Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Google Apps Does Two-Step Security Dance
Google Apps has announced added security and authentication to the online application suite's fee-based Premier edition as well as its Education and Government versions. The two-step enhanced verification system will be added to all versions of Google Apps in coming months. The goal is to help overcome resistance to the use of in-the-cloud utilities by adding an additional layer of security.
Guest Post: How Google Instant Can Help (And Hurt) SEO
It?s been nearly two weeks since Google Instant launched, and aside from conjecture and personal opinions about the new UX (everyone seems to either hate it or love it), we?re finally starting to see some real data about how the new Google search experience is affecting organic traffic levels and other facets of SEO. Despite assertions to the contrary, SEO hasn?t been killed by Instant, but nor have the changes been inconsequential. Google Instant is slowly changing how search engine optimization professionals work, what they focus on, and the bottom line results seen by their clients.
When Google Instant first launched, we predicted three major SEO trends we expected to see. Since then, we?ve been collecting data from users of our SEO platform, Drive. Here?s how our guesses matched up with the results we?ve seen.
When Google Instant first launched, we predicted three major SEO trends we expected to see. Since then, we?ve been collecting data from users of our SEO platform, Drive. Here?s how our guesses matched up with the results we?ve seen.
What Would Happen if You Stuck Your Hand in the Large Hadron Collider Stream? [Science]
The Large Hadron Collider is slinging 300 trillion protons at 99.9999991% of the speed of light. It could answer momentous scientific mysteries of our universe. But what if you jam your hand into it? Watch scientists struggle to answer. More »
VLC arrives on the iPad, iPhone version coming up!
Filed under: Video, iPhone
VLC lovers, rejoice! Well, VLC lovers who own an iPad, anyway. Applidium has announced that VLC for iPad has been approved and is now available for download from the App Store.
In case you were wondering about the open source implications of the release, good news on that front: Applidium states that the code will be released before the end of the day. The blog also states that they've begun work on a version for the iPhone and iPod touch as well, so you'll soon be able to enjoy VLC viewing on your pocket-sized device.
The rest of you who love VLC can still party if you want to -- it's a celebration-worthy app, even if you don't have an iPad to play with!
update: Have a look at Iyaz Akhtar's review over at Mobiputing... overall, VLC on the iPad looks pretty darn good -- DivX and Xvid worked well, though it did struggle with a large M4V (not a complete shocker) VLC arrives on the iPad, iPhone version coming up! originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
VLC lovers, rejoice! Well, VLC lovers who own an iPad, anyway. Applidium has announced that VLC for iPad has been approved and is now available for download from the App Store.
In case you were wondering about the open source implications of the release, good news on that front: Applidium states that the code will be released before the end of the day. The blog also states that they've begun work on a version for the iPhone and iPod touch as well, so you'll soon be able to enjoy VLC viewing on your pocket-sized device.
The rest of you who love VLC can still party if you want to -- it's a celebration-worthy app, even if you don't have an iPad to play with!
update: Have a look at Iyaz Akhtar's review over at Mobiputing... overall, VLC on the iPad looks pretty darn good -- DivX and Xvid worked well, though it did struggle with a large M4V (not a complete shocker) VLC arrives on the iPad, iPhone version coming up! originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
3D Face Modeling Software Generates Your Visage With a Single Photo and Old Data [3D Modeling]
At Waseda University, researchers are developing a 3D face generation process that requires no special equipment. It combines 3D measurement data from thousands of faces with a single photograph to extrapolate what your features will look like, cheaply and quickly. More »
Shady Meetings, Unlawful Acts, and One Ballsy Tech Blogger [Heroes]
I've never met TechCrunch's Michael Arrington, but I'm pretty sure he has cojones the size of Texas. How could he not after crashing a secret meeting, realizing that his friends might be committing federal crimes, and still writing about it? More »
Sony's PlayMemories app brings 3D photos to your PlayStation 3
This wasn't mentioned among the other 3D-related PS3 announcements Sony made during its Tokyo Game Show press conference last week, but it looks like the company has another little bonus in store for those that just can't get enough 3D. It's just announced a new PlayMemories application that will be available as a free download in "late September," and will let you view both 2D and 3D photos captured with a 3D-compatible camera (including Sony's NEX-5/NEX-3, WX5 and TX9). No peek at the app itself just yet, unfortunately, but we're guessing it'll be available any day now -- it is technically late September, after all.Continue reading Sony's PlayMemories app brings 3D photos to your PlayStation 3Sony's PlayMemories app brings 3D photos to your PlayStation 3 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 05:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Olympus Zuiko-equipped compact camera eyes-on: optical zoom, HDMI spotted
Olympus' PR branch left us digging for details when announcing the outfit's new Zuiko-equipped camera, a concept piece that's actually on track for the real world in early 2011. It seems as if this, along with Fujifilm's FinePix X100, is carving out a new niche in the compact space. It lacks the flexibility of Micro Four Thirds / mirrorless, but it packs a bigger quality punch than any other point-and-shoot on the market. At least with this guy, though, you'll be getting an optical zoom. During our gaze session at Olympus' Photokina booth, we spotted "optical zoom" labeling as well as a toggle switch for pulling the lens in and out, and we also found an HDMI output, video record button, hot shoe accessory port and a pop-up flash. Join us as we go round and round in the video after the break. Gallery: Olympus Zuiko-equipped compact camera eyes-on at Photokina 2010Continue reading Olympus Zuiko-equipped compact camera eyes-on: optical zoom, HDMI spottedOlympus Zuiko-equipped compact camera eyes-on: optical zoom, HDMI spotted originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 19:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Sony 'Advanced Model' (Alpha A77?) DSLR emerges at Photokina, E-mount firmware coming soon
We've heard Sony use the term "Advanced Model" when dealing with concepts before, and it seems that it's using said code once more to disguise what may end up being the A77. Rumors have been flaring over the past few weeks, noting that this particular Alpha DSLR would be showcased at Photokina before being officially unveiled at CES 2011. Few details were given, but we're able to tell that it'll shoot HD video in AVCHD and will be compatible with a vertical grip. Moreover, it'll ship with a translucent mirror (as found in the A55 and A33) and an Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor. At the company's Photokina press conference, an executive noted that the cam will be "far more powerful than the a55," and that it'll be aimed at "serious enthusiast photographers."
A slew of concept / prototype lenses were also encased (including a comically large 500mm f/4 cannon) at Sony's booth, not to mention a few that'll definitely be available from 2011 and 2012. Back at the presser, we were informed that a grand total of ten A-mount (Alpha DSLR compatible) lenses will be on sale by 2012, and it's also considering working with a number of partners in order to develop third-party E-mount lenses for the NEX range. Moreover, a firmware update is slated for mid-October to bring autofocus support to A-mount lenses used on E-mount cameras, aperture control in video mode and customizable keys, while the NEX-VG10 Handycam will see an A-mount lens firmware update in November. Speaking of E-mount cameras, Sony's also developing its own micro flash for use in low(er)-light situations, and considering that it recently grabbed a full 50 percent of the mirrorless market share in Europe, we'd guess it's nowhere near slowing down on the innovation. Smiles all around, right? Gallery: Sony's concept box at Photokina: 'Advanced Model' Alpha DSLR, flexible flash, lenses Gallery: Sony's Photokina 2010 press conferenceSony 'Advanced Model' (Alpha A77?) DSLR emerges at Photokina, E-mount firmware coming soon originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 11:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
A slew of concept / prototype lenses were also encased (including a comically large 500mm f/4 cannon) at Sony's booth, not to mention a few that'll definitely be available from 2011 and 2012. Back at the presser, we were informed that a grand total of ten A-mount (Alpha DSLR compatible) lenses will be on sale by 2012, and it's also considering working with a number of partners in order to develop third-party E-mount lenses for the NEX range. Moreover, a firmware update is slated for mid-October to bring autofocus support to A-mount lenses used on E-mount cameras, aperture control in video mode and customizable keys, while the NEX-VG10 Handycam will see an A-mount lens firmware update in November. Speaking of E-mount cameras, Sony's also developing its own micro flash for use in low(er)-light situations, and considering that it recently grabbed a full 50 percent of the mirrorless market share in Europe, we'd guess it's nowhere near slowing down on the innovation. Smiles all around, right? Gallery: Sony's concept box at Photokina: 'Advanced Model' Alpha DSLR, flexible flash, lenses Gallery: Sony's Photokina 2010 press conferenceSony 'Advanced Model' (Alpha A77?) DSLR emerges at Photokina, E-mount firmware coming soon originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 11:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Improve the Flip Video Camera?s Audio Capability with Blue Mics Mikey Mic
Blue Microphones has announced the Mikey for Flip, a professional-quality external microphone that lets Flip Video camera users capture even better sound for their Flip videos. As part of their new Designed for Flip accessory line of products, Mikey for Flip connects to all FlipPort-enabled Flip video cameras and features Blue Microphone?s premium capsules for [...] Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News, Spotlight GadgetsTagged: microphone, Video CameraImprove the Flip Video Camera’s Audio Capability with Blue Mics Mikey Mic originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 20, 2010 at 10:00 am.
LaCie pushes serious pixels on 24-inch 324i professional IPS display
Need a few new pixels to display your shiny new digital images on? LaCie's got you covered, with its new 324i offering a premium feature set to accompany a premium price. Aimed specifically at creative pros with the pockets to appreciate a 10-bit P-IPS panel, exceedingly wide color gamuts (102 percent NTSC; 98 percent Adobe RGB), a slew of input connectors (DVI-D, HDMI, component and DisplayPort), 178-degree viewing angles and an anti-glare coating. The 24-inch panel boasts a 1920 x 1200 resolution, and the multifunction stand enables users to pivot the display for horizontal or vertical viewing. We gawked at it for a few minutes here at Photokina, and while the design is thoroughly corporate, the picture quality is indeed stunning. Other specs include a 1000:1 contrast ratio, a trio of USB 2.0 ports and an integrated cable manager; she's on sale today for a stiff $1,249.99, but man, we'd almost pay it for that anti-glare action. Gallery: LaCie 24-inch 324i professional IPS display Gallery: LaCie 324i professional LCD at Photokina 2010Continue reading LaCie pushes serious pixels on 24-inch 324i professional IPS displayLaCie pushes serious pixels on 24-inch 324i professional IPS display originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Papershow Digital Pen Now Available With Mac Support [Digital Pens]
Branching out after years of PC support, the Papershow digital pen is now available for Macs, working much like a LiveScribe does, only it displays scribbles and written words on-screen instantly. More »
Ask Mozilla a question
Filed under: Mozilla, BrowsersInstead of my usual abode deep in the lush green forests of south England, I'm currently in San Francisco. I was here for the Internet Explorer 9 beta launch (which was very cool!) Yesterday I visited Google -- and later today I will be seeing the wonderful people at Mozilla.
I have a lot of things I want to ask them, but I figured you guys might also have a few clever questions up your sleeves! So, if there's something you've always wanted to ask Mozilla, leave a comment and I'll do my best to pose your questions to the right people.Ask Mozilla a question originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
I have a lot of things I want to ask them, but I figured you guys might also have a few clever questions up your sleeves! So, if there's something you've always wanted to ask Mozilla, leave a comment and I'll do my best to pose your questions to the right people.Ask Mozilla a question originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Mobile Kitchen-On-Wheels is the Adult KidKraft for Outdoors Use [Kitchens]
Love it for its simplicity, then hate it when the plywood catches fire from an errant breeze across the stove-top. Studiomama's mobile kitchen has a bucket and garden hose for a sink, with a watering can collecting dirty water. More »
Street Fighter IV for iPhone ? app review
Street Fighter IV for iPhone has been out for a little while now. Capcom just can’t sit still and they have released another update to the best fighter on iPhone. What makes this game so awesome? Let’s check it out.
Street Fighter IV is a faithful conversion to the arcade hit Street Fighter IV. Street Fighter [...]Street Fighter IV for iPhone – app review is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Street Fighter IV is a faithful conversion to the arcade hit Street Fighter IV. Street Fighter [...]Street Fighter IV for iPhone – app review is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Awareness App Pipes Outside Sounds to Your Headphones
Awareness is an iPhone app that lets you hold a conversation whilst listening to music with a pair of earbuds jammed into your canals. It does this by piping sounds through to the headphones via the iPhone’s own microphone.
Amazingly, this feature was found on some of the original Sony Walkmans back in the mists of [...]
Amazingly, this feature was found on some of the original Sony Walkmans back in the mists of [...]
Lifeline Energy distributes solar powered radio / media players to the villages of Africa
Everybody know that the big money's in pain rays and various other wargadgets, so we really like it when someone at least tries to do a little good in the world. Lifeline Energy is a UK-based NGO that works to bring folks in emerging markets (mostly sub-Saharan Africa) items like solar-powered radios and lights, and it has just announced the launch of the Lifeplayer self-powered MP3 player and AM/FM/SW radio. This device features 64GB storage, microSD card slot, 3G connectivity, audio recording capabilities, and the ability to act as a sort of PA system -- according to the organization, groups of sixty can hear the thing clearly. It's powered either by a hand-crank or through its solar panel, and contains a USB port for charging devices such as cell phones. At present, Lifeline Energy is distributing over a thousand of these bad boys in Haiti and it's accepting donations to distribute them in Pakistan as well. Hit the source link to see how you can help. PR after the break.Continue reading Lifeline Energy distributes solar powered radio / media players to the villages of AfricaLifeline Energy distributes solar powered radio / media players to the villages of Africa originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 09:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Lifeline Energy | Email this | Comments
Future of Reading?s Present Filled With Smart Concept Videos
With the success of the Kindle, Nook, Sony readers, and tablets like the iPad, it seems like electronic books have finally arrived. But I think we’re actually still stuck in between two developmental phases on the way to the future.
For a long time, work on interactive books was about building either theory or prototypes. People [...]
For a long time, work on interactive books was about building either theory or prototypes. People [...]
Verizon: Our Apps Aren?t About Taking Over The Phone ? It?s About ?Choice?. Puke.
About a week ago, we noted that Verizon was gearing up to launch its own app store for Android phones. This app store, called V CAST Apps, would be completely separate from Android's existing Market for apps. In other words, it's Verizon kicking their partner Google in the man region.
Of course, we all knew neither side would spin it that way. And sure enough, today we have Verizon's take. During their Verizon Developer Community Conference earlier this afternoon, the company took the time to respond to the charges that they were taking over control of Android devices with maneuvers such as this. Jkontherun�has a good overview of what was said, but Verizon itself was tweeting key parts. Here's my favorite:
Of course, we all knew neither side would spin it that way. And sure enough, today we have Verizon's take. During their Verizon Developer Community Conference earlier this afternoon, the company took the time to respond to the charges that they were taking over control of Android devices with maneuvers such as this. Jkontherun�has a good overview of what was said, but Verizon itself was tweeting key parts. Here's my favorite:
Nitro PDF Reader is a powerful, free Adobe Reader alternative
Filed under: Business, Adobe
There are all sorts of compelling reasons to try an alternative PDF reader, security not being the least. Adobe Reader is also quite stingy with its functionality - you can't even annotate PDFs.
Nitro PDF Reader is an alternative reader with a modern-looking interface, and it offers generous annotation options. Unlike Foxit Reader, Nitro doesn't appear to watermark your PDF when you annotate it. You can highlight sections of the document, add text, add sticky-notes, and stamp your signature (not a digital signature - just a scanned one).
If you're lucky, you may also be able to extract graphics and text from your PDF. Ironically, I was unable to extract the images from Nitro's own sample PDF (the Welcome file that comes with the reader). Another thing you should know is that it's quite a memory hog. I tried the same document with both Foxit and Nitro; Foxit clocked in at 8MB, while Nitro consumed a whopping 63MB. Again, this is for the same exact one-page document. This is even more than Acrobat Reader 9.3, which consumed 50MB for that same document.
Still, if you've got a little RAM to spare (and most of us do), I think Nitro is a worthy contender, if only for its annotation capabilities and simple interface.Nitro PDF Reader is a powerful, free Adobe Reader alternative originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
There are all sorts of compelling reasons to try an alternative PDF reader, security not being the least. Adobe Reader is also quite stingy with its functionality - you can't even annotate PDFs.
Nitro PDF Reader is an alternative reader with a modern-looking interface, and it offers generous annotation options. Unlike Foxit Reader, Nitro doesn't appear to watermark your PDF when you annotate it. You can highlight sections of the document, add text, add sticky-notes, and stamp your signature (not a digital signature - just a scanned one).
If you're lucky, you may also be able to extract graphics and text from your PDF. Ironically, I was unable to extract the images from Nitro's own sample PDF (the Welcome file that comes with the reader). Another thing you should know is that it's quite a memory hog. I tried the same document with both Foxit and Nitro; Foxit clocked in at 8MB, while Nitro consumed a whopping 63MB. Again, this is for the same exact one-page document. This is even more than Acrobat Reader 9.3, which consumed 50MB for that same document.
Still, if you've got a little RAM to spare (and most of us do), I think Nitro is a worthy contender, if only for its annotation capabilities and simple interface.Nitro PDF Reader is a powerful, free Adobe Reader alternative originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Virgin Mobile scooping up Samsung Intercept
One great thing about being owned by Sprint is that you can sneak a handset here and there into your own lineup, which is exactly what Virgin Mobile has done in adding the midrange Intercept from Samsung to its range. Actually, it's not in the range just yet -- Virgin's Facebook page says that we should "stay tuned over the next few weeks" to find out the details, which leads us to believe we might see a launch (or at least a launch date announcement) around CTIA early next month. Not the awesomest Android phone in the world, sure, but for a carrier traditionally dominated by low-end prepaid gear, it's a solid addition, we'd say.
[Thanks, Brian]Virgin Mobile scooping up Samsung Intercept originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 20:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Virgin Mobile USA (Facebook) | Email this | Comments
[Thanks, Brian]Virgin Mobile scooping up Samsung Intercept originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 20:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Virgin Mobile USA (Facebook) | Email this | Comments
TripIt?s Pro Plan Now Pays For Itself, Will Track Flight Itineraries For Price Drops
TripIt, the site that creates customized travel itineraries from travel confirmation emails, is upgrading its premium version today to be even more useful. Now TripIt Pro will track any pro member?s flight itinerary so they are notified of a price drop that could trigger a potential airline refund.
TripIt Pro members will now be alerted by email and text message when they may be eligible for an airline credit or voucher. Any eligible flight within TripIt Pro is automatically monitored for post-purchase price drops. Consumers simply contact the airline via phone to obtain their credit, armed with the information TripIt Pro provides in its alerts.
TripIt Pro members will now be alerted by email and text message when they may be eligible for an airline credit or voucher. Any eligible flight within TripIt Pro is automatically monitored for post-purchase price drops. Consumers simply contact the airline via phone to obtain their credit, armed with the information TripIt Pro provides in its alerts.
Motorola Droid X getting Android 2.2 update starting tomorrow
Motorola's teasing that it's "still on track for a summer launch of Android 2.2 for Droid X," and considering that tomorrow is the last day of summer (sadly), that lines up nicely with new information on Droid Life today that Moto's beast for Verizon will get blessed with the update starting tomorrow at noon Eastern Time. Verizon's actually already posted the update document, and it's a doozy: besides 2.2, you get improves visual voicemail with Bluetooth support, a refreshed mobile hotspot app, and a fix to prevent data connections from dropping as you move between WiFi and 3G coverage. Looks like you'll be able to grab this of your own accord rather than having to wait for Verizon to bless you with the OTA, so gear up and enjoy one last evening with your Eclair-based Droid X. Go ahead, take it out somewhere nice, it's treated you well.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Update: Verizon has independently confirmed that the update is indeed available tomorrow. Good way to start your Wednesday, we'd say.Motorola Droid X getting Android 2.2 update starting tomorrow originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Verizon, Droid Life, Motorola Owners' Forum | Email this | Comments
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Update: Verizon has independently confirmed that the update is indeed available tomorrow. Good way to start your Wednesday, we'd say.Motorola Droid X getting Android 2.2 update starting tomorrow originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Verizon, Droid Life, Motorola Owners' Forum | Email this | Comments
Samsung Mobile Spain pegs Galaxy S update for late October
Samsung's indicated in the past that all versions of its ubiquitous Galaxy S would be getting Froyo upgrades in harmony (more or less) -- and it had also indicated that those updates would be happening in September. Well, you know how these things tend to go: plans change, bugs crop up, engineers go on vacation at inopportune times, and delays happen. On that note, Samsung Mobile's Spanish division is now saying that the Galaxy S will be getting Froyo in "late October" through the Kies desktop app, though we don't know whether España speaks for the rest of the world -- it's entirely possible that this is a Spain-specific announcement. More on this one as we get it, but for now, we wouldn't count on many (if any) of these bad boys getting official updates in the next few days.Samsung Mobile Spain pegs Galaxy S update for late October originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 16:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink oled-display.net | Samsung Mobile Espa�a (Facebook) | Email this | Comments
Download Froyo for Droid X Now [Android]
If you held off updating to the leaked Froyo update for the Droid X last month, reward yourself by delving into the "check for updates" part of your phone's "settings," and check out Flash Player 10.1. [Thanks, AH Bradford!] More »
Imagining A Lego Mega Man [Art]
What do you get when you cross Mega Man with Lego? Graphic artist Raphael Phillips twists those two worlds together in his first Mega Man Lego collection over at The 8-bit Cubist. More »
TrackDropper for Android combines geocaching and music 'piracy'
Filed under: Games, Internet, Android
TrackDropper, or 'Piracy', is a tiny, open-source Android app that is a proof of concept more than anything else. In essence, it is simply geocaching but with digital music files.
Like geocaching, TrackDropper lets you leave something in a place that you've visited -- but instead of a keepsake in a Tupperware box, you leave digital tracks in a virtual space. Other TrackDropper users can then visit the location of your musical 'booty' and listen to it -- and leave another song in its place! There's a cute video of it in action after the break.
Unfortunately, I can't get TrackDropper to work on my phone -- it might be for Android 2.1 or later -- but I don't think it works by uploading MP3s to a centralised server. Instead, you store the unique ID of the song which, when someone finds it, is then played back using the 7digital API. Of course, should Google or Apple introduce a similar service (and they surely will), they will have their own streaming APIs in place.
Incidentally, TrackDropper was one of the many hacks output by Music Hack Day London -- if TrackDropper isn't your kind of thing, check the huge list of other hacks.
[via CNET]
TrackDropper for Android combines geocaching and music 'piracy' originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
TrackDropper, or 'Piracy', is a tiny, open-source Android app that is a proof of concept more than anything else. In essence, it is simply geocaching but with digital music files.
Like geocaching, TrackDropper lets you leave something in a place that you've visited -- but instead of a keepsake in a Tupperware box, you leave digital tracks in a virtual space. Other TrackDropper users can then visit the location of your musical 'booty' and listen to it -- and leave another song in its place! There's a cute video of it in action after the break.
Unfortunately, I can't get TrackDropper to work on my phone -- it might be for Android 2.1 or later -- but I don't think it works by uploading MP3s to a centralised server. Instead, you store the unique ID of the song which, when someone finds it, is then played back using the 7digital API. Of course, should Google or Apple introduce a similar service (and they surely will), they will have their own streaming APIs in place.
Incidentally, TrackDropper was one of the many hacks output by Music Hack Day London -- if TrackDropper isn't your kind of thing, check the huge list of other hacks.
[via CNET]
TrackDropper for Android combines geocaching and music 'piracy' originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Indianapolis Colts * Jacksonville Jaguars Tennessee Titans *
Virgin Mobile scooping up Samsung Intercept
One great thing about being owned by Sprint is that you can sneak a handset here and there into your own lineup, which is exactly what Virgin Mobile has done in adding the midrange Intercept from Samsung to its range. Actually, it's not in the range just yet -- Virgin's Facebook page says that we should "stay tuned over the next few weeks" to find out the details, which leads us to believe we might see a launch (or at least a launch date announcement) around CTIA early next month. Not the awesomest Android phone in the world, sure, but for a carrier traditionally dominated by low-end prepaid gear, it's a solid addition, we'd say.
[Thanks, Brian]Virgin Mobile scooping up Samsung Intercept originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 20:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Virgin Mobile USA (Facebook) | Email this | Comments
[Thanks, Brian]Virgin Mobile scooping up Samsung Intercept originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 20:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Virgin Mobile USA (Facebook) | Email this | Comments
16-Year-Old Dies In Tragic Bowflex Exercise Accident [Accidents]
There aren't too many details on just how 16-year-old Justin Butler got entangled in his Bowflex exercise machine, but we do know that the incident, unfortunately, led to his death. More »
Early third-generation Kindle software update improves web browser, provides new way to feel e-litist
What better way to read up on your Republic of Gilead lore (whether or not such country allows you to read in the first place) than on a digital screen via firmware that's just a tinge futuristic. Amazon is offering an early preview of software update 3.0.2 for the latest generation of its Kindle reader. It's as simple dragging-and-dropping a file onto your device, jumping through the right menus, and waiting patiently for several minutes. What does it offer? "Web browser and general performance improvements," according to the site, and while the browser did seem a tad snappier, that could very well be a phantasmagoria of our optimism. Still, you do get to show all your friends you've got a newer version, and that's what really matters, right?Early third-generation Kindle software update improves web browser, provides new way to feel e-litist originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink A Kindle World | Amazon | Email this | Comments
Google Earth 3.1 for iOS gets its ocean layer, Eric Schmidt's undersea base conspicuously absent
Google's recent addition of ocean layer content and ocean bathymetry (which, we were shocked to discover, had nothing to do with bathing) meant that Android users finally got access to underwater locales on the Google Earth. No need to feel left out anymore, iOS users -- Google Earth 3.1 for iPod Touch, iPad and the iPhone is finally yours as well, with over a hundred pictures and videos and native support for the Retina display. Check out the App Store to get started, or (if it's your wont) simply snap the QR code after the break.Continue reading Google Earth 3.1 for iOS gets its ocean layer, Eric Schmidt's undersea base conspicuously absentGoogle Earth 3.1 for iOS gets its ocean layer, Eric Schmidt's undersea base conspicuously absent originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 10:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Google LatLong Blog | Email this | Comments
WSJ says BlackBerry tablet could be announced as soon as next week
The Wall Street Journal is saying that RIM's now very close to being ready to show off this long-rumored tablet they've been cooking up -- and the public unveiling could come as early as next week when the company will be holding its Developer Conference in San Francisco. The QNX operating system rumor is apparently correct, as is the talk that the only means of connectivity will be WiFi and tethering through a BlackBerry; in other words, you won't need a dedicated service plan for the tablet and it won't be sold on contract (good call). The manufacturing wizards at Quanta are rumored to be on tap for manufacturing it with some sort of Marvell power under the hood, and even if the tablet ultimately fails Foleo-style, it could still be a huge launch: WSJ's sources are also saying that RIM will end up migrating all of its phones to QNX in the long term.
As for the name? WSJ doesn't seem to know, though it does report that "BlackPad" is being thrown around internally; we're kind of partial to "SurfBook" ourselves, especially since "BlackPad" will make it tough to sell the thing in any color other than black. Seriously, who wants an orange BlackPad? Follow the break to sound off in the poll!Continue reading WSJ says BlackBerry tablet could be announced as soon as next weekWSJ says BlackBerry tablet could be announced as soon as next week originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 19:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | WSJ | Email this | Comments
As for the name? WSJ doesn't seem to know, though it does report that "BlackPad" is being thrown around internally; we're kind of partial to "SurfBook" ourselves, especially since "BlackPad" will make it tough to sell the thing in any color other than black. Seriously, who wants an orange BlackPad? Follow the break to sound off in the poll!Continue reading WSJ says BlackBerry tablet could be announced as soon as next weekWSJ says BlackBerry tablet could be announced as soon as next week originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 19:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | WSJ | Email this | Comments
The Concert Speakers Are A Lie [Image Cache]
My life was just flipped, turned upside down and I didn't even have to move to California. It just took one photo, a dozen instant messages, and a handful of emails to confirm that I've been lied to by musicians. More »
When your BlackBerry rings, check your inPulse wristwatch instead
The inPulse Bluetooth watch looks like a pretty useful accessory for BlackBerry owners. It functions as a regular watch, but when paired with the phone, will provide visible information about incoming calls, SMS and emails on its large 1.3″ OLED display. I can imagine how something like this would be very handy when your phone [...] Filed in categories: Blackberry related, Bluetooth Gear, News, Spotlight Gadgets, Watches and ClocksTagged: Blackberry, Bluetooth Gear, WatchWhen your BlackBerry rings, check your inPulse wristwatch instead originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 20, 2010 at 8:00 am.
Microsoft's Next IE: Ninth Time's the Charm?
Microsoft's Internet Explorer has had a lead in the Web browser battle for years, and that lead is still alive, but it's not well. IE has been losing some serious market share over the last few years, mostly because of young Turks like Firefox and Chrome. Not helping matters is the fact that the ancient IE6 browser is still tottering around like a sick old dog.
Politics Are What Held Up WiMax In San Francisco [4G]
San Franciscans are among the likely folks in America to take to WiMax 4G. So why'd they have to wait so long to get it, despite indications that it was pretty much ready to launch months ago? Hooray, bureaucracy! More »
Apple sues HyperMac battery maker for using patented MagSafe and iPod connectors without approval
Most Mac-wielding Engadget editors have had huge crushes on their HyperMac batteries ever since Apple moved to sealed-in MacBook Pro cells across the line, but there's a chance the party is over: Cupertino filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against HyperMac manufacturer Sanho earlier this month, claiming that it's using the patented MagSafe power connector and 30-pin iPhone / iPod dock connector without a license. Ouch. What makes this all the more interesting is that Sanho's always said it's using original Apple MagSafe connectors, which would theoretically defeat Apple's patent claims -- once a patent holder sells a product that contains a patented technology, it can be difficult to claim that the patent is being infringed by the use of that product, even if there's modification involved. (Legal nerds might want to look up "patent exhaustion" here.)
The iPod connector claims might be a little easier for Apple, since we don't know if Sanho's using original parts in those cables -- and whatever savings it might have accrued by using knockoff connectors are probably going to be wiped out by the costs of this lawsuit. If we had to guess, we'd say Apple's simply unhappy that Sanho hasn't joined the lucrative Made for iPhone / Made for iPod / Made for iPad licensing programs that govern use of the connector, and that the MagSafe claim is just additional ammunition to force a settlement -- we'll see what happens, but we'd predict things come to a quick end once Sanho's lawyers send in the first bill.Apple sues HyperMac battery maker for using patented MagSafe and iPod connectors without approval originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 00:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink AppleInsider | Complaint (PDF) | Email this | Comments
The iPod connector claims might be a little easier for Apple, since we don't know if Sanho's using original parts in those cables -- and whatever savings it might have accrued by using knockoff connectors are probably going to be wiped out by the costs of this lawsuit. If we had to guess, we'd say Apple's simply unhappy that Sanho hasn't joined the lucrative Made for iPhone / Made for iPod / Made for iPad licensing programs that govern use of the connector, and that the MagSafe claim is just additional ammunition to force a settlement -- we'll see what happens, but we'd predict things come to a quick end once Sanho's lawyers send in the first bill.Apple sues HyperMac battery maker for using patented MagSafe and iPod connectors without approval originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 00:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink AppleInsider | Complaint (PDF) | Email this | Comments
What Would Happen if You Stuck Your Hand in the Large Hadron Collider Stream? [Science]
The Large Hadron Collider is slinging 300 trillion protons at 99.9999991% of the speed of light. It could answer momentous scientific mysteries of our universe. But what if you jam your hand into it? Watch scientists struggle to answer. More »
Facebook 3.2.3 for iPhone ? yet more bug fixes!
Facebook 3.2.3 for iPhone and iPod touch has just hit the iTunes App Store and once again, it’s all about the bug fixes:
Improved, more streamlined login experience for developers using the Facebook SDK
Fixed a crash when receiving push notifications
Fixed a crash when navigating in Messages
Fixed inconsistent notification counts in notification bar and application badge
Fixed a [...]Facebook 3.2.3 for iPhone – yet more bug fixes! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Improved, more streamlined login experience for developers using the Facebook SDK
Fixed a crash when receiving push notifications
Fixed a crash when navigating in Messages
Fixed inconsistent notification counts in notification bar and application badge
Fixed a [...]Facebook 3.2.3 for iPhone – yet more bug fixes! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Choosing Between a laptop and an iPad: A guide
One of the big questions many consumers are faced with today is whether to purchase a laptop or an iPad. We hope to take some of the pressure off and help make that decision easier for you in this guide. Since many of you are already more than well aware of what laptops can be [...]
Daily Crunch: Pastime Edition
Clever: Calendar Scarf I Want A Complete Set Of These Excellent Puma Cargo Bikes Buy Direct From The Nikon Store Take Your Gaming Outside: The Arcade Lounge Chair Thou Shalt Not Surge
NextWorth Trade-in Service goes Retail
Earlier this summer, I posted a short news article about the NextWorth trade-in service. It prompted an interesting discussion about their valuation practices. Some people complained that they were given low offers after sending in their old devices. Well now NextWorth is taking their service to local retail stores like Target. You can walk in [...] Filed in categories: Miscellaneous, NewsTagged: ShoppingNextWorth Trade-in Service goes Retail originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 19, 2010 at 11:00 am.
Guest Post: How Google Instant Can Help (And Hurt) SEO
It?s been nearly two weeks since Google Instant launched, and aside from conjecture and personal opinions about the new UX (everyone seems to either hate it or love it), we?re finally starting to see some real data about how the new Google search experience is affecting organic traffic levels and other facets of SEO. Despite assertions to the contrary, SEO hasn?t been killed by Instant, but nor have the changes been inconsequential. Google Instant is slowly changing how search engine optimization professionals work, what they focus on, and the bottom line results seen by their clients.
When Google Instant first launched, we predicted three major SEO trends we expected to see. Since then, we?ve been collecting data from users of our SEO platform, Drive. Here?s how our guesses matched up with the results we?ve seen.
When Google Instant first launched, we predicted three major SEO trends we expected to see. Since then, we?ve been collecting data from users of our SEO platform, Drive. Here?s how our guesses matched up with the results we?ve seen.
Android's Gmail App Updated For Priority Inbox and Better UI [Android]
Because Google's able to update individual core Android apps in phones running 2.2 without waiting for a large, bulky patch that updates the entire system, people with newer devices get a better Gmail app today. Besides "limited support" for Priority Inbox and better handling of replies and quoted text, you also have the improved UI, with starring, reply and more always visible at the top. [Google Blogspot] More »
Toccata iPad Case With Bluetooth Keyboard
Earlier today Padacs announced the release of their new Toccata iPad case which conveniently comes with a built-in Bluetooth 2.0 keyboard. If you’re the type who prefers using a physical keyboard over tapping letters on your iPad screen then this stylish new accessory is especially for you. The QWERTY keyboard is powered by a Lithium [...]
The Inhuman Anatomy of RoboCop [Robocop]
Well, that answers a burning question: There is no RoboCock. More »
Firefox Friday: can Firefox hold off Internet Explorer 9 and Chrome?
Filed under: Internet, Mozilla, BrowsersHappy Firefox Friday, friends! In the lead up to an exciting winter, things have been heating up at Mozilla.
There's strong competition from all sides. The IE9 beta launches next week and we'll soon see whether Microsoft can transform its excellent developer previews into something which can make the end-user salivate. Chrome's hardware acceleration currently leads the pack, and will presumably find its way to the beta build very soon. Does Firefox 4 have what it takes to hold onto its wavering market share?
This war, kicked off by Google's intent to push Chrome from nerdy obscurity into the mainstream, has forced Mozilla to roll with the blows. After almost completely avoiding innovation with Firefox 3.6 -- yay, Personas! -- we're now seeing a delicious glut of additions rolling out with each and every beta build of Firefox 4.
These past two weeks have been the busiest I've ever seen Mozilla, in terms of bug fixes, new features, and new out-reach and research projects. Let's tuck in!
Firefox debuts new JagerMonkey JavaScript engine, now on the tail of Chrome and IE9
JavaScript has long been a weakness of Firefox -- or rather, it became a sore point after the initial release of Chrome showed the world just how fast JavaScript can be. With JagerMonkey, Firefox 4's JS performance will be very close to the competition.
From conversations with developers at Mozilla, I also get the feeling that raw JavaScript performance isn't their prime concern. Benchmarks are notoriously bad at depicting real-world applications -- and JavaScript can still only perform as fast as the layout engine lets it.
It's safe to say that FF4 will run your JavaScript-intensive games and Web apps just fine.
The outlook of in-the-browser 2D and 3D games is sunny
JavaScript performance certainly isn't the only measure of what a browser can do, but it is very important when it comes to browser games and calculation-intensive Web apps. Which brings me neatly on to this week's release of Mozilla Labs Gaming. Mozilla usually manages to drum up a lot of interest with its competitions and design challenges, but usually these take the form of concept brainstorms, or mock-ups for new browser features. I'm not sure whether the slower-moving and slightly-less-hip-than-it-used-to-be Mozilla can pull off a gaming competition -- but I hope I'm wrong.
Mozilla certainly has plenty of academic ties, and what with it being the start of a new school year, perhaps Open Web Gaming will be on the curriculum? In fact, looking at the sheer number and variety of today's 'open' technologies, you could create an entirely open-source curriculum! Are you listening, universities? Open video, audio, WebGL, JavaScript, SVG, geolocation.
Gamers and developers, you should take a look at Rocket Engine
I intend to do a full write-up of Rocket Engine, but in the meantime here are my initial thoughts: OMG. The website is intentionally vague, but it looks like it's a pure JavaScript games engine with an in-the-browser SDK and editor. Watch the video and have your mind blown.
It should be immediately apparent how potentially awesome a JavaScript games engine is. Rocket Pack (the developer) pulls no punches by showing the same game running on a PC, netbook and iPad -- apparently you can even design games on an iPad.
But that's not the best bit: Rocket Engine can be used to build MMOs like FarmVille. I've seen a few HTML5 and JavaScript game engines, but this is certainly the first to offer such a wide range of features. Just scroll down and have a look at what's on offer -- crazy.
Which reminds me... what's happening to that Mozilla Web App Store?
What can developers do with their games after they write them? Self-publish? Publish their game on Steam?
Everyone and their mother is working on an app store at the moment -- but not Mozilla. All of this talk of building upon Open Web technologies and shunning proprietary platforms like Native Client, yet the only outlet Firefox developers have is AMO! And that's for add-ons!
I'm certain Chrome's Web Store will open first -- not to mention the tie-in it will have with Google TV and Chrome OS installations! -- and Microsoft has spent the last few months pushing developers to write apps for IE9... but Mozilla is still only testing the waters.
If Mozilla built it, game developers would come.
This week's Firefox release round-up
To finish, here are the latest Mozilla releases, along any significant changes:
Firefox 3.6.9 -- the stable build of Firefox received a ton of bug fixes (67!) and patched no less than 14 security vulnerabilities
Firefox 3.5.12 -- yup, tons of people are still running Firefox 3.5. Some security and stability issues were fixed
Firefox 4.0 beta 5 -- and finally, FF4 beta 5 was released this week, with hardware acceleration turned on by default and the inclusion of the new Audio Data API. The hardware acceleration -- if it can be called that -- actually doesn't seem to work right now. I've asked Mozilla about it, but I haven't had a response yet
Thunderbird 3.1.3 -- yes, Thunderbird is still going! This is just a standard point release that fixes some bugs and stability issues
Firefox Friday: can Firefox hold off Internet Explorer 9 and Chrome? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
There's strong competition from all sides. The IE9 beta launches next week and we'll soon see whether Microsoft can transform its excellent developer previews into something which can make the end-user salivate. Chrome's hardware acceleration currently leads the pack, and will presumably find its way to the beta build very soon. Does Firefox 4 have what it takes to hold onto its wavering market share?
This war, kicked off by Google's intent to push Chrome from nerdy obscurity into the mainstream, has forced Mozilla to roll with the blows. After almost completely avoiding innovation with Firefox 3.6 -- yay, Personas! -- we're now seeing a delicious glut of additions rolling out with each and every beta build of Firefox 4.
These past two weeks have been the busiest I've ever seen Mozilla, in terms of bug fixes, new features, and new out-reach and research projects. Let's tuck in!
Firefox debuts new JagerMonkey JavaScript engine, now on the tail of Chrome and IE9
JavaScript has long been a weakness of Firefox -- or rather, it became a sore point after the initial release of Chrome showed the world just how fast JavaScript can be. With JagerMonkey, Firefox 4's JS performance will be very close to the competition.
From conversations with developers at Mozilla, I also get the feeling that raw JavaScript performance isn't their prime concern. Benchmarks are notoriously bad at depicting real-world applications -- and JavaScript can still only perform as fast as the layout engine lets it.
It's safe to say that FF4 will run your JavaScript-intensive games and Web apps just fine.
The outlook of in-the-browser 2D and 3D games is sunny
JavaScript performance certainly isn't the only measure of what a browser can do, but it is very important when it comes to browser games and calculation-intensive Web apps. Which brings me neatly on to this week's release of Mozilla Labs Gaming. Mozilla usually manages to drum up a lot of interest with its competitions and design challenges, but usually these take the form of concept brainstorms, or mock-ups for new browser features. I'm not sure whether the slower-moving and slightly-less-hip-than-it-used-to-be Mozilla can pull off a gaming competition -- but I hope I'm wrong.
Mozilla certainly has plenty of academic ties, and what with it being the start of a new school year, perhaps Open Web Gaming will be on the curriculum? In fact, looking at the sheer number and variety of today's 'open' technologies, you could create an entirely open-source curriculum! Are you listening, universities? Open video, audio, WebGL, JavaScript, SVG, geolocation.
Gamers and developers, you should take a look at Rocket Engine
I intend to do a full write-up of Rocket Engine, but in the meantime here are my initial thoughts: OMG. The website is intentionally vague, but it looks like it's a pure JavaScript games engine with an in-the-browser SDK and editor. Watch the video and have your mind blown.
It should be immediately apparent how potentially awesome a JavaScript games engine is. Rocket Pack (the developer) pulls no punches by showing the same game running on a PC, netbook and iPad -- apparently you can even design games on an iPad.
But that's not the best bit: Rocket Engine can be used to build MMOs like FarmVille. I've seen a few HTML5 and JavaScript game engines, but this is certainly the first to offer such a wide range of features. Just scroll down and have a look at what's on offer -- crazy.
Which reminds me... what's happening to that Mozilla Web App Store?
What can developers do with their games after they write them? Self-publish? Publish their game on Steam?
Everyone and their mother is working on an app store at the moment -- but not Mozilla. All of this talk of building upon Open Web technologies and shunning proprietary platforms like Native Client, yet the only outlet Firefox developers have is AMO! And that's for add-ons!
I'm certain Chrome's Web Store will open first -- not to mention the tie-in it will have with Google TV and Chrome OS installations! -- and Microsoft has spent the last few months pushing developers to write apps for IE9... but Mozilla is still only testing the waters.
If Mozilla built it, game developers would come.
This week's Firefox release round-up
To finish, here are the latest Mozilla releases, along any significant changes:
Firefox 3.6.9 -- the stable build of Firefox received a ton of bug fixes (67!) and patched no less than 14 security vulnerabilities
Firefox 3.5.12 -- yup, tons of people are still running Firefox 3.5. Some security and stability issues were fixed
Firefox 4.0 beta 5 -- and finally, FF4 beta 5 was released this week, with hardware acceleration turned on by default and the inclusion of the new Audio Data API. The hardware acceleration -- if it can be called that -- actually doesn't seem to work right now. I've asked Mozilla about it, but I haven't had a response yet
Thunderbird 3.1.3 -- yes, Thunderbird is still going! This is just a standard point release that fixes some bugs and stability issues
Firefox Friday: can Firefox hold off Internet Explorer 9 and Chrome? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
The Original Excellent Android Twitter App, Twidroyd, Previews Live Web Pages [Android Apps]
Twidroid was the first Android Twitter app worth downloading. There's a ton of alternatives and it's called Twidroyd now, but with the latest version, it's the first Twitter app to preview linked web pages, along with photos and videos. [Twidroyd] More »
CrunchGear Week in Review: Diving Bell Edition
Here are some of last week’s stories on CrunchGear: The Woogie: Why, God, Why? Egg-Bot Machine Threatens To Put The Bunny Out Of Business NES Coffee Table Is Both An NES And A Coffee Table Fact: CD Spindle Cases Make Excellent Bagel Sandwich Holders A Massive War Is Approaching As The Tablet Market Cannot Sustain [...]
Rumored Nintendo 3DS specs include two separate 266MHz ARM11 processors, 1.5GB storage
The mystery of what's actually under the hood of the Nintendo 3DS is likely to elude us until launch date, when the inevitable teardown commences. That isn't stopping IGN, however, from pooling together its rolodex of sources to report what it believes the specs are: two 266MHz ARM11 CPUs, a 133MHz GPU, 4MB dedicated VRAM, 64MB RAM, and 1.5GB flash storage (in addition to the previously-known SD card expansion). If based on ARM11 architecture, it'd certainly be in good (if not wildly disparate) company: iPhone (original and 3G), the first two generations of iPod touch, all Amazon Kindles, Palm Pixi, a plethora of Nokia handsets, and... the Kin One and Zune HD. Two separate processors isn't too far fetched, either, as the original DS had both a 67MHz ARM9 and a 33.5MHz ARM7 (quite an uptick, eh?). Digital Media Productions took credit for the GPU back in June, claiming its Pica200 would be the chip of choice. That's got a maximum speed of 200MHz, which according to this rumor is being underclocked.
So, nothing that runs counter to the admittedly little we got via the 3DS' FCC leak, and still nothing to keep the Tegra 2 hopeful in check (poor souls). Those with a need to know so passionate it runs through their very being will, as we said before, probably have to wait until it hits retail. And we should find out when that is next week.Rumored Nintendo 3DS specs include two separate 266MHz ARM11 processors, 1.5GB storage originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 21:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | IGN | Email this | Comments
So, nothing that runs counter to the admittedly little we got via the 3DS' FCC leak, and still nothing to keep the Tegra 2 hopeful in check (poor souls). Those with a need to know so passionate it runs through their very being will, as we said before, probably have to wait until it hits retail. And we should find out when that is next week.Rumored Nintendo 3DS specs include two separate 266MHz ARM11 processors, 1.5GB storage originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 21:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | IGN | Email this | Comments
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Brave New World With Such Google Transparency In It
In a further step in the direction of transcending all world government, Google has decided to post a Transparency Report or a map of where its services are blocked in different foreign countries, in an effort to discourage "censorship."
For those of you that haven't been following along, Google has had some governmental run-ins lately. Most recently in the news were the�several hundreds of thousands of people who opted out of Google Streetview in Germany. A closer look at the Germany situation would have made it more clear that movements to restrict privacy in this case were actually a win for Google, as the German government came to the conclusion that yeah it'd be great if Google would volunteer to protect data, but the company was not actually party to any governmental regulation.
For those of you that haven't been following along, Google has had some governmental run-ins lately. Most recently in the news were the�several hundreds of thousands of people who opted out of Google Streetview in Germany. A closer look at the Germany situation would have made it more clear that movements to restrict privacy in this case were actually a win for Google, as the German government came to the conclusion that yeah it'd be great if Google would volunteer to protect data, but the company was not actually party to any governmental regulation.
HP and Oracle kiss, make up, agree that Mark's better off with Larry
Guess it wasn't "virtually impossible" for Oracle and HP to work together after all -- the two companies have settled their little tiff over disgraced former HP CEO Mark Hurd. According to the statement we just received, Oracle and HP have "reaffirmed their long-term strategic partnership" and have decided that ol' Mark can "protect HP's confidential information while fulfilling his responsibilities at Oracle." Mark will also visit HP every other weekend and attend at least 50 percent of its Little League games. Honestly, we're kind of sad this is over, since that means Larry Ellison won't have any reason to call everyone "idiots" anymore.
On second thought, he'll probably figure something out.
Update: Our friend Kara Swisher at All Things Digital reports that Mark's given up the $30-40m worth of stock options he got in his severance from HP. Sad... until you realize he gets to keep at least $12m in cash and work for Oracle directly competing with the company that ran him out of town. Nice.Continue reading HP and Oracle kiss, make up, agree that Mark's better off with LarryHP and Oracle kiss, make up, agree that Mark's better off with Larry originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Businesswire | Email this | Comments
On second thought, he'll probably figure something out.
Update: Our friend Kara Swisher at All Things Digital reports that Mark's given up the $30-40m worth of stock options he got in his severance from HP. Sad... until you realize he gets to keep at least $12m in cash and work for Oracle directly competing with the company that ran him out of town. Nice.Continue reading HP and Oracle kiss, make up, agree that Mark's better off with LarryHP and Oracle kiss, make up, agree that Mark's better off with Larry originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Businesswire | Email this | Comments
Verizon Fivespot mobile hotspot launch materials hitting stores
Well well, what's this? We haven't heard much about the Verizon Fivespot global mobile hotspot since we saw it hit the FCC after first leaking out in July, but it certainly seems like it's about to get official -- we just got this shot of Verizon's "launch kit" for retail outlets. No word on when it'll actually hit, but it's bound to be soon -- and if Verizon sells this thing cheap with some of those new prepaid data plans it's going to be awfully hard to resist.
[Thanks, Wildkat]Verizon Fivespot mobile hotspot launch materials hitting stores originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 14:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
[Thanks, Wildkat]Verizon Fivespot mobile hotspot launch materials hitting stores originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 14:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Firefox Friday: can Firefox hold off Internet Explorer 9 and Chrome?
Filed under: Internet, Mozilla, BrowsersHappy Firefox Friday, friends! In the lead up to an exciting winter, things have been heating up at Mozilla.
There's strong competition from all sides. The IE9 beta launches next week and we'll soon see whether Microsoft can transform its excellent developer previews into something which can make the end-user salivate. Chrome's hardware acceleration currently leads the pack, and will presumably find its way to the beta build very soon. Does Firefox 4 have what it takes to hold onto its wavering market share?
This war, kicked off by Google's intent to push Chrome from nerdy obscurity into the mainstream, has forced Mozilla to roll with the blows. After almost completely avoiding innovation with Firefox 3.6 -- yay, Personas! -- we're now seeing a delicious glut of additions rolling out with each and every beta build of Firefox 4.
These past two weeks have been the busiest I've ever seen Mozilla, in terms of bug fixes, new features, and new out-reach and research projects. Let's tuck in!
Firefox debuts new JagerMonkey JavaScript engine, now on the tail of Chrome and IE9
JavaScript has long been a weakness of Firefox -- or rather, it became a sore point after the initial release of Chrome showed the world just how fast JavaScript can be. With JagerMonkey, Firefox 4's JS performance will be very close to the competition.
From conversations with developers at Mozilla, I also get the feeling that raw JavaScript performance isn't their prime concern. Benchmarks are notoriously bad at depicting real-world applications -- and JavaScript can still only perform as fast as the layout engine lets it.
It's safe to say that FF4 will run your JavaScript-intensive games and Web apps just fine.
The outlook of in-the-browser 2D and 3D games is sunny
JavaScript performance certainly isn't the only measure of what a browser can do, but it is very important when it comes to browser games and calculation-intensive Web apps. Which brings me neatly on to this week's release of Mozilla Labs Gaming. Mozilla usually manages to drum up a lot of interest with its competitions and design challenges, but usually these take the form of concept brainstorms, or mock-ups for new browser features. I'm not sure whether the slower-moving and slightly-less-hip-than-it-used-to-be Mozilla can pull off a gaming competition -- but I hope I'm wrong.
Mozilla certainly has plenty of academic ties, and what with it being the start of a new school year, perhaps Open Web Gaming will be on the curriculum? In fact, looking at the sheer number and variety of today's 'open' technologies, you could create an entirely open-source curriculum! Are you listening, universities? Open video, audio, WebGL, JavaScript, SVG, geolocation.
Gamers and developers, you should take a look at Rocket Engine
I intend to do a full write-up of Rocket Engine, but in the meantime here are my initial thoughts: OMG. The website is intentionally vague, but it looks like it's a pure JavaScript games engine with an in-the-browser SDK and editor. Watch the video and have your mind blown.
It should be immediately apparent how potentially awesome a JavaScript games engine is. Rocket Pack (the developer) pulls no punches by showing the same game running on a PC, netbook and iPad -- apparently you can even design games on an iPad.
But that's not the best bit: Rocket Engine can be used to build MMOs like FarmVille. I've seen a few HTML5 and JavaScript game engines, but this is certainly the first to offer such a wide range of features. Just scroll down and have a look at what's on offer -- crazy.
Which reminds me... what's happening to that Mozilla Web App Store?
What can developers do with their games after they write them? Self-publish? Publish their game on Steam?
Everyone and their mother is working on an app store at the moment -- but not Mozilla. All of this talk of building upon Open Web technologies and shunning proprietary platforms like Native Client, yet the only outlet Firefox developers have is AMO! And that's for add-ons!
I'm certain Chrome's Web Store will open first -- not to mention the tie-in it will have with Google TV and Chrome OS installations! -- and Microsoft has spent the last few months pushing developers to write apps for IE9... but Mozilla is still only testing the waters.
If Mozilla built it, game developers would come.
This week's Firefox release round-up
To finish, here are the latest Mozilla releases, along any significant changes:
Firefox 3.6.9 -- the stable build of Firefox received a ton of bug fixes (67!) and patched no less than 14 security vulnerabilities
Firefox 3.5.12 -- yup, tons of people are still running Firefox 3.5. Some security and stability issues were fixed
Firefox 4.0 beta 5 -- and finally, FF4 beta 5 was released this week, with hardware acceleration turned on by default and the inclusion of the new Audio Data API. The hardware acceleration -- if it can be called that -- actually doesn't seem to work right now. I've asked Mozilla about it, but I haven't had a response yet
Thunderbird 3.1.3 -- yes, Thunderbird is still going! This is just a standard point release that fixes some bugs and stability issues
Firefox Friday: can Firefox hold off Internet Explorer 9 and Chrome? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
There's strong competition from all sides. The IE9 beta launches next week and we'll soon see whether Microsoft can transform its excellent developer previews into something which can make the end-user salivate. Chrome's hardware acceleration currently leads the pack, and will presumably find its way to the beta build very soon. Does Firefox 4 have what it takes to hold onto its wavering market share?
This war, kicked off by Google's intent to push Chrome from nerdy obscurity into the mainstream, has forced Mozilla to roll with the blows. After almost completely avoiding innovation with Firefox 3.6 -- yay, Personas! -- we're now seeing a delicious glut of additions rolling out with each and every beta build of Firefox 4.
These past two weeks have been the busiest I've ever seen Mozilla, in terms of bug fixes, new features, and new out-reach and research projects. Let's tuck in!
Firefox debuts new JagerMonkey JavaScript engine, now on the tail of Chrome and IE9
JavaScript has long been a weakness of Firefox -- or rather, it became a sore point after the initial release of Chrome showed the world just how fast JavaScript can be. With JagerMonkey, Firefox 4's JS performance will be very close to the competition.
From conversations with developers at Mozilla, I also get the feeling that raw JavaScript performance isn't their prime concern. Benchmarks are notoriously bad at depicting real-world applications -- and JavaScript can still only perform as fast as the layout engine lets it.
It's safe to say that FF4 will run your JavaScript-intensive games and Web apps just fine.
The outlook of in-the-browser 2D and 3D games is sunny
JavaScript performance certainly isn't the only measure of what a browser can do, but it is very important when it comes to browser games and calculation-intensive Web apps. Which brings me neatly on to this week's release of Mozilla Labs Gaming. Mozilla usually manages to drum up a lot of interest with its competitions and design challenges, but usually these take the form of concept brainstorms, or mock-ups for new browser features. I'm not sure whether the slower-moving and slightly-less-hip-than-it-used-to-be Mozilla can pull off a gaming competition -- but I hope I'm wrong.
Mozilla certainly has plenty of academic ties, and what with it being the start of a new school year, perhaps Open Web Gaming will be on the curriculum? In fact, looking at the sheer number and variety of today's 'open' technologies, you could create an entirely open-source curriculum! Are you listening, universities? Open video, audio, WebGL, JavaScript, SVG, geolocation.
Gamers and developers, you should take a look at Rocket Engine
I intend to do a full write-up of Rocket Engine, but in the meantime here are my initial thoughts: OMG. The website is intentionally vague, but it looks like it's a pure JavaScript games engine with an in-the-browser SDK and editor. Watch the video and have your mind blown.
It should be immediately apparent how potentially awesome a JavaScript games engine is. Rocket Pack (the developer) pulls no punches by showing the same game running on a PC, netbook and iPad -- apparently you can even design games on an iPad.
But that's not the best bit: Rocket Engine can be used to build MMOs like FarmVille. I've seen a few HTML5 and JavaScript game engines, but this is certainly the first to offer such a wide range of features. Just scroll down and have a look at what's on offer -- crazy.
Which reminds me... what's happening to that Mozilla Web App Store?
What can developers do with their games after they write them? Self-publish? Publish their game on Steam?
Everyone and their mother is working on an app store at the moment -- but not Mozilla. All of this talk of building upon Open Web technologies and shunning proprietary platforms like Native Client, yet the only outlet Firefox developers have is AMO! And that's for add-ons!
I'm certain Chrome's Web Store will open first -- not to mention the tie-in it will have with Google TV and Chrome OS installations! -- and Microsoft has spent the last few months pushing developers to write apps for IE9... but Mozilla is still only testing the waters.
If Mozilla built it, game developers would come.
This week's Firefox release round-up
To finish, here are the latest Mozilla releases, along any significant changes:
Firefox 3.6.9 -- the stable build of Firefox received a ton of bug fixes (67!) and patched no less than 14 security vulnerabilities
Firefox 3.5.12 -- yup, tons of people are still running Firefox 3.5. Some security and stability issues were fixed
Firefox 4.0 beta 5 -- and finally, FF4 beta 5 was released this week, with hardware acceleration turned on by default and the inclusion of the new Audio Data API. The hardware acceleration -- if it can be called that -- actually doesn't seem to work right now. I've asked Mozilla about it, but I haven't had a response yet
Thunderbird 3.1.3 -- yes, Thunderbird is still going! This is just a standard point release that fixes some bugs and stability issues
Firefox Friday: can Firefox hold off Internet Explorer 9 and Chrome? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Choosing Between a laptop and an iPad: A guide
One of the big questions many consumers are faced with today is whether to purchase a laptop or an iPad. We hope to take some of the pressure off and help make that decision easier for you in this guide. Since many of you are already more than well aware of what laptops can be [...]
Is Google about to open the Chrome Web Store?
Filed under: Google, Browsers
It's been almost a month since Google gave us a good, hard look at the Chrome Web Store and Google Chrome's dev channel build has supported apps be default since early August.
For the last few days, I've been hearing reports from a number of people about 500 errors when trying to reach the Chrome Extensions Gallery. The Gallery, you might recall, is due to be re-launched as the Web Store -- at least according to chatter on the Chromium dev mailing list.
Tonight, I was trying to take a browse around the Gallery when I ran into the error message above. While that could have been caused by any number of errors, it could also point to work going on behind the scenes. A page not found error in the Gallery should be titled:
... and display the following message:
So does the fact that the Chrome Web Store branding is starting to slip through the cracks mean the grand opening is just around the corner? Surely we've got to be getting close now -- Chrome OS is due before the end of the year, and you've got to believe that Google plans on having the Web Store open in time for the launch.Is Google about to open the Chrome Web Store? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 22:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
It's been almost a month since Google gave us a good, hard look at the Chrome Web Store and Google Chrome's dev channel build has supported apps be default since early August.
For the last few days, I've been hearing reports from a number of people about 500 errors when trying to reach the Chrome Extensions Gallery. The Gallery, you might recall, is due to be re-launched as the Web Store -- at least according to chatter on the Chromium dev mailing list.
Tonight, I was trying to take a browse around the Gallery when I ran into the error message above. While that could have been caused by any number of errors, it could also point to work going on behind the scenes. A page not found error in the Gallery should be titled:
... and display the following message:
So does the fact that the Chrome Web Store branding is starting to slip through the cracks mean the grand opening is just around the corner? Surely we've got to be getting close now -- Chrome OS is due before the end of the year, and you've got to believe that Google plans on having the Web Store open in time for the launch.Is Google about to open the Chrome Web Store? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 22:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Leica's D-LUX 5 Has Faster Lens and Presumably Even Larger Price-Tag [Cameras]
While the whole camera industry seems to be going nuts for the retro, pared-down beauty of the micro four thirds (and similar) models around, if you want true "original" design you must look for that (pricey) red dot. More »
Diaspora puts out Developer Release -- source code is here!
Filed under: Open Source, Social Software, web 2.0
Diaspora has just offered up their first public release - a developer version of the platform.
In their own words, Diaspora is "in its infancy," but now everyone can see exactly what's going on in the code base, and hopefully pitch in with some help. This code is far from production-ready, but it is a solid indication that the Diaspora guys have been using their crowdsourced startup money for more than mojitos.
According to Diaspora's post, here are some of the features that are already implemented:
Share status messages and photos privately (and in near real time) with your friends through "aspects."
Friend people across the Internet no matter where Diaspora seed is located.
Manage friends using "aspects."
Upload photos and albums.
All traffic is signed and encrypted (except photos, for now).
"Aspects" seems to be a favorite buzzword here. The only explanation I could find in the post was: "We live our real lives in context, speaking from whatever aspect of ourselves that those around us know. Social tools should work the same way." That actually makes sense to me, and I feel it's something Facebook is sorely lacking (even with "groups").
You can see screenshots in the original post. Note that the screenshots are small in the post and aren't linked to hi-res files, but if you right-click and download them, you get full-resolution images (that's how I got the screenshot for this post). And for those of us who aren't coders, Diaspora says the first Alpha is due to be released in October.Diaspora puts out Developer Release -- source code is here! originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Diaspora has just offered up their first public release - a developer version of the platform.
In their own words, Diaspora is "in its infancy," but now everyone can see exactly what's going on in the code base, and hopefully pitch in with some help. This code is far from production-ready, but it is a solid indication that the Diaspora guys have been using their crowdsourced startup money for more than mojitos.
According to Diaspora's post, here are some of the features that are already implemented:
Share status messages and photos privately (and in near real time) with your friends through "aspects."
Friend people across the Internet no matter where Diaspora seed is located.
Manage friends using "aspects."
Upload photos and albums.
All traffic is signed and encrypted (except photos, for now).
"Aspects" seems to be a favorite buzzword here. The only explanation I could find in the post was: "We live our real lives in context, speaking from whatever aspect of ourselves that those around us know. Social tools should work the same way." That actually makes sense to me, and I feel it's something Facebook is sorely lacking (even with "groups").
You can see screenshots in the original post. Note that the screenshots are small in the post and aren't linked to hi-res files, but if you right-click and download them, you get full-resolution images (that's how I got the screenshot for this post). And for those of us who aren't coders, Diaspora says the first Alpha is due to be released in October.Diaspora puts out Developer Release -- source code is here! originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Joining Oracle Cost Hurd $13.6 Million. Losing Hurd Cost HP $15.7 Billion.
Hewlett-Packard has just settled its dispute with former CEO Mark Hurd over his recent move to Oracle for undisclosed terms. By making the move to competitor Oracle, Hurd gave up options on 346K shares of HP stock which at today's closing price of $39.39 means $13.6M in losses.
HP is currently selling at�$39.39 which marks a steep dip from the day Hurd was fired; On August 6th, 2010 HP's stock price closed at $46.30, a $6.91 difference. If you multiply that by the 2.27B shares outstanding it means a�$15.68B Hurd-related market cap drop for HP.
Clearly not the biggest loser here, and having nearly recovered from last month's particularly messy sexual harassment scandal, Hurd will be joining friend Larry Ellison at Oracle as Co-President. And who knows what kind of cushy options he will pick up at Oracle?
HP is currently selling at�$39.39 which marks a steep dip from the day Hurd was fired; On August 6th, 2010 HP's stock price closed at $46.30, a $6.91 difference. If you multiply that by the 2.27B shares outstanding it means a�$15.68B Hurd-related market cap drop for HP.
Clearly not the biggest loser here, and having nearly recovered from last month's particularly messy sexual harassment scandal, Hurd will be joining friend Larry Ellison at Oracle as Co-President. And who knows what kind of cushy options he will pick up at Oracle?
How to Get the Most Out of VLC for iPad [Ipad]
VLC has come to the iPad, adding playback support for media formats that were previously unplayable on Apple devices. Without hardware acceleration, however, you're going to run into playback issues. Here are your best bets for optimal playback. More »
Ubuntu prototype uses face recognition to intelligently move UI elements (video)
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Not that we haven't seen mock-ups before for systems using webcams to intelligently move user interface elements, but it's another thing entirely for a company to make a public proclamation that it's tinkering with implementing something of the sort into a future build of its OS. Over at the Canonical design blog, one Christian Giordano has revealed that the company is in the early stages of creating new ways to interact with Ubuntu, primarily by using proximity and orientation sensors in order to have one's PC react based on how they're sitting, where they're sitting and where their eyes / head are at. For instance -- once a user fires up a video and leans back, said video would automatically go into fullscreen mode. Similarly, if a user walked away to grab some coffee and a notification appeared, that notification would be displayed at fullscreen so that he / she could read it from faraway. There's no mention just yet on when the company plans to actually bring these ideas to end-users, but the video embedded after the break makes us long for "sooner" rather than "later."Continue reading Ubuntu prototype uses face recognition to intelligently move UI elements (video)Ubuntu prototype uses face recognition to intelligently move UI elements (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 12:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink PC World | Canonical | Email this | Comments
Not that we haven't seen mock-ups before for systems using webcams to intelligently move user interface elements, but it's another thing entirely for a company to make a public proclamation that it's tinkering with implementing something of the sort into a future build of its OS. Over at the Canonical design blog, one Christian Giordano has revealed that the company is in the early stages of creating new ways to interact with Ubuntu, primarily by using proximity and orientation sensors in order to have one's PC react based on how they're sitting, where they're sitting and where their eyes / head are at. For instance -- once a user fires up a video and leans back, said video would automatically go into fullscreen mode. Similarly, if a user walked away to grab some coffee and a notification appeared, that notification would be displayed at fullscreen so that he / she could read it from faraway. There's no mention just yet on when the company plans to actually bring these ideas to end-users, but the video embedded after the break makes us long for "sooner" rather than "later."Continue reading Ubuntu prototype uses face recognition to intelligently move UI elements (video)Ubuntu prototype uses face recognition to intelligently move UI elements (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 12:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink PC World | Canonical | Email this | Comments
Leaf Aptus-II 12 snaps 80 megapixels of awesome on the back of your pro shooter
You ever wonder how CSI sleuths can keep enhancing their images all the way until they see what brand sneakers the perp is wearing? Well, they probably had a pre-release version of one of these Aptus-II 12s from Leaf. This new digital back can fill a staggering 80 million pixels with imaging data, thanks to its 53.7mm x 40.3mm-sized CCD sensor. It comes strapped with a 3.5-inch touchscreen on the back, 80 to 800 ISO range, 1.5 0.6fps capture rate, and a mind-boggling 480MB max file size per image. Should you have the imaging gear to match up to such might, you'll want to know that the Aptus-II 12 is shipping now from Leaf Partners worldwide with a price tag just under €24,000 ($31,387), or you could grab the 12R version -- which features a rotating sensor allowing you to shoot portrait shots without having to turn your camera sideways -- for €31,995 ($41,850). That's actually pretty decent value for your money, considering you'd have had to spend the same amount on the Aptus-II 10 only six months ago -- and that only had a measly 56 megapixel sensor!Leaf Aptus-II 12 snaps 80 megapixels of awesome on the back of your pro shooter originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 01:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink dpreview | Leaf Photography | Email this | Comments
Your City's Segregation Visualized [Maps]
In some ways, this is the most accurate map of Washington, DC I've seen: those colors represent the demographic breakdown of a divided city. Here's how the largest metropolitan areas in the US look after the same treatment. More »
Brando's iPad-To-Netbook Bluetooth Case Available for Pre-Order for $70 [Ipad Cases]
Oh, how we laughed at the ClamCase concept, which turned an iPad into a laptop. Then, when this Chinese OEM turned up on FCC, we finally understood. Now? Now you can pre-order one from Brando, for $70. [Brando via CrunchGear] More »
Distilled From Burbn, Instagram Makes Quick Beautiful Photos Social (Preview)
For about the past six months or so, I've been using an app called Burbn. Despite being in stealth mode, the app attracted quite a bit of buzz as it was in the location space and built entirely in HTML5. Oh, and the�$500,000 investment from Baseline Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz helped gather interest as well. But it turns out Burbn was a red herring of sorts. Or perhaps more appropriately, it was a testing ground. The product that emerged is much better: Instagram.
Unlike Burbn, Instagram is neither a location-based app (though that is one component), nor is it HTML5-based. But it did spring out of the way co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger saw people using Burbn. That is: quick, social sharing -- and a desire to share photos from places. That's the foundation of Instagram.
Unlike Burbn, Instagram is neither a location-based app (though that is one component), nor is it HTML5-based. But it did spring out of the way co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger saw people using Burbn. That is: quick, social sharing -- and a desire to share photos from places. That's the foundation of Instagram.
Verizon Fivespot mobile hotspot launch materials hitting stores
Well well, what's this? We haven't heard much about the Verizon Fivespot global mobile hotspot since we saw it hit the FCC after first leaking out in July, but it certainly seems like it's about to get official -- we just got this shot of Verizon's "launch kit" for retail outlets. No word on when it'll actually hit, but it's bound to be soon -- and if Verizon sells this thing cheap with some of those new prepaid data plans it's going to be awfully hard to resist.
[Thanks, Wildkat]Verizon Fivespot mobile hotspot launch materials hitting stores originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 14:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
[Thanks, Wildkat]Verizon Fivespot mobile hotspot launch materials hitting stores originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 14:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Plantronics introduces the K100 Bluetooth in-car speakerphone
We all know that making and answering calls with a mobile phone while driving distracts you from the task at hand – actually driving the vehicle. Solutions to this problem include various hands-free systems like Bluetooth headsets and speakerphones. Plantronics has just introduced a new addition to the last category. It’s the K100 Bluetooth in-car [...] Filed in categories: Bluetooth Gear, Car Gear, News, Spotlight GadgetsTagged: Bluetooth Gear, speakerphonePlantronics introduces the K100 Bluetooth in-car speakerphone originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 19, 2010 at 1:00 pm.
Apple buys Polar Rose face-recognition company
Apple has once again opened that $40+ billion bank account and, according to reports, purchased Swedish face-recognition company, Polar Rose.
The Malm�-based company specializes in developing technology which makes facial recognition, not unlike what Apple already has and uses iPhoto for Mac OS X. Through sophisticated algorithms, manages the software of the Arctic Rose [...]Apple buys Polar Rose face-recognition company is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
The Malm�-based company specializes in developing technology which makes facial recognition, not unlike what Apple already has and uses iPhoto for Mac OS X. Through sophisticated algorithms, manages the software of the Arctic Rose [...]Apple buys Polar Rose face-recognition company is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Plantronics introduces the K100 Bluetooth in-car speakerphone
We all know that making and answering calls with a mobile phone while driving distracts you from the task at hand – actually driving the vehicle. Solutions to this problem include various hands-free systems like Bluetooth headsets and speakerphones. Plantronics has just introduced a new addition to the last category. It’s the K100 Bluetooth in-car [...] Filed in categories: Bluetooth Gear, Car Gear, News, Spotlight GadgetsTagged: Bluetooth Gear, speakerphonePlantronics introduces the K100 Bluetooth in-car speakerphone originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 19, 2010 at 1:00 pm.
Microsoft Tells WinPho7 Devs to Build, CDMA Carriers to Wait
Microsoft released the Windows Phone 7 software development kit on the Web Thursday, just over two weeks after the WinPho7 platform had been released to manufacturing. This release is in English only, but versions in French, Italian, German and Spanish will be available in "the next couple of weeks," Brandon Watson wrote on the Windows Phone Developer Blog.
Would You Ever Buy a Peek? [Question]
Earlier today, in the wake of the announcement of the Peek 9, the latest and greatest in a series of truly baffling gadgets, Brian Barrett asked "Who In Their Right Mind Would Buy a Peek 9?" Well, would you? More »
Gallery: Crazy Space-Saving Designs for the Homes of the Future
In a future where our homes are so tiny that they become more like storage closets for humans, even finding space for food could prove tricky. This is the challenge presented by the Electrolux Design Lab contest this year, which asked 1300 industrial designers to come up with home appliances for a future of megacities.
According [...]
According [...]
Facebook is absolutely working on a phone (or they?re nuts)
Facebook phone was the big internet flurry of the weekend — are they making one, are they not making one, what does a Facebook phone even mean?
Techcrunch, who claim the Nexus One vindicated their longstanding assertions of a Google phone, now say Facebook is also working a branded device.
Facebook is building a mobile [...]Facebook is absolutely working on a phone (or they’re nuts) is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Techcrunch, who claim the Nexus One vindicated their longstanding assertions of a Google phone, now say Facebook is also working a branded device.
Facebook is building a mobile [...]Facebook is absolutely working on a phone (or they’re nuts) is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
A Watched Pot Never Boils, But a Whistling One Does [Taste Test]
Sure, you could stand in your kitchen, glaring at your pasta water, waiting for it to boil. Boil. Boil you bastard. Or, you could relax, and let the floating Boil Buoy whistle from afar when your water's ready to go. More »
Zune Marketplace Now All MP3 Across PC, Xbox and Windows Phone [Zune]
Zune's been going in this direction for a while, but Microsoft has finally gone all MP3 with their Zune Marketplace music. All 11 million tracks in the US, and 8 million tracks in UK, France Italy, Spain and Germany. Yes, Europe! More »
VLC arrives on the iPad, iPhone version coming up!
Filed under: Video, iPhone
VLC lovers, rejoice! Well, VLC lovers who own an iPad, anyway. Applidium has announced that VLC for iPad has been approved and is now available for download from the App Store.
In case you were wondering about the open source implications of the release, good news on that front: Applidium states that the code will be released before the end of the day. The blog also states that they've begun work on a version for the iPhone and iPod touch as well, so you'll soon be able to enjoy VLC viewing on your pocket-sized device.
The rest of you who love VLC can still party if you want to -- it's a celebration-worthy app, even if you don't have an iPad to play with!
update: Have a look at Brad Linder's review over at Mobiputing... overall, VLC on the iPad looks pretty darn good -- DivX and Xvid worked well, though it did struggle with a large M4V (not a complete shocker) VLC arrives on the iPad, iPhone version coming up! originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
VLC lovers, rejoice! Well, VLC lovers who own an iPad, anyway. Applidium has announced that VLC for iPad has been approved and is now available for download from the App Store.
In case you were wondering about the open source implications of the release, good news on that front: Applidium states that the code will be released before the end of the day. The blog also states that they've begun work on a version for the iPhone and iPod touch as well, so you'll soon be able to enjoy VLC viewing on your pocket-sized device.
The rest of you who love VLC can still party if you want to -- it's a celebration-worthy app, even if you don't have an iPad to play with!
update: Have a look at Brad Linder's review over at Mobiputing... overall, VLC on the iPad looks pretty darn good -- DivX and Xvid worked well, though it did struggle with a large M4V (not a complete shocker) VLC arrives on the iPad, iPhone version coming up! originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
BlackBerry Bold 9780 in the wild one more time, still looks exactly like a 9700
Look, we know that every new BlackBerry model is going to bear a striking resemblance to the model it replaces -- that's just how RIM does things -- but isn't this getting a little out of hand? The BlackBerry 6-equpped Bold 9780 has been leaked a few times at this point, but we're seeing it now for the first time totally unshackled from Mr. Blurrycam's surly bonds... and yeah, if you had any doubts as to whether it was a dead ringer for the 9700 it'll likely be replacing, you can put those doubts to rest. Of course, when you've got a keyboard as good as the Bold series does, sometimes it's best to leave well enough alone, we suppose -- just makes that lucrative early upgrade market a little tougher to tap.
[Thanks, Dion]BlackBerry Bold 9780 in the wild one more time, still looks exactly like a 9700 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 01:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | @Jon4Lakers (TwitPic) | Email this | Comments
[Thanks, Dion]BlackBerry Bold 9780 in the wild one more time, still looks exactly like a 9700 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 01:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | @Jon4Lakers (TwitPic) | Email this | Comments
You too can own a Stargate for $100,000! [Auctions]
On September 25-26, oodles of Stargate props will be auctioned off. The biggest catch is the Stargate from SG-1 and Universe, which is going for $80,000-$100,000. Why buy a house when you can mortgage a Stargate? More »
The Good, Bad and Ugly of Custom-Built Mobile Apps
With smartphones becoming ubiquitous and more and more people using mobile devices both at work and at home, enterprises are increasingly looking to make use of mobile applications. Small and medium-sized businesses are apparently beginning to pick up on this trend, and many of them are turning to developers to create custom mobile apps for them.
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TechCrunch Disrupt Next Week: Here?s The Agenda Of Awesome
TechCrunch Disrupt starts a week from today. In May nearly 2,000 people flocked to New York to see 25 companies launch and an amazing lineup of speakers. Next week the show comes to San Francisco for a nearly sold out three day disruptive technology extravaganza. We've just published the agenda for the event here.
Twenty five new startups will battle for a $50,000 cash prize and the (recently defiled) Disrupt Cup. And when those companies aren't fighting it over over several rounds of demos, we'll have world class speakers take the stage to talk about what's next in tech. Sequoia's Michael Moritz. Kleiner Perkin's John Doerr. IAC's Barry Diller. HP's Todd Bradley. Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg. Digg's Kevin Rose. Google's Marissa Mayer and Bradley Horowitz. Reid Hoffman, David Sze. Ron Conway. Peter Thiel. Dan Rosensweig. And more. The list goes on and on. The Agenda is here. The full lineup of speakers is here.
You're also going to see a number of special new product announcements from Google, Microsoft and others.
Twenty five new startups will battle for a $50,000 cash prize and the (recently defiled) Disrupt Cup. And when those companies aren't fighting it over over several rounds of demos, we'll have world class speakers take the stage to talk about what's next in tech. Sequoia's Michael Moritz. Kleiner Perkin's John Doerr. IAC's Barry Diller. HP's Todd Bradley. Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg. Digg's Kevin Rose. Google's Marissa Mayer and Bradley Horowitz. Reid Hoffman, David Sze. Ron Conway. Peter Thiel. Dan Rosensweig. And more. The list goes on and on. The Agenda is here. The full lineup of speakers is here.
You're also going to see a number of special new product announcements from Google, Microsoft and others.
40 Years Ago, Robots Started Doing Our Dirty Work For Us In Space [Techversaries]
Earthlings had scored moon rocks before 1970. NASA's Apollo 11 and 12 missions successfully hauled them back to study—immense scientific accomplishments, of course. One problem. It cost $142 billion in today's dollars. Russia's solution? Send a robot instead. More »
inDinero?s Jessica Mah: This Is A 20-30 Year Company That We Want To Build (TCTV)
At 20-years-old, Jessica Mah is already something of a budding serial entrepreneur.
She launched her first startup at 13, graduated from high school at 15, debuted InternshipIN in 2008 and most recently founded inDinero, a financial management site that promises to be the Mint for small businesses.
With that kind of resume, it's no wonder that Mah has been seen as a teen to watch for quite some time, but with her latest venture, inDinero, she's finally making a legitimate play for the big leagues. In our TechCrunch TV interview (see video ahead), Mah discusses her latest funding round, how she picked her collection of 20 angel investors and why she doesn't want inDinero to follow Mint's path.
She launched her first startup at 13, graduated from high school at 15, debuted InternshipIN in 2008 and most recently founded inDinero, a financial management site that promises to be the Mint for small businesses.
With that kind of resume, it's no wonder that Mah has been seen as a teen to watch for quite some time, but with her latest venture, inDinero, she's finally making a legitimate play for the big leagues. In our TechCrunch TV interview (see video ahead), Mah discusses her latest funding round, how she picked her collection of 20 angel investors and why she doesn't want inDinero to follow Mint's path.
?Steampunk? Designs That Actually Do Real Work
Part of the problem with the steampunk aesthetic is that it’s a mish-mash of at least a half-dozen eras and styles, and as a result these pseudo-Victorian mods have little substance.
The real steam-engine Victorians were industrialists and colonialists. They were all about power. Gears, pulleys, and exposed wood-grain were all functional. These guys didn’t hide [...]
The real steam-engine Victorians were industrialists and colonialists. They were all about power. Gears, pulleys, and exposed wood-grain were all functional. These guys didn’t hide [...]
I Leave Shit On [Home Mod]
I woke up from a nap in a fit of terror, realizing mid-dream that I left the stove on for 5 hours. More »
The Evolution of the Modern Kitchen (It's Intelligent Design) [Taste Test]
This collapsible solar cooker from 1970 is just one piece from the Museum of Modern Art's new exhibit, Counter Space: Design and the Modern Kitchen, a whirlwind trip through the evolution of the modern kitchen. Thank you, WWII and electricity. More »
Halo Reach requires hard drive to play in co-op mode, Microsoft working on this 'temporary issue'
The Halo series has always been about addictive multiplayer experiences, so it's most disturbing to find out that campaign co-op gaming on the latest title is a non-starter for people without a hard drive attached to their 360. An issue has been identified by users of the 4GB Xbox 360, whereby attempts to team up on the baddies with your buddies -- whether locally or via Xbox Live -- is met with an error message saying that a HDD is "required for this game type." This affects both Halo: Reach and the earlier Halo: ODST. Adding extra memory via USB has been found to be ineffective, but at least Microsoft has stated that it's aware of the limitation and is "quickly working to resolve it." Standard multiplayer is predictably unaffected, so we suggest taking your rage out on some newbies while the MS techs figure out their caching algorithms.Halo Reach requires hard drive to play in co-op mode, Microsoft working on this 'temporary issue' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 02:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Joystiq | Nukezilla, Eurogamer | Email this | Comments
Firefox 4 update moves link previews to awesome bar
Filed under: Mozilla, Browsers
Clearly, the status bar's days are numbered. Even Internet Explorer 9 has removed the bottom-dwelling bar in favor of inline tooltips.
Now, in the latest updates to Firefox 4, Mozilla's browser has moved status bar link previews to the right-hand side of the Awesome Bar. Hover a link, and the destination URL appears in soft, gray text. Sure, it looks OK when you're currently viewing a page with a nice, short URL -- but what about on something like an Amazon product page? Take the jump to see!
Mozilla's implementation still looks good, laying the link preview atop the page's URL. On longer links, Firefox does replace the "overflow" with an elipsis, but the domain name is always displayed -- which is helpful in keeping users from entering their username and password on fakebook.com instead of facebook.com.
Thanks again, Yansky!Firefox 4 update moves link previews to awesome bar originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Clearly, the status bar's days are numbered. Even Internet Explorer 9 has removed the bottom-dwelling bar in favor of inline tooltips.
Now, in the latest updates to Firefox 4, Mozilla's browser has moved status bar link previews to the right-hand side of the Awesome Bar. Hover a link, and the destination URL appears in soft, gray text. Sure, it looks OK when you're currently viewing a page with a nice, short URL -- but what about on something like an Amazon product page? Take the jump to see!
Mozilla's implementation still looks good, laying the link preview atop the page's URL. On longer links, Firefox does replace the "overflow" with an elipsis, but the domain name is always displayed -- which is helpful in keeping users from entering their username and password on fakebook.com instead of facebook.com.
Thanks again, Yansky!Firefox 4 update moves link previews to awesome bar originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Your City's Segregation Visualized [Maps]
In some ways, this is the most accurate map of Washington, DC I've seen: those colors represent the demographic breakdown of a divided city. Here's how the largest metropolitan areas in the US look after the same treatment. More »
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