Sprint and Clearwire have characterized LTE as complimentary to WiMAX time and again, but if that doesn't allay your suspicions of turncoat tactics in the wireless data space, take it from Sprint CEO Dan Hesse's lips. "Our 4G strategy is WiMAX, full stop!" he told GigaOM, adding that LTE isn't necessarily on Sprint's roadmap. Quizzed about WiMAX partner Clearwire's LTE trials, however, he dropped a very intriguing hint about the possible shape of phones to come: "We have so much spectrum that we decided to do tests so in case we have multi-modal phones with other air interfaces, we can add LTE on top of WiMAX and run both networks," he told the publication. Dual-mode WiMAX / LTE smartphone, anyone?Sprint CEO claims WiMAX is here to stay, says Clear's LTE trials were for potential multi-mode phones originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Oct 2010 14:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | GigaOM | Email this | Comments
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Pick Punch Review
The Pick Punch is a great gadget for guitar, banjo, mandolin and other stringed instruments that require a pick for strumming. If you can’t figure out what purpose it serves just by the name and image, then you have my permission to skip this review. Everyone else, click through for more info. … [visit site [...] Filed in categories: Do-It-Yourself, Musical Gear, ReviewsTagged: Do-It-Yourself, GuitarPick Punch Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 29, 2010 at 4:45 pm.
Visualize the Game Console Generation Shift
An interactive infographic lets you visualize the videogame console wars in terms of how they've traded market share over the past several years.
Phras.in helps you decide which of two words you should use
Filed under: Text, Utilities, Education
Here's something that I do all the time: when I want to know how to use a certain word or phrase, I just google it. And when I'm trying to decide on one of two options, I just google them both and see which one is more common, or how it works in a sentence. I use it a lot when I translate ("do people really say that?"), but I also use it when I just write in English.
And now, Phras.in lets me do the exact same thing, but I can do it in style (or is it "with style"? Exactly!) and a great deal faster. So, I just type the words "in style" in the top text box, and then I type "with style" in the bottom text box. By the time I'm done typing, I can see that "in style" got 43.4 million hits, while "with style" has only 23.5 million hits. The search is live, and it's super-fast; there's no Enter required. And clearly, "in style" wins.
But maybe I'm not sure, or I want to see how they're really used. I just have to hit the big Contextualize 'em button, and I get a whole bunch of Google results that show the phrases in their natural habitat.
It even works in Hebrew, so I guess it can handle pretty much anything that you throw at it (anything Google can handle, that is). It's very, very useful!Phras.in helps you decide which of two words you should use originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Here's something that I do all the time: when I want to know how to use a certain word or phrase, I just google it. And when I'm trying to decide on one of two options, I just google them both and see which one is more common, or how it works in a sentence. I use it a lot when I translate ("do people really say that?"), but I also use it when I just write in English.
And now, Phras.in lets me do the exact same thing, but I can do it in style (or is it "with style"? Exactly!) and a great deal faster. So, I just type the words "in style" in the top text box, and then I type "with style" in the bottom text box. By the time I'm done typing, I can see that "in style" got 43.4 million hits, while "with style" has only 23.5 million hits. The search is live, and it's super-fast; there's no Enter required. And clearly, "in style" wins.
But maybe I'm not sure, or I want to see how they're really used. I just have to hit the big Contextualize 'em button, and I get a whole bunch of Google results that show the phrases in their natural habitat.
It even works in Hebrew, so I guess it can handle pretty much anything that you throw at it (anything Google can handle, that is). It's very, very useful!Phras.in helps you decide which of two words you should use originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Entourage Pocket Edge reveals itself on the Home Shopping Network
We're still trying to understand why Entourage has chosen the Home Shopping Network of all places to reveal its new Pocket Edge, but at least we now know that the previously spied dualscreen tablet / e-reader lives! Although the 1.35-pound device has been shrunken down with smaller displays -- a 6-inch "Wacom Penabled" e-ink panel and 7-inch LCD -- it actually doesn't appear like much else has been changed from the original. Unfortunately, that means our biggest complaints about the device are very much present -- it's got a resistive touchscreen and appears to run an older version of Android. If it's any consolation, the trackball on the right edge has been replaced with an optical touchpad and there are now red and black color options. Spec-wise, it still boasts 4GB of storage, a 2 megapixel camera (hopefully there's software now that takes advantage of it), 802.11 b/g, a USB port, and micro-SD slot. It is, however, more affordable -- though it's originally priced at $499, HSN has a sale running that puts it at $399. Of course, no word on if a 3G version will be arriving at Verizon as we've previously heard, but we're sure this thing will get its official unveil sometime soon. Until then feel free to keep yourself preoccupied with the gallery below and at the source link -- just don't get lost in the cookware section. Gallery: Entourage Pocket Edge on HSN.comEntourage Pocket Edge reveals itself on the Home Shopping Network originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Oct 2010 18:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink @enTourageeDGe (Twitter) | HSN | Email this | Comments
Clever Men Are Wearing Angry Birds for Halloween This Year [Halloween]
Selling millions of copies to happy customers is one of the more important milestones for any software developer, but when you inspire a Halloween costume, well, that's the real gravy, isn't it? But wait, there's more: More »
Microsoft Has Seen The Light. And It?s Not Silverlight.
Nearly a year ago, Microsoft pulled together a group of reporters for Bing Fall Release event. The highlight of the presentation was a demo showing off some nifty new features in Bing Maps. The problem? All of this stuff required Microsoft's Silverlight browser plug-in to work. I berated the company for once again pushing users towards a more proprietary web. So today it's time to laud them, as they seem to be backing away from that strategy.
During last week's Professional Developers Conference (PDC), ZDNet's Mary-Jo Foley asked Bob Muglia, Microsoft's SVP of the Server and Tools Business, why the company failed to highlight Silverlight in a meaningful way this year. His answer was rather surprising.
During last week's Professional Developers Conference (PDC), ZDNet's Mary-Jo Foley asked Bob Muglia, Microsoft's SVP of the Server and Tools Business, why the company failed to highlight Silverlight in a meaningful way this year. His answer was rather surprising.
San Diego Chargers * National Football Conference Dallas Cowboys
Interactive fiction meets interactive typewriter, pilfers the kingdoms of Zork (video)
You are standing in an open field as usual, or perhaps you're in the darkness, likely to be eaten by a grue, but the words aren't etching their way into your soul from the familiar computer terminal -- they're on freshly printed paper. Like a player piano, the Automatypewriter lets you play games like Zork by automatically keying in letters via a series of solenoids and fishing line to tell you where you are, and it records your input, too; every time you type "XYZZY" in vain, it's an Arduino board that sends signals to the text parser, which directs a hollow voice to pity your foolish word. Forget the iPad typewriter -- this is old-school. See it in action after the break, or hit the source link for the schematics to build one yourself. Just be sure to install Planetfall, too.Continue reading Interactive fiction meets interactive typewriter, pilfers the kingdoms of Zork (video)Interactive fiction meets interactive typewriter, pilfers the kingdoms of Zork (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Oct 2010 18:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Make | Up, Not North | Email this | Comments
ViewSonic G-Tablet pops up in Sears weekly ad, mistakenly claims to be the ViewPad 10 at Sears' website
Did ViewSonic's 10-inch tablets catch your eye? We've got good and bad news. The good news is that the G-Tablet (with a 1GHz processor and Android 2.2) is now on sale at Sears for $379.99 -- even less than we were told. The bad news is that the Intel Atom N455-powered ViewPad 10 apparently is, too. We say apparently because Sears seems to have crossed some wires when putting the latter slate up on its site, most egregiously stating that that dual-booting device does both Windows 7 and Android 2.2 for the exact same $379.99. Last we heard, the ViewPad 10 -- like the eerily similar Tega v2 -- could only do Android 1.6 alongside Microsoft's OS and would cost quite a bit more. Don't rely on Sears to cut you a deal, folks.ViewSonic G-Tablet pops up in Sears weekly ad, mistakenly claims to be the ViewPad 10 at Sears' website originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Oct 2010 19:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Sears (1), (2) | Email this | Comments
The Future of Local Commerce = Facebook + Foursquare + Yelp + Groupon
There's been much hype, crazy valuations, and overall market excitement about businesses that promise to unleash the power of the social graph, location, recommendations and group buying.�Facebook's latest valuation�according to SecondMarket is now about $30 billion, Foursquare�raised $20 million at a post-money valuation of $115 million�while still at a pre-revenue stage, Yelp,�short of selling for $550 million to Google, raised over $25 million at an undisclosed but very high valuation, and finally Groupon�raised $135 million at a whopping $1.35 billion valuation. So besides their huge success with the investment community, and their users, what do these companies have in common, and what does all this have to do with disrupting Local Commerce?
Editor's note: The following guest post is by David Marcus, founder and CEO of Zong, a mobile payment provider for Facebook Credits, AT&T and hundreds of leading destination websites and mobile applications
Editor's note: The following guest post is by David Marcus, founder and CEO of Zong, a mobile payment provider for Facebook Credits, AT&T and hundreds of leading destination websites and mobile applications
Visualize the Game Console Generation Shift
An interactive infographic lets you visualize the videogame console wars in terms of how they've traded market share over the past several years.
ila SPORT Helps you Stay Fit and Safe
The ila SPORT is a pedometer, milometer and personal safety alarm in one. Now that it’s dark when we get up in the AM and it gets dark earlier in the evenings, runners, joggers and dog walkers might appreciate this small device which includes a calorie counter, pedometer, distance traveled, clock and backlight plus 130Db [...] Filed in categories: Health Related Gadgets, News, Outdoor Gear, Symbian OS RelatedTagged: Fitness, Securityila SPORT Helps you Stay Fit and Safe originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 31, 2010 at 9:00 am.
Firefox Friday: Mozilla refuses to ban Firesheep, a more-Awesome Bar, delayed Firefox 4, and more
Filed under: Features, Mozilla, BrowsersThis week has been a busy one for Mozilla, and not in a here-are-lots-of-awesome-toys-to-play-with way.
First of all, Firefox 4 was pushed back to 2011. We had originally hoped to see it launch before the end of 2010, but in all likelihood we probably won't see before March or April 2011. There are still a bunch of Beta releases to get through, and then the Release Candidates. On the flip side, FF4 is already very fast and a joy to use -- as long as you don't mind the occasional hiccup, it's well worth the upgrade from FF3.6!
Then there was Firesheep, a sidejacking add-on that gets its name from Firefox, which Mozilla has decided not to ban. Mozilla retains the ability to blacklist add-ons, but generally only blocks add-ons that cause browser crashes. There have been a few add-ons blocked for 'security issues', though, which raises the question: is Mozilla simply looking at the bigger picture -- a Web made all the more secure because of awareness-raising add-ons like Firesheep?
Finally, the Nobel Peace Prize website was hacked to exploit a 0-day Firefox vulnerability. The hole was summarily patched and new versions of Firefox 3.5 and 3.6 were released.
It wasn't all bad this week though! Mozilla Labs threw out a few of very fun toys to play with (an auto-complete Awesome Bar!), and I've found a few other goodies to show you, too.
Mozilla Labs brings you Awesome Bar word completion
This add-on, which is the first deliverable from Mozilla Labs' Prospector experiments, is all about enhancing the search experience inside Firefox. If you thought the Awesome Bar was good -- this will blow your mind! It's hard to explain exactly what 'word completion' does, but essentially it means you have to type less while searching -- just like Google's search suggestions!
Incidentally, this is yet another Chrome-like feature -- but hey, I don't think anyone's complaining.
Combine your address books and friends lists with Mozilla Labs' Contacts
Mozilla Labs has been quietly plugging away at the Contacts add-on for a while, and with release 0.4 it's definitely starting to become usable.
Contacts is part of Mozilla's continued efforts to make the browser a tool, rather than a portal. While Google's Chrome tries to get out of your way as quickly as possible, Mozilla wants Firefox to be part of the browsing experience. With Contacts you can import contacts and friends from a variety of services (Facebook, Gmail, Twitter, Yahoo, etc.) into your browser.
Having your contacts in your browser is great for two reasons: a) you always have an offline backup handy, and b) when registering for new Web services, you'll be able to give those sites access to your contacts directory. You won't have to give up your Facebook, Google, Flickr and Twitter credentials every time a site asks you to 'look for friends'!
[At the time of writing, this add-on doesn't seem to work -- I don't know if it's an issue with Contacts, or the latest builds of Firefox -- either way, I guess you just have to bookmark this one and hope Mozilla fixes it ASAP.]
Grab a faster, optimized version of Firefox 3.6 for Windows and Linux
The tenacious Mitch over at Firefox Facts dug up two gems this week: The Pale Moon Project and Swiftfox, which provide optimized versions of Firefox 3.6 for Windows and Linux respectively. Documentation for Swiftfox is lacking, but fortunately Pale Moon provides tons of details for why its build is faster than Mozilla's. The memory management runtime library has been custom-compiled for faster operation, and overall complexity has been reduced by removing unnecessary features (like accessibility and ActiveX). In general, it sounds like the Pale Moon build is angled towards speed, while Mozilla builds for compatibility.
The only real problem is that these are builds of Firefox 3.6. No matter how hard you tune it, 3.6 still languishes some way behind 4.0. Still, if you're not quite ready to transition over to the beta builds of Firefox 4, these two optimized builds should definitely give you a bit of a boost. Pale Moon also says it will build an optimized version of Firefox 4 when it's released -- and when that happens, Download Squad will be sure to review it.
Of course, neither of these optimized versions are overseen or ratified by Mozilla, so use them at your own risk!Firefox Friday: Mozilla refuses to ban Firesheep, a more-Awesome Bar, delayed Firefox 4, and more originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
First of all, Firefox 4 was pushed back to 2011. We had originally hoped to see it launch before the end of 2010, but in all likelihood we probably won't see before March or April 2011. There are still a bunch of Beta releases to get through, and then the Release Candidates. On the flip side, FF4 is already very fast and a joy to use -- as long as you don't mind the occasional hiccup, it's well worth the upgrade from FF3.6!
Then there was Firesheep, a sidejacking add-on that gets its name from Firefox, which Mozilla has decided not to ban. Mozilla retains the ability to blacklist add-ons, but generally only blocks add-ons that cause browser crashes. There have been a few add-ons blocked for 'security issues', though, which raises the question: is Mozilla simply looking at the bigger picture -- a Web made all the more secure because of awareness-raising add-ons like Firesheep?
Finally, the Nobel Peace Prize website was hacked to exploit a 0-day Firefox vulnerability. The hole was summarily patched and new versions of Firefox 3.5 and 3.6 were released.
It wasn't all bad this week though! Mozilla Labs threw out a few of very fun toys to play with (an auto-complete Awesome Bar!), and I've found a few other goodies to show you, too.
Mozilla Labs brings you Awesome Bar word completion
This add-on, which is the first deliverable from Mozilla Labs' Prospector experiments, is all about enhancing the search experience inside Firefox. If you thought the Awesome Bar was good -- this will blow your mind! It's hard to explain exactly what 'word completion' does, but essentially it means you have to type less while searching -- just like Google's search suggestions!
Incidentally, this is yet another Chrome-like feature -- but hey, I don't think anyone's complaining.
Combine your address books and friends lists with Mozilla Labs' Contacts
Mozilla Labs has been quietly plugging away at the Contacts add-on for a while, and with release 0.4 it's definitely starting to become usable.
Contacts is part of Mozilla's continued efforts to make the browser a tool, rather than a portal. While Google's Chrome tries to get out of your way as quickly as possible, Mozilla wants Firefox to be part of the browsing experience. With Contacts you can import contacts and friends from a variety of services (Facebook, Gmail, Twitter, Yahoo, etc.) into your browser.
Having your contacts in your browser is great for two reasons: a) you always have an offline backup handy, and b) when registering for new Web services, you'll be able to give those sites access to your contacts directory. You won't have to give up your Facebook, Google, Flickr and Twitter credentials every time a site asks you to 'look for friends'!
[At the time of writing, this add-on doesn't seem to work -- I don't know if it's an issue with Contacts, or the latest builds of Firefox -- either way, I guess you just have to bookmark this one and hope Mozilla fixes it ASAP.]
Grab a faster, optimized version of Firefox 3.6 for Windows and Linux
The tenacious Mitch over at Firefox Facts dug up two gems this week: The Pale Moon Project and Swiftfox, which provide optimized versions of Firefox 3.6 for Windows and Linux respectively. Documentation for Swiftfox is lacking, but fortunately Pale Moon provides tons of details for why its build is faster than Mozilla's. The memory management runtime library has been custom-compiled for faster operation, and overall complexity has been reduced by removing unnecessary features (like accessibility and ActiveX). In general, it sounds like the Pale Moon build is angled towards speed, while Mozilla builds for compatibility.
The only real problem is that these are builds of Firefox 3.6. No matter how hard you tune it, 3.6 still languishes some way behind 4.0. Still, if you're not quite ready to transition over to the beta builds of Firefox 4, these two optimized builds should definitely give you a bit of a boost. Pale Moon also says it will build an optimized version of Firefox 4 when it's released -- and when that happens, Download Squad will be sure to review it.
Of course, neither of these optimized versions are overseen or ratified by Mozilla, so use them at your own risk!Firefox Friday: Mozilla refuses to ban Firesheep, a more-Awesome Bar, delayed Firefox 4, and more originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
The Future of Local Commerce = Facebook + Foursquare + Yelp + Groupon
There's been much hype, crazy valuations, and overall market excitement about businesses that promise to unleash the power of the social graph, location, recommendations and group buying.�Facebook's latest valuation�according to SecondMarket is now about $30 billion, Foursquare�raised $20 million at a post-money valuation of $115 million�while still at a pre-revenue stage, Yelp,�short of selling for $550 million to Google, raised over $25 million at an undisclosed but very high valuation, and finally Groupon�raised $135 million at a whopping $1.35 billion valuation. So besides their huge success with the investment community, and their users, what do these companies have in common, and what does all this have to do with disrupting Local Commerce?
Editor's note: The following guest post is by David Marcus, founder and CEO of Zong, a mobile payment provider for Facebook Credits, AT&T and hundreds of leading destination websites and mobile applications
Editor's note: The following guest post is by David Marcus, founder and CEO of Zong, a mobile payment provider for Facebook Credits, AT&T and hundreds of leading destination websites and mobile applications
Ootini! 4 Year Old's Jawa Costume Is Adorable [Video]
Here's another contender for kid costume of the year: a homemade Jawa costume for a 4 year old complete with brown hoodie and glowing yellow eyes. It's so cute, yet so "real". More »
Coby Vitruvian Speaker System for iPod and iPhone
Here’s another speaker system with a charging dock for iPod and iPhone.� Unlike most speaker systems, the Coby Vitruvian system has a motorized dock that rotates the iPod 90 degrees so you can view your iPod/iPhone in horizontal or vertical orientation.� The speakers output of 20W total, and there’s a 3.5mm input plug so you [...] Filed in categories: News, iPhone, iPad, iPod relatedTagged: docking speakers for iPod/iPhoneCoby Vitruvian Speaker System for iPod and iPhone originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 29, 2010 at 7:30 am.
TSA: MacBook Air Can Stay in Bag at Security Check
Going to the airport will be slightly less miserable for MacBook Air owners: Apple’s new ultra-thin notebook need not be removed from a bag at security checkpoints.
The Transportation Security Administration told CNN that the 11-inch Air, like the iPad, can stay inside bags when passing through the checkpoint. However, the TSA hasn’t yet determined whether [...]
The Transportation Security Administration told CNN that the 11-inch Air, like the iPad, can stay inside bags when passing through the checkpoint. However, the TSA hasn’t yet determined whether [...]
Russia to develop Linux-based Windows alternative to reduce its US tech dependence
Filed under: OS Updates, SecurityIn a move to decrease Russia's dependence on American technology, the Russian government has announced plans to develop a state-sponsored national operating system. Shifting away from Windows would mean both money savings for Russia, and increased digital security.
150 million rubles (5 million dollars) have been set aside to create an operating system that will be based on Linux. It's not yet known whether this national distro will be built from scratch, or simply a branch of a popular distro like Ubuntu. Speaking to AFP, Russian politician Ilya Ponomarev said "The devil is in the details," and that a meeting to decide the exact specifications of this new operating system would occur in December.
This move is a sign that Europe and Asia continue to be unnerved by the US-dominated technology industry. The last few years have seen a massive shift towards open-source software across Europe and Asia, and also a marked increase in the activity of European and Chinese space agencies.
Russia [System operates you!] won't be the first country to work on a national operating system either: China's Red Flag Linux first appeared back in 1999, and only last week India announced its plans to build a proprietary, hyper-secure operating system.
Russia to develop Linux-based Windows alternative to reduce its US tech dependence originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
150 million rubles (5 million dollars) have been set aside to create an operating system that will be based on Linux. It's not yet known whether this national distro will be built from scratch, or simply a branch of a popular distro like Ubuntu. Speaking to AFP, Russian politician Ilya Ponomarev said "The devil is in the details," and that a meeting to decide the exact specifications of this new operating system would occur in December.
This move is a sign that Europe and Asia continue to be unnerved by the US-dominated technology industry. The last few years have seen a massive shift towards open-source software across Europe and Asia, and also a marked increase in the activity of European and Chinese space agencies.
Russia [System operates you!] won't be the first country to work on a national operating system either: China's Red Flag Linux first appeared back in 1999, and only last week India announced its plans to build a proprietary, hyper-secure operating system.
Russia to develop Linux-based Windows alternative to reduce its US tech dependence originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Viewsonic introduces 3DV5 3D pocket camcorder, no glasses required
There's a good chance this 3D bandwagon may never stop rolling, so rather than maintaining that bitter beer face for yet another day, you may as well embrace the next dimension. Viewsonic's newest pocket camcorder just so happens to fit into that segment, as the 3DV5 is a 720p shooter with a 2.4-inch autosterescopic display, not dislike that found on Nintendo's 3DS. According to the company, there's a one-touch function to switch between 2D and 3D recording modes, and once they've logged the latter, they can either plug it directly into a 3D HDTV (via HDMI) or watch it on-screen without any 3D glasses. Users can also throw these up on YouTube's 3D channel if they'd rather rather with a set of anaglyph spectacles, but you'd probably budget for an SD card -- you know, considering that the 10MB of internal storage space won't exactly hold a masterpiece. Is this guy really worth £150 ($238)? Can you really live another day without the ability to create 3D content?Continue reading Viewsonic introduces 3DV5 3D pocket camcorder, no glasses requiredViewsonic introduces 3DV5 3D pocket camcorder, no glasses required originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Oct 2010 09:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Hot Hardware | | Email this | Comments
3D Glasses Go Gaudy with Gucci [3D Glasses]
Hey, Oakley. Gucci sees your $150 3D glasses and raises you a designer label and $75. More »
Gizmodo's Essential iPhone Apps, October 2010 [IphoneApps]
There's an ocean of apps out there. Whether you just got your iPhone and are feeling adrift or you're a salty old dog seeing what you might've missed, here are 50 absolutely essential apps. More »
How would you change Motorola's Droid 2?
You've already told us (and the world, we might add) how you'd change just about every other Droid phone out there, so why not? Motorola's Droid 2 has been in the hands of loyal can-doers for a few months now, giving the user base plenty of time to nitpick and stew about things that aren't... quite... right. We had a few bones to pick with the handset during our August review, but as the regulars know, this space isn't about rekindling old flames. It's about you telling us how you'd change things if given the lead design position on this here phone. Would you have upgraded the camera? Changed the slide? Tweaked the Android build? Offered it on another carrier? Hit us with your best shot in comments below.How would you change Motorola's Droid 2? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Oct 2010 01:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Get Ready to Kiss IPv4 Goodbye: Q&A With ICSA Labs' Guy Snyder, Part 2
The drive to IPv6, the newer Internet communications protocol, appears to be driven by major networking vendors. Their contention is that we're running out of IPv4 network addresses. They've got the Obama administration behind them, and the White House is pushing to have all federal departments and agencies enable the use of native IPv6 by the end of 2012.
Google Co-Founders Wanted Steve Jobs To Be CEO of Google [Blockquote]
When Sergey Brin and Larry Page were first looking for a CEO to run Google, they met with Steve Jobs. The Google co-founders left that meeting wanting the CEO of Apple to become the CEO of Google. More »
Fortune: Verizon iPhone Debuts Early 2011
The elusive Verizon iPhone is going to become a reality early next year, according to a chorus of mainstream publications.
Following The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Bloomberg, now Fortune claims that a Verizon iPhone is “fait accompli” (i.e., a done deal).
Repeating past rumors, Fortune says the new iPhone will be compatible with Verizon’s [...]
Following The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Bloomberg, now Fortune claims that a Verizon iPhone is “fait accompli” (i.e., a done deal).
Repeating past rumors, Fortune says the new iPhone will be compatible with Verizon’s [...]
This Is What A Nuclear Test Site Looks Like From Above [Nukes]
This is a Google Maps Satellite View of Yucca Flat, one of the Nevada Nuclear Test Sites. Over 739 nuclear tests were run between 1951 and 1992 which has left the region scarred and pockmarked to this day. More »
Sagem reveals Binder white label e-reader, SFR's version comes with free 3G
Heard of the FnacBook, Telecom Italia eBook or Thalia Oyo? It's looking like they're all one and the same -- a Sagem product called the Binder with a six-inch SiPix capacitive e-paper touchscreen. It's also got the standard accelerometer, 2GB of internal flash, a microSD card slot and support for ePub and PDF, but there's one feature that sets it apart from the pack: a cellular modem that'll give FnacBook buyers free 3G service a la the Amazon Kindle's Whispernet. French carrier SFR is subsidizing that little venture, so it's not part and parcel of buying into Sagem's device, but if you find yourself holding onto a different rebrand we suppose you'll still have 802.11 b/g WiFi for your Steig Larsson downloads. Fnac's already taking preorders at €199 (about $277); devices ship November 10th. PR after the break.Continue reading Sagem reveals Binder white label e-reader, SFR's version comes with free 3GSagem reveals Binder white label e-reader, SFR's version comes with free 3G originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Oct 2010 15:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | FnacBook, Telecom Italia | Email this | Comments
Microsoft buys Canesta, continues camera-based domination of our interfaces
It seems that Microsoft's taken the camera to heart following its dismissal of the pen -- the company bought 3DV, collaborated with PrimeSense on Kinect, and today it's apparently finalized a deal to acquire 3D CMOS camera chipmaker Canesta as well. In case you've already forgotten, the latter company is the one that made an paid actor look particularly smug last year, by allowing the gent to control his television with a flick of the wrist. Things have progressed a good bit further than that, however, as you'll see in a demo video after the break, and Canesta president and CEO Jim Spare says he expects the company's stuffs to "see wide adoption across many applications that embody the full potential of the technology" under Microsoft's reign. Press release after the break.Continue reading Microsoft buys Canesta, continues camera-based domination of our interfacesMicrosoft buys Canesta, continues camera-based domination of our interfaces originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Oct 2010 22:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Makr Carry Goods Case for iPad
If you like your leather goods to have a slightly more rustic look, you’ll want to see the iPad Case from Makr.� All products from Makr are handmade by a small group of artisans, so all items are made in limited numbers.�This iPad case is a simple envelope-style case made from a single piece of [...] Filed in categories: News, iPhone, iPad, iPod relatedTagged: Handmade leather case for iPad, iPad caseMakr Carry Goods Case for iPad originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 31, 2010 at 2:41 pm.
PayPal Beats Google Checkout To The Local Payments Market But Will It Work? (TCTV)
In conjunction with the company's developer conference, PayPal announced a slew of news and product releases this week, including a new micropayments product and an apps platform for businesses. But tucked away in a release was another piece of news from PayPal that could be huge. PayPal just released a new version of its popular iPhone app that allows users to find businesses near their immediate location that accept PayPal as a form of payment. Launching in San Francisco initially, the feature encourages merchants to attract nearby customers to their stores by posting deals and promotions to the app as an incentive for customers to visit their businesses.
Customers can search by category and location, and find and select stores, services, or special offers. Users can pick up the goods or services in person, but pay the merchant using their PayPal app. Users can also use tags from Bling Nation, a startup that has partnered with PayPal to use the startup's mobile payment chips to deduct funds from a PayPal account.
Customers can search by category and location, and find and select stores, services, or special offers. Users can pick up the goods or services in person, but pay the merchant using their PayPal app. Users can also use tags from Bling Nation, a startup that has partnered with PayPal to use the startup's mobile payment chips to deduct funds from a PayPal account.
PayPal Beats Google Checkout To The Local Payments Market But Will It Work? (TCTV)
In conjunction with the company's developer conference, PayPal announced a slew of news and product releases this week, including a new micropayments product and an apps platform for businesses. But tucked away in a release was another piece of news from PayPal that could be huge. PayPal just released a new version of its popular iPhone app that allows users to find businesses near their immediate location that accept PayPal as a form of payment. Launching in San Francisco initially, the feature encourages merchants to attract nearby customers to their stores by posting deals and promotions to the app as an incentive for customers to visit their businesses.
Customers can search by category and location, and find and select stores, services, or special offers. Users can pick up the goods or services in person, but pay the merchant using their PayPal app. Users can also use tags from Bling Nation, a startup that has partnered with PayPal to use the startup's mobile payment chips to deduct funds from a PayPal account.
Customers can search by category and location, and find and select stores, services, or special offers. Users can pick up the goods or services in person, but pay the merchant using their PayPal app. Users can also use tags from Bling Nation, a startup that has partnered with PayPal to use the startup's mobile payment chips to deduct funds from a PayPal account.
San Diego Chargers * National Football Conference Dallas Cowboys
Turkish Court Orders End to Three-Year YouTube Ban [Censorship]
Turkish citizens can once again access the Internet's plethora of cat videos thanks to a court ruling on Friday that eliminated a three-year YouTube ban. In 2007, YouTube was banned when disparaging remarks were made on the service about the country's revered founder of state, Mustafa Kemal Atataturk. More »
No Change? Buy Candy With PayPal, Your Phone and Twitter
A proof-of-concept vending machine shows how we can dispense with cash for everyday purchases, skipping credit and debit cards altogether and going straight to electronic transfer.
The vending machine uses QR codes, PayPal, a smartphone camera and Twitter. And, to complete the geek-buzzword bingo checklist, the hardware is based in part on Arduino, an open source [...]
The vending machine uses QR codes, PayPal, a smartphone camera and Twitter. And, to complete the geek-buzzword bingo checklist, the hardware is based in part on Arduino, an open source [...]
Droid 2 Global appears in Costco database for $199, T-Mobile Comet at $149
What happens when you punch the phrase "Droid" into a Costco sales terminal? If Boy Genius Report's sources are right, you see the Motorola Droid 2 Global ring up (in black and white!) for $199.99. Considering we're also seeing the 1.2GHz quad-band worldphone on a Verizon rebate sheet, it's a pretty safe bet the handset's coming out soon -- and if Verizon also lists the phone for that price, it could be the death knell for the A955. (We've gotten several tips today that the original Droid 2 has been marked for end-of-life at Best Buy.) There's also a T-Mobile Comet pictured above, also known as the Huawei Ideos, a low-budget Android smartphone whose $149.99 price will almost certainly be free of two-year contracts. Of course, in the spirit of Costco you probably won't get off that easily -- subliminal messaging will surely compel you to purchase the $24.99 Ewoks and Star Wars Droids Adventure Hour on DVD.Droid 2 Global appears in Costco database for $199, T-Mobile Comet at $149 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Oct 2010 17:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Boy Genius Report | Email this | Comments
Robot Wants Ice Cream is a fun retro platformer -- Time-Waster
Filed under: Fun, Games, Time-Wasters
Robot Wants Ice Cream does not actually have ice cream. At least not as far as I was able to tell.
What it does have is a robot. Well, to be exact, it has a robot, a dog, a ton of bad guys, 8-bit music, and bosses that you have to beat. You can tell when you're facing a boss because it's huge, and the music gets all "Bowser" when one of them shows up. There are also bonuses that make you jump higher, shoot faster, and generally become a more awesome, ice cream-loving robot.
Most importantly, there are lots and lots of save points, and if you die, you instantly reincarnate. You don't even lose your bonuses!
As far as time-wasters go, this isn't a quick one. It leans more towards the "addictive" side of the scale. If you have any sort of affinity for 8-bit graphics, robots, and cute puppies, you really should give it a spin.Robot Wants Ice Cream is a fun retro platformer -- Time-Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Robot Wants Ice Cream does not actually have ice cream. At least not as far as I was able to tell.
What it does have is a robot. Well, to be exact, it has a robot, a dog, a ton of bad guys, 8-bit music, and bosses that you have to beat. You can tell when you're facing a boss because it's huge, and the music gets all "Bowser" when one of them shows up. There are also bonuses that make you jump higher, shoot faster, and generally become a more awesome, ice cream-loving robot.
Most importantly, there are lots and lots of save points, and if you die, you instantly reincarnate. You don't even lose your bonuses!
As far as time-wasters go, this isn't a quick one. It leans more towards the "addictive" side of the scale. If you have any sort of affinity for 8-bit graphics, robots, and cute puppies, you really should give it a spin.Robot Wants Ice Cream is a fun retro platformer -- Time-Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
IE9 Developer Preview 6 launched, and new Test Drive site now live
To celebrate the opening of the Professional Developer Conference 2010, the Internet Explorer team has just flipped the switch on a very sexy new version of the Internet Explorer Test Drive site.
Not only is Developer Preview 6 now available (don't get too excited, non-developers; this is another UI-less build), but there's also a ton of new demos that you can try out. A few of you might recognise SVG Helicopter, and Flickr Postcards is quite possibly the cutest application of HTML5 and CSS3 that I've ever seen.
For more info on Preview 6, check the full release notes.
As you can see in the screenshot above, there's a rather cute easter egg for Chrome 8 users, too!IE9 Developer Preview 6 launched, and new Test Drive site now live originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Not only is Developer Preview 6 now available (don't get too excited, non-developers; this is another UI-less build), but there's also a ton of new demos that you can try out. A few of you might recognise SVG Helicopter, and Flickr Postcards is quite possibly the cutest application of HTML5 and CSS3 that I've ever seen.
For more info on Preview 6, check the full release notes.
As you can see in the screenshot above, there's a rather cute easter egg for Chrome 8 users, too!IE9 Developer Preview 6 launched, and new Test Drive site now live originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
iPod foils potential kidnapping attempt in the hands of quick-thinking child
Apple's iPod touch can't make cellular calls -- at least, not without a special case -- but it did look enough like the similar iPhone to foil one would-be predator. A Delaware suspect asked a 12-year-old girl to get into his van in front of her middle school, but quickly fled the scene, when the girl reportedly put her iPod against her ear and told him she was dialing police. The local authorities did eventually get called and are still looking for the suspect. If you see a "white male, 35-45 years of age, with a dark crew cut styled hair" suspiciously eying the headphone jack placement on devices in your local Apple Store, perhaps you'd best stay away.iPod foils potential kidnapping attempt in the hands of quick-thinking child originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Oct 2010 08:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Cult of Mac, Gizmodo | ABC News | Email this | Comments
Prey for Android is an open-source anti-theft service
Filed under: Security, Utilities, AndroidThere are two ways of looking at geolocation and other tracking technologies. There are those that decry the Information Dynasty, that abhor the idea of sharing your location with the godless monstrosities of Facebook and Google -- and then you have the diametric opposite: sharing is good, information is knowledge, knowledge is wisdom, Google is God.
But both schools are missing the point: data is useful. It is simply how you use it that matters. It might not seem apparent as a marketing-bombarded, social media munching consumer, but there is a mid-ground between giving Facebook all or none of your data. The danger with Facebook and other omnipresent Compu-Global-Hyper-Mega-Net corporations is that you never really know how your information will be used: you sign up to chat to your friends, and before you know it, your data is being used by countless other services.
There is a way out, though, if you're looking for that fabled mid-ground -- it's counterintuitive, going against everything we've been taught in the last decade, but it works. You simply have to use services that do just one thing -- no feature creep, bloat, or third-party integrations -- just one thing.
Which brings me onto Prey, an open-source and cross-platform anti-theft tool that lets you track your mobile phone or laptop at all times. It's free to use, there are pro accounts for large companies, and you can even set it up on your own servers if you like.
While Prey works across almost every modern platform (iOS and BlackBerry are the only omissions), I will be focusing on the experience for Android. Every version uses the Web control panel, however -- and the Prey app that runs on your phone or laptop doesn't require much configuration. If you want to secure a laptop or netbook, check out Lee's post!
To start, you need to register on the Prey website. Then grab the Prey app from the Android Market. Log in with your account details, and you'll be greeted with the Settings screen:
To understand the settings, you need to know how Prey for Android works. It's very simple: Prey reads every incoming SMS, and if it contains the activation code ("GO PREY" by default), your phone immediately tries to contact the Prey servers -- your phone is then considered "missing." Disabling Prey is just a matter of sending another SMS ("STOP PREY"), or toggling the "found" button on the Web control panel. The only other option for mobile phones is "SIM replacement detection" -- if your would-be thief tries to change the SIM, Prey can be configured to SMS the phone's new number to your phone.
Now we move onto the more important bit: the (very pretty) Web control panel. Here you can modify how often your stolen (or lost) phone reports back, and what data is reported. You also configure "Action Modules," which as you might have guessed, cause your phone to perform an action. For now you can only make your phone display an obnoxious message ("YOU THIEVING B*STARD"), or ring a very loud police-siren alarm. Presumably there might soon be more Action Modules that do other cool things -- like nuke your address book, take photos of the thief, use a voice synthesizer to produce racial slurs, and so on.
Finally, the whole point of Prey is to produce reports of your stolen phone or laptop. To this end you get a nice Google Map with your phone pin-pointed on it, your phone's current IP address, ... and that's about it. The control panel suggests that you should get "nearby Wi-Fi hotspots," "traceroute," and "active connections" information, but that seems to be missing from my reports. Maybe it doesn't work on the Android version!
Conclusion
To be honest, I don't know how big an issue phone (or laptop) theft is. But maybe it doesn't matter: Prey is so light-weight and so free that you might as well install it on your phone -- you have nothing to lose (hah).
Prey for Android Tech Specs
Installed Size -- 400KB
Speed/Responsiveness -- Excellent (Android 2.1 @ 600MHz, LG GT540)
User Interface -- The Android app doesn't have an interface as such; the Web control panel is nice, though!
Configurability & Extensibility -- None really, but you could code your own modules if you like...!
License -- Free and open-source with "premium" packages available
Prey for Android is an open-source anti-theft service originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
But both schools are missing the point: data is useful. It is simply how you use it that matters. It might not seem apparent as a marketing-bombarded, social media munching consumer, but there is a mid-ground between giving Facebook all or none of your data. The danger with Facebook and other omnipresent Compu-Global-Hyper-Mega-Net corporations is that you never really know how your information will be used: you sign up to chat to your friends, and before you know it, your data is being used by countless other services.
There is a way out, though, if you're looking for that fabled mid-ground -- it's counterintuitive, going against everything we've been taught in the last decade, but it works. You simply have to use services that do just one thing -- no feature creep, bloat, or third-party integrations -- just one thing.
Which brings me onto Prey, an open-source and cross-platform anti-theft tool that lets you track your mobile phone or laptop at all times. It's free to use, there are pro accounts for large companies, and you can even set it up on your own servers if you like.
While Prey works across almost every modern platform (iOS and BlackBerry are the only omissions), I will be focusing on the experience for Android. Every version uses the Web control panel, however -- and the Prey app that runs on your phone or laptop doesn't require much configuration. If you want to secure a laptop or netbook, check out Lee's post!
To start, you need to register on the Prey website. Then grab the Prey app from the Android Market. Log in with your account details, and you'll be greeted with the Settings screen:
To understand the settings, you need to know how Prey for Android works. It's very simple: Prey reads every incoming SMS, and if it contains the activation code ("GO PREY" by default), your phone immediately tries to contact the Prey servers -- your phone is then considered "missing." Disabling Prey is just a matter of sending another SMS ("STOP PREY"), or toggling the "found" button on the Web control panel. The only other option for mobile phones is "SIM replacement detection" -- if your would-be thief tries to change the SIM, Prey can be configured to SMS the phone's new number to your phone.
Now we move onto the more important bit: the (very pretty) Web control panel. Here you can modify how often your stolen (or lost) phone reports back, and what data is reported. You also configure "Action Modules," which as you might have guessed, cause your phone to perform an action. For now you can only make your phone display an obnoxious message ("YOU THIEVING B*STARD"), or ring a very loud police-siren alarm. Presumably there might soon be more Action Modules that do other cool things -- like nuke your address book, take photos of the thief, use a voice synthesizer to produce racial slurs, and so on.
Finally, the whole point of Prey is to produce reports of your stolen phone or laptop. To this end you get a nice Google Map with your phone pin-pointed on it, your phone's current IP address, ... and that's about it. The control panel suggests that you should get "nearby Wi-Fi hotspots," "traceroute," and "active connections" information, but that seems to be missing from my reports. Maybe it doesn't work on the Android version!
Conclusion
To be honest, I don't know how big an issue phone (or laptop) theft is. But maybe it doesn't matter: Prey is so light-weight and so free that you might as well install it on your phone -- you have nothing to lose (hah).
Prey for Android Tech Specs
Installed Size -- 400KB
Speed/Responsiveness -- Excellent (Android 2.1 @ 600MHz, LG GT540)
User Interface -- The Android app doesn't have an interface as such; the Web control panel is nice, though!
Configurability & Extensibility -- None really, but you could code your own modules if you like...!
License -- Free and open-source with "premium" packages available
Prey for Android is an open-source anti-theft service originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Brad Sucks Digital Download Store is a free, easy-to-install Web storefront
Filed under: Business, Developer
Canadian Brad Turcotte, AKA Brad Sucks, makes music. In fact, he makes open source music, and he lets people download the source files of his songs for free and remix them into all sorts of weird creations.
Given his open source musical model, it should come as no surprise to you that Brad is a nerd. And as a nerd, he scratched his own itch and created the Brad Sucks Digital Download Store.
The store is aimed mainly at selling digital goods, and it relies on existing solutions for storage and billing. That means an Amazon S3 account is recommended (but not required), and a PayPal account is required. The store generates expiring URLs for downloading your content, and it gives buyers instant access to your content once they've paid up.
One feature that's missing is a "pay as much as you want" option, a la Bandcamp. That's not a bad idea, and it's one that I hope to see Brad implementing in the future.
And while you're at Brad's site, go check out his upcoming album, Guess Who's a Mess. Not all of the tracks are ready, but you can already listen to some full-length tunes.Brad Sucks Digital Download Store is a free, easy-to-install Web storefront originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Canadian Brad Turcotte, AKA Brad Sucks, makes music. In fact, he makes open source music, and he lets people download the source files of his songs for free and remix them into all sorts of weird creations.
Given his open source musical model, it should come as no surprise to you that Brad is a nerd. And as a nerd, he scratched his own itch and created the Brad Sucks Digital Download Store.
The store is aimed mainly at selling digital goods, and it relies on existing solutions for storage and billing. That means an Amazon S3 account is recommended (but not required), and a PayPal account is required. The store generates expiring URLs for downloading your content, and it gives buyers instant access to your content once they've paid up.
One feature that's missing is a "pay as much as you want" option, a la Bandcamp. That's not a bad idea, and it's one that I hope to see Brad implementing in the future.
And while you're at Brad's site, go check out his upcoming album, Guess Who's a Mess. Not all of the tracks are ready, but you can already listen to some full-length tunes.Brad Sucks Digital Download Store is a free, easy-to-install Web storefront originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
This Desk Is Cooler Than Your Desk Because It's a 58" iPhone [IPhone]
Whether owning a "Table Connect" would make you awesome, or something of a douchebag, is probably a matter of taste. But there's no doubt it's technically impressive—taking input from your iPhone to create a fully touch-functional, desk-sized replica. More »
Quirky Cloak iPad Case and 3-Position Stand Review
Quirky is a company started by the founder of Mophie�in response to�inquiries from people who had an idea for a product and who were asking him if he could help them get their product made.� Quirky lets people submit an idea for a product, and then�information about the idea is put on the Quirky website [...] Filed in categories: Reviews, iPhone, iPad, iPod relatedTagged: iPad case, iPad standQuirky Cloak iPad Case and 3-Position Stand Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 29, 2010 at 10:30 am.
Google Chrome Web Store delayed, may not launch until December
Filed under: Google, Browsers
Back in mid-October, I mused that the Chrome Web Store might be getting ready to open its doors, but according to MediaMemo's Peter Kafka the launch isn't going to happen any time soon.
Based on his discussions with developers who are building Web apps for Chrome, prevailing sentiment is that the Chrome Web Store will now open some time in early December. While some devs remain optimistic that a mid-November launch could still happen, Google has already missed launch targets -- casting severe doubts.
Interestingly, Kafka also mentions that some developers report receiving monetary "encouragement" directly from Google -- one individual acknowledged receive a $15,000 check. The Chrome Web Store remains enough of an enigma that these delays won't adversely affect it -- but we'd sure like to get a look at it.
Here's hoping the beta launch happens before the year is out.Google Chrome Web Store delayed, may not launch until December originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Back in mid-October, I mused that the Chrome Web Store might be getting ready to open its doors, but according to MediaMemo's Peter Kafka the launch isn't going to happen any time soon.
Based on his discussions with developers who are building Web apps for Chrome, prevailing sentiment is that the Chrome Web Store will now open some time in early December. While some devs remain optimistic that a mid-November launch could still happen, Google has already missed launch targets -- casting severe doubts.
Interestingly, Kafka also mentions that some developers report receiving monetary "encouragement" directly from Google -- one individual acknowledged receive a $15,000 check. The Chrome Web Store remains enough of an enigma that these delays won't adversely affect it -- but we'd sure like to get a look at it.
Here's hoping the beta launch happens before the year is out.Google Chrome Web Store delayed, may not launch until December originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Google TV review
Google's taking a big leap with Google TV -- unlike its competitors, who've all focused on delivering curated video content with inexpensive streaming devices, Google's new platform brings Android, Chrome, and Flash directly to your TV in a variety of hardware configurations from Sony and Logitech. But whether you're adding Google TV to your existing rig with a Logitech Revue or starting from scratch with a Sony Internet TV, the basic experience of using each product is the same -- it's the web on your TV, in all its chaotic and beautiful glory. Is this the future of television? Can Google do what no company has ever managed to do in the past and put a little PC in your TV? Read on to find out!
Gallery: Google TV interface walkththroughContinue reading Google TV reviewGoogle TV review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Gallery: Google TV interface walkththroughContinue reading Google TV reviewGoogle TV review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Microsoft Security Essentials now offered via Windows Update
Filed under: Security, Microsoft
We're big fans of Microsoft Security Essentials -- it's lightweight, free, and offers malware protection that's every bit as good as (if not better than) more recognized names like Norton and McAfee (quit giggling, DS regulars...). Today, Microsoft has begun offering Security Essentials as an optional install via Windows Update.
Like Live Essentials and the Windows 7 Language Packs, users can now opt-in to load MSE on their Windows system. The update notification beckons small office users as well, offering a reminder that Security Essentials is free for them to use, too -- as long as they have 10 systems or fewer.
Microsoft Security Essentials now offered via Windows Update originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
We're big fans of Microsoft Security Essentials -- it's lightweight, free, and offers malware protection that's every bit as good as (if not better than) more recognized names like Norton and McAfee (quit giggling, DS regulars...). Today, Microsoft has begun offering Security Essentials as an optional install via Windows Update.
Like Live Essentials and the Windows 7 Language Packs, users can now opt-in to load MSE on their Windows system. The update notification beckons small office users as well, offering a reminder that Security Essentials is free for them to use, too -- as long as they have 10 systems or fewer.
Microsoft Security Essentials now offered via Windows Update originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Facebook Phone Being Announced on Wednesday? [Unconfirmed]
Looks like Facebook is throwing a very special mobile event on Wednesday and while there are barely any details about it, we're secretly hoping that it's going to end with an announcement of the Facebook Phone. [TechCrunch] More »
Fox blackout on Cablevision ends after 14 day standoff, glaring contest continues on
Evidently missing the first two games of the World Series was about all Cablevision thought it subscribers could take, as news just hit the wire: the fourteen-day standoff is over and both tonight's game three of the World Series and tomorrow's Jets vs Packers game are available to subscribers. While these carriage disputes are pretty common, it is very rare for channels to be pulled and downright unheard of for a channel as popular as Fox. It came to this because Cablevision was very unhappy about News Corp's new terms and after many pleas to the FCC and politicians to intervene, an advertising campaign, and eventually an unaccepted offer to match the price that Time Warner Cable pays, a deal has finally been done. Not exactly all's well that ends well, though, as Cablevision released the following statement: "In the absence of any meaningful action from the FCC, Cablevision has agreed to pay Fox an unfair price for multiple channels of its programming including many in which our customers have little or no interest." Talk about sour grapes. Well at least we can hope that Cablevision's efforts paid off a little bit and your cable bill won't go up as much as it would've if the outage never occurred to begin with. We can hope.Continue reading Fox blackout on Cablevision ends after 14 day standoff, glaring contest continues onFox blackout on Cablevision ends after 14 day standoff, glaring contest continues on originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Oct 2010 20:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Borders get another eBook Reader ? NextBook Next2
The NextBook Next2 isn’t just an eBook reader, it’s also a tablet. Powered by Android OS 1.5, this little guy has a 600 MHz processor, 7″ 800 x 480 resistive touch screen, 2GB internal memory and an SD card slot for expansion. The Next2 ships with 25 free books already installed, but using built-in WiFi, [...] Filed in categories: Android related, News, Spotlight Gadgets, eBook Readers and GearTagged: Android, eBook readerBorders get another eBook Reader – NextBook Next2 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 28, 2010 at 3:17 pm.
Sprint CEO claims WiMAX is here to stay, says Clear's LTE trials were for potential multi-mode phones
Sprint and Clearwire have characterized LTE as complimentary to WiMAX time and again, but if that doesn't allay your suspicions of turncoat tactics in the wireless data space, take it from Sprint CEO Dan Hesse's lips. "Our 4G strategy is WiMAX, full stop!" he told GigaOM, adding that LTE isn't necessarily on Sprint's roadmap. Quizzed about WiMAX partner Clearwire's LTE trials, however, he dropped a very intriguing hint about the possible shape of phones to come: "We have so much spectrum that we decided to do tests so in case we have multi-modal phones with other air interfaces, we can add LTE on top of WiMAX and run both networks," he told the publication. Dual-mode WiMAX / LTE smartphone, anyone?Sprint CEO claims WiMAX is here to stay, says Clear's LTE trials were for potential multi-mode phones originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Oct 2010 14:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | GigaOM | Email this | Comments
After A Five Month Stay (And $750M Acquisition), AdMob CEO Omar Hamoui Leaves Google
Last November, Google announced that it had acquired leading mobile ad network AdMob for a whopping $750 million. Today, less than a year after the deal closed, AdMob founder and CEO Omar Hamoui is leaving Google, we've confirmed with the company. Google says Hamoui is leaving for personal reasons.
It sounds like Google is getting the short end of the stick here ?�Hamoui has actually only been able to work at the search giant for five months, because the AdMob/Google acquisition was held up by an endless federal investigation that stretched on from November 2009 through the end of May 2010 ?�an eternity in this highly�competitive�space.
It sounds like Google is getting the short end of the stick here ?�Hamoui has actually only been able to work at the search giant for five months, because the AdMob/Google acquisition was held up by an endless federal investigation that stretched on from November 2009 through the end of May 2010 ?�an eternity in this highly�competitive�space.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
CrystalRoc Galaxy Tab: 5,700 Swarovski crystals, zero shame
We can only assume that Stuart Hughes will eventually one-up it with a gold-plated, diamond-encrusted model of its own but, for the time being, it looks like this new CrystalRoc Galaxy Tab is the most "exclusive" Android tablet around. While there's no word on a price (we assume it's on a need to know basis), CrystalRoc does proudly boast that the tablet packs 5,700 Swarosvski bright crystals, not to mention a custom logo to match. Head on past the break for a quick video, and look for this one to show up exclusively at Harrods in London on Monday, November 1st.Continue reading CrystalRoc Galaxy Tab: 5,700 Swarovski crystals, zero shameCrystalRoc Galaxy Tab: 5,700 Swarovski crystals, zero shame originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Luxury Launches | CrystalRoc | Email this | Comments
Daily Crunch: Squirrel Target Edition
Video: Use A Slinky To Save Your Birdseed From Evil Squirrels Lockheed & Darpa Develop Real Life ?Aimbot? For Snipers Handheld X-Ray Device Powered By 2 D Batteries Chumby Grows Workable Legs, Next Step Is Clearly Human Enslavement Apple Looking To Sell iPad In South Korea In November
Microsoft buys Canesta, continues camera-based domination of our interfaces
It seems that Microsoft's taken the camera to heart following its dismissal of the pen -- the company bought 3DV, collaborated with PrimeSense on Kinect, and today it's apparently finalized a deal to acquire 3D CMOS camera chipmaker Canesta as well. In case you've already forgotten, the latter company is the one that made an paid actor look particularly smug last year, by allowing the gent to control his television with a flick of the wrist. Things have progressed a good bit further than that, however, as you'll see in a demo video after the break, and Canesta president and CEO Jim Spare says he expects the company's stuffs to "see wide adoption across many applications that embody the full potential of the technology" under Microsoft's reign. Press release after the break.Continue reading Microsoft buys Canesta, continues camera-based domination of our interfacesMicrosoft buys Canesta, continues camera-based domination of our interfaces originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Oct 2010 22:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Nikon?s 3D Android-Powered Picture-Frame is Just Plain Weird
Is this a Nikon Android tablet? Well, not quite, but it’s pretty damn close. The NF-300i is a 3D, 7.2-inch digital photo frame that runs the Android 2.1 OS. If it had a touch-screen, then it would be a tablet.
Nikon’s frame, available only in Japan, is as full of gimmicks as you could wish for. [...]
Nikon’s frame, available only in Japan, is as full of gimmicks as you could wish for. [...]
Will Resolution Independent Interfaces Ever Come to the Mac?
Resolution independence, or the lack of it, is one of those nagging problems most users don’t even realize have a name. But the concept is simple: user-interface elements like icons, buttons and window borders on the same OS should be the same physical size no matter what screen you’re using.
From the 1980s until just a [...]
From the 1980s until just a [...]
Kansas City Wizards New England Revolution New York Red Bulls
Gadget Lab Podcast: Google?s Neutered TV, Elusive White iPhone, Tablet Sequels
In this week’s Gadget Lab podcast, the crew fiddles around with a mildly useless iPad stylus (made by Hard Candy) before diving into more serious news about innovation-blocking cable networks, a phone you can’t have and some upcoming tablets.
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MSI intros 15.6-inch FR600 3D laptop, complete with embarrassing eyewear
If there's a party, MSI's going. And if there's a bandwagon, MSI's onboard. It's with this knowledge firmly entrenched in our brains that we present the FR600 3D. If you'll recall, Intel actually tossed this name out awhile back when trumpeting its latest integrated graphics chipset, but now it's the proud papa's turn to make things official. This 15.6-incher is equipped with the expected 3D support, a Core i5 processor, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, HDMI / VGA outputs, a 320/500/640GB hard drive, DVD SuperMulti drive, two USB 2.0 sockets, a 4-in-1 card reader and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. You'll also get 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a gigabit Ethernet socket, inbuilt webcam and a six-cell Li-ion battery, not to mention a bundled set of 3D glasses to really get immersed in whatever it is you're doing. Per usual, the company's keeping quiet on the pricing and release front, but surely it'll be out by Christmastime. Surely.MSI intros 15.6-inch FR600 3D laptop, complete with embarrassing eyewear originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Oct 2010 08:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | MSI | Email this | Comments
Oakland Raiders * San Diego Chargers * National Football Conference
Halloween App Store sale!
Folks, we’ve been flooded with Halloween App Store sales announcements. So many, there’s not even any way to fit them all into a blog post. We’re talking big name, well loved iPhone and iPad apps and games from many of your favorite publishers. Suffice it to say, if there’s a popular app you’ve been waiting [...]Halloween App Store sale! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
The Linux credit card -- with Tux on the front and everything
Filed under: Fun, Open SourceI couldn't make this up if I tried: The Linux Foundation is offering a platinum rewards Visa credit card. There is no annual fee, a low introductory APR -- in fact, it's a normal credit card with Tux on the front.
Every purchase you make with the Linux credit card will kick back a percentage to the Linux Foundation. The Foundation also gets $50 for every activation! In the words of the Foundation, this card is for "those who want to support the Linux Foundation's activities while expressing their commitment to Linux. The Linux credit card is an easy way for anyone to contribute to the growth of Linux and identify themselves as supporters of the community by carrying Tux in their pocket."
Unfortunately it's for U.S citizens only, otherwise I'd sign up right now! If you're going to rack up credit, why not do it in a way that benefits the most important software movement of the last 20 years? Why don't more charities have credit cards...?
[via Hacker News]The Linux credit card -- with Tux on the front and everything originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 06:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Every purchase you make with the Linux credit card will kick back a percentage to the Linux Foundation. The Foundation also gets $50 for every activation! In the words of the Foundation, this card is for "those who want to support the Linux Foundation's activities while expressing their commitment to Linux. The Linux credit card is an easy way for anyone to contribute to the growth of Linux and identify themselves as supporters of the community by carrying Tux in their pocket."
Unfortunately it's for U.S citizens only, otherwise I'd sign up right now! If you're going to rack up credit, why not do it in a way that benefits the most important software movement of the last 20 years? Why don't more charities have credit cards...?
[via Hacker News]The Linux credit card -- with Tux on the front and everything originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 06:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Apple sues Motorola right back over six patents
What, you didn't think Apple was just going to sit around and take it after Motorola first sued for patent infringement and then asked to court to declare some 20 of Cupertino's patents weren't applicable to its products, did you? Apple's fired back with two lawsuits claiming that Motorola's Android phones, including but not limited to the Droid, Droid 2, Droid X, Cliq, Cliq XT, BackFlip, Devour A555, Devour i1, and Charm, infringe a total of six multitouch and OS patents. That would be pretty much par for the course -- you sue me, I sue you -- but there are a couple interesting strategic wrinkles to note:
We've only seen Apple litigate one of these patents before: #7,479,949, Touch Screen Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for Determining Commands by Applying Heuristics. You should remember it well -- it's the patent covering scroll behavior on multitouch screens that was hyped as "the iPhone patent" and triggered a press frenzy over a possible Apple / Palm lawsuit. As we predicted at the time, that hasn't yet materialized, but old '949's gotten pretty popular: Apple's asserting it against Nokia and HTC as well.
Apple might be suing over six patents in these two cases, but ultimately Apple will claiming Motorola's devices infringe a total of 26 patents -- part of Apple's defense to Motorola's 20-patent lawsuit will be to claim that that Moto's in fact infringing each of those patents. That's a lot of patents across a lot of devices, and it'll just take one finding of infringement to cause a lot of pain.
Apple's filed its two cases in the Western District of Wisconsin, a patent "rocket docket" that tries cases quickly and are often perceived as being plaintiff-friendly. (Part of the Apple / Nokia lawsuit is happening in this same court.) Moto's obvious next move will be to try and consolidate all these cases into a single proceeding at one court, a procedural tactic that will take likely take months. And that's just the first step. Don't expect these cases to be decided for at least a year -- probably many years -- unless Apple and Motorola decide to settle, which is always possible.
Apple's now seriously engaged in litigation with the two largest Android handset makers (HTC and Motorola), largely over OS-level patents. At some point Google has to get involved, if only to indemnify its partners against further liability for using Android, and we can't help but think Apple and Google are eventually bound to face off directly. Or perhaps not -- by suing Android handset makers, Apple's essentially putting a tax on Android without having to further muddy up its complex competitor / partner relationship with Google by adding in a major lawsuit.
We've added in a list of the patents after the break, if you're interested -- and we know you're interested, right? It's not like it's a beautiful Saturday afternoon or anything.Continue reading Apple sues Motorola right back over six patentsApple sues Motorola right back over six patents originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Oct 2010 15:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink 9 to 5 Mac, Patently Apple | Complaint (1), (2) | Email this | Comments
We've only seen Apple litigate one of these patents before: #7,479,949, Touch Screen Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for Determining Commands by Applying Heuristics. You should remember it well -- it's the patent covering scroll behavior on multitouch screens that was hyped as "the iPhone patent" and triggered a press frenzy over a possible Apple / Palm lawsuit. As we predicted at the time, that hasn't yet materialized, but old '949's gotten pretty popular: Apple's asserting it against Nokia and HTC as well.
Apple might be suing over six patents in these two cases, but ultimately Apple will claiming Motorola's devices infringe a total of 26 patents -- part of Apple's defense to Motorola's 20-patent lawsuit will be to claim that that Moto's in fact infringing each of those patents. That's a lot of patents across a lot of devices, and it'll just take one finding of infringement to cause a lot of pain.
Apple's filed its two cases in the Western District of Wisconsin, a patent "rocket docket" that tries cases quickly and are often perceived as being plaintiff-friendly. (Part of the Apple / Nokia lawsuit is happening in this same court.) Moto's obvious next move will be to try and consolidate all these cases into a single proceeding at one court, a procedural tactic that will take likely take months. And that's just the first step. Don't expect these cases to be decided for at least a year -- probably many years -- unless Apple and Motorola decide to settle, which is always possible.
Apple's now seriously engaged in litigation with the two largest Android handset makers (HTC and Motorola), largely over OS-level patents. At some point Google has to get involved, if only to indemnify its partners against further liability for using Android, and we can't help but think Apple and Google are eventually bound to face off directly. Or perhaps not -- by suing Android handset makers, Apple's essentially putting a tax on Android without having to further muddy up its complex competitor / partner relationship with Google by adding in a major lawsuit.
We've added in a list of the patents after the break, if you're interested -- and we know you're interested, right? It's not like it's a beautiful Saturday afternoon or anything.Continue reading Apple sues Motorola right back over six patentsApple sues Motorola right back over six patents originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Oct 2010 15:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink 9 to 5 Mac, Patently Apple | Complaint (1), (2) | Email this | Comments
iPhone users, what do you have to hide?
A couple of months ago, I reported on the Cell Phone Tapper USB Stick from Brickhouse Security. Using this device, it would allow you to get access to information about calls, SMS messages, etc on Symbian, Android, Blackberry or Windows Mobile smartphones. Notice an obvious exception to that list? At the time, there wasn’t a [...] Filed in categories: News, Spotlight Gadgets, iPhone, iPad, iPod relatedTagged: iPhone, SurveillanceiPhone users, what do you have to hide? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 29, 2010 at 9:40 am.
iPhone users, what do you have to hide?
A couple of months ago, I reported on the Cell Phone Tapper USB Stick from Brickhouse Security. Using this device, it would allow you to get access to information about calls, SMS messages, etc on Symbian, Android, Blackberry or Windows Mobile smartphones. Notice an obvious exception to that list? At the time, there wasn’t a [...] Filed in categories: News, Spotlight Gadgets, iPhone, iPad, iPod relatedTagged: iPhone, SurveillanceiPhone users, what do you have to hide? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 29, 2010 at 9:40 am.
TSA: MacBook Air Can Stay in Bag at Security Check
Going to the airport will be slightly less miserable for MacBook Air owners: Apple’s new ultra-thin notebook need not be removed from a bag at security checkpoints.
The Transportation Security Administration told CNN that the 11-inch Air, like the iPad, can stay inside bags when passing through the checkpoint. However, the TSA hasn’t yet determined whether [...]
The Transportation Security Administration told CNN that the 11-inch Air, like the iPad, can stay inside bags when passing through the checkpoint. However, the TSA hasn’t yet determined whether [...]
Google TV review
Google's taking a big leap with Google TV -- unlike its competitors, who've all focused on delivering curated video content with inexpensive streaming devices, Google's new platform brings Android, Chrome, and Flash directly to your TV in a variety of hardware configurations from Sony and Logitech. But whether you're adding Google TV to your existing rig with a Logitech Revue or starting from scratch with a Sony Internet TV, the basic experience of using each product is the same -- it's the web on your TV, in all its chaotic and beautiful glory. Is this the future of television? Can Google do what no company has ever managed to do in the past and put a little PC in your TV? Read on to find out!
Gallery: Google TV interface walkththroughContinue reading Google TV reviewGoogle TV review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Gallery: Google TV interface walkththroughContinue reading Google TV reviewGoogle TV review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Steorn peddles Orbo development kit, snake oil optional
With Steorn's track record, you'd think that the company wouldn't be in such a hurry to put its "free energy" technology under a microscope. Then again, maybe once it has your €399 (roughly $550) your thoughts on the subject really aren't that important anyways. Regardless, we're a wee bit skeptical of anyone who claims to have made a miraculous scientific breakthrough, refuses to explain said scientific breakthrough, and then asks you to cut them a check. But maybe you're a more trustworthy type: In that case, to build an Orbo device for yourself and access to the Steorn Knowledge Development Base, hit the source link. But don't say we didn't warn you.Steorn peddles Orbo development kit, snake oil optional originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 20:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Steorn | Email this | Comments
Unicorns, the Nexus Two, Continuum and HTC Merge [From the forums]
Where do we talk about gnomes, unicorns and Android phones that might or might not exist? In the Android Forums at Android Central, of course! Here's what's going on as we head into the weekend:The Nexus Two/Nexus S if on everybody's mind this week, and everybody has their own source on what it is, and when it's coming out. Discuss the Nexus Two rumors here.The Samsung Continuum is expected to be announced on Nov. 8. We've already had our hands on it. Have a question? Ask it here!(Oh, and there might be free stuff involved.)Then there's the HTC Merge, coming to Verizon. It's just a question of when, folks. Discuss the HTC Merge here.And of course there's the Wifi-only version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Is it coming? When is it coming, and how much is it going to cost? We're talkin' Tab here.Posted originally at Android CentralSponsored by Android Cases and Accessories
VLC for iPhone Falls Short of the Desktop Media Marvel
iPhones and iPods are notoriously picky eaters when it comes to feeding them video files. They'll chow down on movies and TV shows downloaded directly from iTunes, of course. But if you want to use the iPod app to view any other video from any other source, you may have to run it through a conversion program in order to transform it into an MP4 file.
Create a Pumpkin Carving Stencil in Photoshop [DIY]
So you've read our guides to carving, preserving, and illuminating the perfect pumpkin, but you still need an idea of what to carve. Our friends at the How-To Geek show us how to make a stencil out of any picture with Photoshop. More »
Samsung notches record profits, aims to sell ten million Galaxy S phones this year
My, how a year changes things. Q3 2009 was a nightmare for mega-corps in terms of earnings, but things have definitely been on the up and up just 12 months later. After Sony pushed out a glowing quarterly report this morning, rival Samsung has done likewise. The company saw record breaking revenues of ?40.23 trillion ($35.8 billion) as well as profits (?4.46 trillion; $3.96 billion) in this most recent quarter, with Sammy crediting strong semiconductor performance for the bulk of its newfound fortune. A tip of the hat was also given to its mobile communications business, with the outfit moving a staggering 71.4 million phones during Q3 2010 (a 19 percent boost year-over-year). Reports are noting that between five and seven million of those were of the Galaxy S variety, and it's hoping to sell ten million of 'em before the close of this year. All that said, the firm isn't expecting an equally rosy Q4, noting that a strengthening won and heightened price pressures around LCD panels and DRAM could put a damper on skyrocketing profits. So much for taking a day to celebrate, eh?
[Thanks, Rajendra]Continue reading Samsung notches record profits, aims to sell ten million Galaxy S phones this yearSamsung notches record profits, aims to sell ten million Galaxy S phones this year originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 19:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Fierce Wireless | | Email this | Comments
[Thanks, Rajendra]Continue reading Samsung notches record profits, aims to sell ten million Galaxy S phones this yearSamsung notches record profits, aims to sell ten million Galaxy S phones this year originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 19:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Fierce Wireless | | Email this | Comments
Is Gulf Seafood Safe To Eat? Feds? New Test Says Yes, Not Convincingly
More than 9,000 square miles of U.S. federal Gulf waters are closed to commercial and recreational fishing today thanks to the BP oil spill. However, government offices today claimed that seafood from the Gulf is basically safe to consume, based on the results from their latest battery of tests.
You gonna eat that? Companies responsible for the environmental disaster spilled about 5 million barrels of oil, accidentally. They poured about 2 million gallons of oil dispersants into the Gulf waters on purpose, though. The dispersants were supposed to break up the wildlife-choking slicks into droplets that could be more easily digested by oil-eating bacteria. Or at least, they'd make the water look more like water and less like tar...
You gonna eat that? Companies responsible for the environmental disaster spilled about 5 million barrels of oil, accidentally. They poured about 2 million gallons of oil dispersants into the Gulf waters on purpose, though. The dispersants were supposed to break up the wildlife-choking slicks into droplets that could be more easily digested by oil-eating bacteria. Or at least, they'd make the water look more like water and less like tar...
How Thomas Edison Pranked the 1920s With His "Dead People" Phone [Phones]
You can't blame the people of 1920 for falling for Edison's practical joke. After all, this was the man who invented the light bulb! When he told a magazine he'd invented a phone that communicates with spirits, hysteria understandably ensued. More »
Sony earnings call entertains PlayStation Phone, reveals tablets are on the radar
Earnings calls aren't usually that interesting, and that's doubly true when trying to listen via official translators. Still, we couldn't help but give an ear to Sony's fiscals, and sure enough, someone asked about our (still real) PlayStation Phone leak. We're not sure who answered since it's through interpreter, either Executive VP / CFO Masaru Kato or Senior General Manager of Investor Relations Division Gen Tsuchikawa (we're assuming the former).
Citing the aforementioned device, the curious party asked if such a product would come out of Sony or of Sony Ericsson, and no, it wasn't a complete denial. Instead, we're told just how such a device would happen, that a gaming phone would be planned and prototyped under the (recently restructured) Network Services umbrella. We're also told how SCE's move to Sony City headquarters now puts them closer to the planning and engineering group, meaning the company "can better incorporate all these capabilities better... so when the timing is right we can probably announce to you the new product we have." Ericsson is later cited as a resource "on smartphone and for the games devices," although this might be something peculiar with translation. Again, that's far from a confirmation, but they're certainly entertaining the notion in a very, very detailed response.
But that's not all; there's also apparently a tablet brewing in the background, one that would obviously fall somewhere in between PC and Sony Ericsson's efforts. There isn't much else said, but if you're up for psychoanalyzing executive commentary, we've transcribed and placed the full quote after the break.Continue reading Sony earnings call entertains PlayStation Phone, reveals tablets are on the radarSony earnings call entertains PlayStation Phone, reveals tablets are on the radar originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Sony Global | Email this | Comments
Citing the aforementioned device, the curious party asked if such a product would come out of Sony or of Sony Ericsson, and no, it wasn't a complete denial. Instead, we're told just how such a device would happen, that a gaming phone would be planned and prototyped under the (recently restructured) Network Services umbrella. We're also told how SCE's move to Sony City headquarters now puts them closer to the planning and engineering group, meaning the company "can better incorporate all these capabilities better... so when the timing is right we can probably announce to you the new product we have." Ericsson is later cited as a resource "on smartphone and for the games devices," although this might be something peculiar with translation. Again, that's far from a confirmation, but they're certainly entertaining the notion in a very, very detailed response.
But that's not all; there's also apparently a tablet brewing in the background, one that would obviously fall somewhere in between PC and Sony Ericsson's efforts. There isn't much else said, but if you're up for psychoanalyzing executive commentary, we've transcribed and placed the full quote after the break.Continue reading Sony earnings call entertains PlayStation Phone, reveals tablets are on the radarSony earnings call entertains PlayStation Phone, reveals tablets are on the radar originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Sony Global | Email this | Comments
Intel, Samsung, Toshiba form consortium aiming for 10nm chips by 2016
There isn't much to say here, so let's just get on with the facts: Intel, Samsung, and Toshiba are joining forces and pooling R&D efforts in a consortium funded in part by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (an expected 50 percent, or 5 billion yen / US $62 million) and the rest from the members. The goal? Semiconductor chips nearing 10nm by 2016. Ten more companies are expected to be invited once things get sorted out, so major chip-related corporations, please keep checking your mailboxes daily.Intel, Samsung, Toshiba form consortium aiming for 10nm chips by 2016 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 09:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Reuters | Email this | Comments
Wi-Fi Direct poised to usurp Bluetooth for device-to-device communication
The Wi-Fi Alliance has begun certification of Wi-Fi devices that can communicate directly with other wireless devices, without the need for a central hotspot or router.
Wi-Fi Direct finally provides an alternative to Bluetooth, the current leader in device-to-device networks. In fact, other than increased range (and power consumption!) Wi-Fi Direct doesn't really bring anything to the table that Bluetooth can't already handle.
These new Direct devices, along with the usual one-to-one connections, will also be capable of managing many-to-one networks. A Wi-Fi Direct printer could communicate with wirelessly-connected laptops, netbooks and smartphones -- how many homes don't have a wireless router, though? It might also mean that more ad hoc networks emerge in public spaces. A very cute video describing Wi-Fi Direct's applications can be found after the break.
These new Wi-Fi Direct devices (a few of which are listed at the bottom of the press release) should be available by Christmas. You only need one Wi-Fi Direct device to take advantage of this new feature, too -- you don't have to rush out and replace everything!
Wi-Fi Direct poised to usurp Bluetooth for device-to-device communication originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Wi-Fi Direct finally provides an alternative to Bluetooth, the current leader in device-to-device networks. In fact, other than increased range (and power consumption!) Wi-Fi Direct doesn't really bring anything to the table that Bluetooth can't already handle.
These new Direct devices, along with the usual one-to-one connections, will also be capable of managing many-to-one networks. A Wi-Fi Direct printer could communicate with wirelessly-connected laptops, netbooks and smartphones -- how many homes don't have a wireless router, though? It might also mean that more ad hoc networks emerge in public spaces. A very cute video describing Wi-Fi Direct's applications can be found after the break.
These new Wi-Fi Direct devices (a few of which are listed at the bottom of the press release) should be available by Christmas. You only need one Wi-Fi Direct device to take advantage of this new feature, too -- you don't have to rush out and replace everything!
Wi-Fi Direct poised to usurp Bluetooth for device-to-device communication originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Daily Crunch: Sun Dance Edition
Zoom Q3HD Basically Records It All Frito-Lay Pulling Compostable Snack Bags Over Noise Are You At Risk For ?Toasted Skin Syndrome?? The Dube Has Just Made Your Old Percussion Instruments Obsolete Google TV?s Minisite Launches, Finally Sheds Some Light On The Platform
Facebook Acquires Drop.io, Nabs Sam Lessin
Social sharing site Drop.io has just posted the breaking news of its acquisition by Facebook on its company blog:
"Today, we?re proud to announce that we?ve struck a deal with Facebook.��What this means is that Facebook has bought most of�drop.io?s technology and assets, and Sam Lessin is moving to Facebook.
In the coming weeks, we?ll be winding down the�drop.io service. As of this week, people will no longer be able to create new free drops, but you?ll be able to download content from existing drops until Dec. 15. Paid user accounts will still be available through Dec. 15 and paid users will be able to continue using the service normally.��After Dec. 15, paid accounts will be discontinued as well."
"Today, we?re proud to announce that we?ve struck a deal with Facebook.��What this means is that Facebook has bought most of�drop.io?s technology and assets, and Sam Lessin is moving to Facebook.
In the coming weeks, we?ll be winding down the�drop.io service. As of this week, people will no longer be able to create new free drops, but you?ll be able to download content from existing drops until Dec. 15. Paid user accounts will still be available through Dec. 15 and paid users will be able to continue using the service normally.��After Dec. 15, paid accounts will be discontinued as well."
For Apple, AT&T Is The Company You Sleep With, Verizon Is The Company You Marry
Have you heard the news? The Verizon iPhone is coming. Today, Fortune has the 15th or so confirmation that the device will launch in early 2011. There's way too much smoke now for there not to be a fire. But even more interesting than that tidbit is Fortune's interview with Ivan Seidenberg, the CEO of Verizon. He wouldn't speak directly about a Verizon iPhone launch, but he still had plenty to say about the device, and Apple's CEO Steve Jobs.
The most interesting thing he had to say was the last bit about the iPhone in the piece:
According to Seidenberg, Jobs told him during a December 2009 meeting, "Decisions you made [at Verizon] are decisions we would make at Apple."
That sounds like it's Jobs more or less saying that he respects Verizon because they stood up to him. They wouldn't�compromise�on their vision.
The most interesting thing he had to say was the last bit about the iPhone in the piece:
According to Seidenberg, Jobs told him during a December 2009 meeting, "Decisions you made [at Verizon] are decisions we would make at Apple."
That sounds like it's Jobs more or less saying that he respects Verizon because they stood up to him. They wouldn't�compromise�on their vision.
Sprint CEO claims WiMAX is here to stay, says Clear's LTE trials were for potential multi-mode phones
Sprint and Clearwire have characterized LTE as complimentary to WiMAX time and again, but if that doesn't allay your suspicions of turncoat tactics in the wireless data space, take it from Sprint CEO Dan Hesse's lips. "Our 4G strategy is WiMAX, full stop!" he told GigaOM, adding that LTE isn't necessarily on Sprint's roadmap. Quizzed about WiMAX partner Clearwire's LTE trials, however, he dropped a very intriguing hint about the possible shape of phones to come: "We have so much spectrum that we decided to do tests so in case we have multi-modal phones with other air interfaces, we can add LTE on top of WiMAX and run both networks," he told the publication. Dual-mode WiMAX / LTE smartphone, anyone?Sprint CEO claims WiMAX is here to stay, says Clear's LTE trials were for potential multi-mode phones originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Oct 2010 14:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | GigaOM | Email this | Comments
Western Digital Introduces the WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Western Digital, maker of the popular WD TV media player family has just announced the WD TV Live Hub media center. This is a 1080p media player with a 1 terabyte built-in network hard drive. In addition to playing the videos you store on the HD and available through shared network drives, it will also [...] Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News, Spotlight GadgetsTagged: Media playerWestern Digital Introduces the WD TV Live Hub Media Center originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 26, 2010 at 1:00 pm.
Jawbone Introduces New Designs for the ICON Bluetooth Headset
Jawbone, makers of the popular ICON Bluetooth headset have just announced their new EarWear Collection, which adds four new designs and expanded features. The new designs are Cashmere, Denim, Mesh, and Suede. If fashionable Bluetooth headsets don’t pique your interest, maybe the ICON’s new features will. The headsets can be personalized via the web using [...] Filed in categories: Bluetooth Gear, News, Spotlight GadgetsTagged: Bluetooth Gear, bluetooth headsetJawbone Introduces New Designs for the ICON Bluetooth Headset originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 29, 2010 at 4:07 pm.
Indianapolis Colts * Jacksonville Jaguars Tennessee Titans *
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 [...]
Google Co-Founders Wanted Steve Jobs To Be CEO of Google [Blockquote]
When Sergey Brin and Larry Page were first looking for a CEO to run Google, they met with Steve Jobs. The Google co-founders left that meeting wanting the CEO of Apple to become the CEO of Google. More »
The Ultimate Jailbreaking Guide [Jailbreak]
What? Why? How? Answers to these questions, AND MORE, in Gizmodo's ultimate jailbreaking guide for iPhones, iPods and iPads. More »
Space Dresses Up For Halloween, Too [Image Cache]
It figures that this close to Halloween, something wicked would show up in the stars. Astronomers can call this a nebula if they want; you and I both know that it's a demon spawn of intergalactic proportions. More »
You Won't See These Photoshops In Any Fashion Magazine [Video]
Fashion magazines keep making women impossibly thin and supposedly perfect, even while they all look beautiful to begin with. Some anonymous person decided to do the contrary, and here's a video that shows the results. More »
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Robot Wants Ice Cream is a fun retro platformer -- Time-Waster
Filed under: Fun, Games, Time-Wasters
Robot Wants Ice Cream does not actually have ice cream. At least not as far as I was able to tell.
What it does have is a robot. Well, to be exact, it has a robot, a dog, a ton of bad guys, 8-bit music, and bosses that you have to beat. You can tell when you're facing a boss because it's huge, and the music gets all "Bowser" when one of them shows up. There are also bonuses that make you jump higher, shoot faster, and generally become a more awesome, ice cream-loving robot.
Most importantly, there are lots and lots of save points, and if you die, you instantly reincarnate. You don't even lose your bonuses!
As far as time-wasters go, this isn't a quick one. It leans more towards the "addictive" side of the scale. If you have any sort of affinity for 8-bit graphics, robots, and cute puppies, you really should give it a spin.Robot Wants Ice Cream is a fun retro platformer -- Time-Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Robot Wants Ice Cream does not actually have ice cream. At least not as far as I was able to tell.
What it does have is a robot. Well, to be exact, it has a robot, a dog, a ton of bad guys, 8-bit music, and bosses that you have to beat. You can tell when you're facing a boss because it's huge, and the music gets all "Bowser" when one of them shows up. There are also bonuses that make you jump higher, shoot faster, and generally become a more awesome, ice cream-loving robot.
Most importantly, there are lots and lots of save points, and if you die, you instantly reincarnate. You don't even lose your bonuses!
As far as time-wasters go, this isn't a quick one. It leans more towards the "addictive" side of the scale. If you have any sort of affinity for 8-bit graphics, robots, and cute puppies, you really should give it a spin.Robot Wants Ice Cream is a fun retro platformer -- Time-Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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