In a world where dualcore phones dominate (and soon, possibly, quadcore) MediaTek’s MT6575 single-core platform might seem a bit behind the times. But MediaTek isn’t targeting high-end, expensive smartphones for its Ice Cream Sandwich-supporting platform; the processor is meant for sub-$200 smartphones in emerging and developing markets, like China and India. I got to take a MediaTek prototype phone with the new chipset for a test drive and was impressed with its smooth performance and the display technology built in to the platform.

MediaTek has a history in the digital home industry with its D-TV platforms. They’ve stayed in this tradition on mobile level in the MT6575 with a built-in proprietary algorithm for image processing—and the effect is really awesome. Colors look rich and full-bodied while details are incredibly sharp. The MT6575 platform also supports mobile 3D displays, something that hasn’t really taken off in the U.S. (with the exception of the HTC EVO 3D).

Online piracy gets a lot of headlines and prompts crackdowns from content creators. But researchers say a bigger sales foe may be the lag time between when a movie is released in the U.S. and when it is available overseas.

A recent study conducted by researchers from Wellesley College and the University of Minnesota looked at online piracy since BitTorrent appeared in 2003, and the results were telling.

Google has suspended prepaid capabilities on credit cards linked to its mobile wallet after a security flaw was exposed.

Saturday's move comes following the airing on the Internet of a flaw in the wallet's design that could allow an unauthorized user of a phone to tap into an existing balance on a card by reconfiguring the wallet's settings.

http://www.stopacta.info/Anti-piracy legislation has more than just Americans up in arms. Europeans are showing their distaste for such government intrusion, too.

Tens of thousands of Europeans rallied this weekend to protest ACTA, an anti-piracy treaty many fear will impede freedom on the Internet. Similar concerns have been voiced about the recently tabled and much-maligned SOPA and PIPA bills in the U.S.

Persistent gossip suggests that Amazon will launch two Kindle Fire models this year:  a new 7-inch model and a larger 9-inch device, the latter presumably designed to compete head-to-head with Apple's iPad, which has a 9.7-inch display. 

The latest rumor, courtesy of Pacific Crest analyst Chad Bartley, isn't the first to predict a 9-inch Kindle Fire.  Digitimes, for instance, reported in November that Amazon was building a larger Kindle Fire with an 8.9-inch screen. If Bartley's sources are correct, Amazon will debut the new Fires by mid-2012, AllThingsD reports.

When Jammie Thomas-Rasset illegally shared 24 songs she downloaded from the Internet more than five years ago, little did she know that the act would launch her on a roller coaster ride through the courts. In three trials and two appeals, she's been hit with damage awards of $222,000, $1.92 million, $54,000, $1.5 million, and $54,000 again.

That last award was too low, argues Capitol Records, which has appealed the case and is seeking restoration of the $1.5 million award against the Native American mother of four from Brainerd, Minnesota, who works as a natural resources coordinator for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians.

Hackers are on a spree again with the latest infiltration of websites run by the CIA and the state of Alabama, an alarming trend that lays bare the ease and frequency with which they seem to be able to cause mischief.

Anonymous appears to be the most recent culprit. Computer hackers claiming affiliation with the hacking group on Friday penetrated several websites, including those run by the U.S. spy agency, the state of Alabama, and a large number of sites in Mexico. The day before, the United Nations website was also hit, although Anonymous doesn’t appear to be involved with that attack.

Google -- the Internet search leader and purveyor of social networking, a smartphone operating system, e-mail, maps, and other applications -- is being accused of being evasive about how it protects the personal information of its multitude of users.

A consumer watchdog group that has filed a lawsuit to try to force the Federal Trade Commission to stop Google from carrying out planned changes to its privacy policy says a report Google filed with the agency doesn’t fully answer key questions.

Do you love classic games? Join PCWorld Editors Patrick Miller, Nate Ralph, Jason Cross and Alex Wawro as they gather to gab about the technology that allows us to play classic games on our smartphones, consoles and tablets, what makes a great game remake and which classic games they'd love to play again on the PCWorld Game On Podcast!

Download the podcast (50:56).

Mobile World Congress doesn't start until the end of February, but it appears some phone makers aren't very patient. According to phone blog Pocket-lint, Acer has leaked some details on its latest handset, the Acer CloudMobile.

The Acer CloudMobile has just won the iF design award 2012, in recognition of outstanding achievement in design--so it's no wonder that Acer wanted to share the news weeks before the global mobile event goes down.

For us pet owners, one of the worst parts of the day is leaving our furry friends behind so we can go to work. Worse still, some pets don't handle being alone all that well, and take to destroying items around the house. While some cats may just let themselves out, not all other animals are content with sleeping in the house, so it's time to give your faithful companion a friend of its own.

DarwinBot is an experiment by Jordan Correa, a test developer at Microsoft's Robotics Group. He was looking for a way to test out the Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio 4 development tool, and decided to try out the most recent updates on his dog, Darwin, who needed some comfort and distraction while his owners were out. The robot allows Jordan to remotely interact with Darwin over the Internet.

Sony’s gearing up to launch the PlayStation Vita in North America later this month and we’ve got all the details you need including specs, price, and a look at the Vita games that will be available at launch.

What Is The Vita?

The Vita is Sony’s newest handheld gaming system, and in many ways it represents Sony's answer to the Nintendo 3DS. Following on the heels of Sony’s earlier PSP and PSP Go mobile gaming systems, the Vita was announced last year and actually came out in Japan last December.