERTY BlackBerry 10 phone will arrive in "close proximity" to its touchscreen-only counterpart. What that entails is still very much under wraps, although there were clues. Heins stressed that the early batch would focus on the "premium" space, while BlackBerry 7 would hold down the entry and mid-range markets until their BlackBerry 10 replacements were ready. The tidbits won't provide much comfort to someone who has to decide on a phone by the holidays, but they hint that the truly patient could be rewarded for their calm under pressure.