| Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc vs. LG Optimus 2X... fight! Posted: 04 Feb 2011 09:41 AM PST Android is our future, the stat mavens all agree, but for all its rapid growth, Google's OS still suffers from a shortage of top tier differentiation. This has in part been down to LG and Sony -- two of the world's biggest phone makers -- spending the majority of 2010 watching the battle for Android supremacy from the sidelines (the X10 disqualified itself when it announced it neither knew nor cared what Froyo was). 2011 might just be the year of redemption for both, however, as LG will soon assault the European market with a pair of truly desirable and powerful Android smartphones in the Optimus 2X and Black, while Sony Ericsson's well leaked portfolio of new Xperias includes the Arc, Neo and Play, each one of them coming with Gingerbread preloaded. We've wrapped our mitts around a pair of these high-hope devices, one from each manufacturer, and photographed the living daylights out of them sat side by side. We humbly submit that the Xperia Arc looks and feels far more refined than LG's admittedly well designed Optimus 2X. The Arc's curvature seriously makes it feel like the thinnest phone we've ever handled and its weight is also dramatically, unreasonably minimal. Another note of import is that the 2X comes with a 4-inch screen whereas the Arc offers a more generous 4.2-inch display, yet their overall dimensions are nearly identical. All in all, we'd hardly object to having either one in our pockets, but the Arc wins it for us in terms of aesthetic appeal. Of course, the Optimus 2X has a dual-core Tegra 2 heart beating within, it's not all about looks, though in the case of this hands-on comparison, it kind of was. We'll have a full review of LG's handset in the coming days, while Sony Ericsson promises the Xperia Arc will land in Europe by the end of March. You can see more of the prototype unit we got to handle in the gallery below and there's a video comparison of the two Android newcomers after the break as well.
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| Nokia Bubbles lets you intelligently unlock your N8 in a pop Posted: 04 Feb 2011 09:16 AM PST The humble unlock screen gets ever fancier, and Nokia Bubbles is one of the fanciest we've seen yet. Like a variety of aftermarket lock screens it enables you to control your media player or initiate calls before you even unlock your handset, but does so in an interesting way. You just grab the bubble for what you want and drop it on what you want to do. A simple unlock entails dragging the key onto the lock, and if you have a missed call you can grab that person's bubble and drag it to a phone to call them right back. Grab the music bubble to go straight to the music player and, well, you get the picture. Okay, so it's not quite as much fun as playing Puzzle Bobble, but it is ever so slightly more useful. Check it out in the video below, or go ahead and give it a download if you're on Symbian. [Thanks, pyry] |
| ASUS chairman Jonney Shih promises 'secret weapon' to rival iPad 2, disses 3DTVs Posted: 04 Feb 2011 08:52 AM PST  Jonney Shih has never been one to back down from his stance on anything, and in a recent sit-down with IDG News Service, the ASUS chairman delivered quite a few nuggets worth poring over. For starters, he played up (and subsequently downplayed) a "secret weapon" that would likely rival the iPad 2, but wouldn't go so far as to confirm that said weapon would actually be a slate. His response to prying? "I think it's best not to say now. You will have to wait until the launch." He also noted that personal cloud computing was poised to boom, and didn't leave much hope for the likes of webOS and QNX -- he claims that there is only room for three OS camps to win, and those three slots are already occupied with Windows, Android and iOS. Finally, he took the opportunity to fling water on the 3DTV buzz, noting that he "doesn't think that will prevail." He did leave open the possibility for glasses-free options in handhelds to succeed, but beyond that, it's safe to say he's not much of a 3D advocate. Hit the source link for the full skinny, but don't go digging for any extra details on his iPad 2 killer -- something tells us you'll be sorely disappointed. |
| Motorola teases the real Xoom Super Bowl ad: George Orwell, flowers, iPhone-using automatons in white hoodies all involved Posted: 04 Feb 2011 08:23 AM PST We already got teased on this, but it turns out that the first teaser -- which, let's be honest, didn't have the highest production value -- was strictly a teaser. Now, Motorola's sent us a fragment of the real commercial they'll be debuting during the Super Bowl this Sunday, and it's got pretty much everything you'd expect: a handsome gentleman with flowers reading 1984 on a Xoom, white headphones, and thousands of emotionless drones "enjoying" their Apple products. The whole thing is an obvious swipe at Apple for seemingly endorsing the very homogeny it waged war against in its Ridley Scott-directed Super Bowl commercial for the Macintosh back in 1984, and we suspect you good folks are going to have some very strong opinions about it. Follow the break for the first 15 seconds of the ad. |
| Nokia, Microsoft announcing partnership next week, possibly involving Windows Phone 7? Posted: 04 Feb 2011 08:09 AM PST As Nokia comes up on Capital Markets Day next Friday -- an event where the company has historically unveiled interesting things and launched important initiatives -- rumors are once again swirling that they're going to be announcing a major platform shift by way of a competitor. Both Android and Windows Mobile have come up in the past on multiple occasions, owing in no small part to the fact that Nokia's had an outward appearance of spinning its platform wheels on the backs of Symbian and Maemo for far, far too long, but so far, nothing's materialized. This time around, it's said that Microsoft will be the partner announced on the 11th -- and though Nokia's uptake of Windows Phone 7 would be the obvious strategic shift, it's important to note that these companies have actually partnered before with pretty trivial consequences for the market; it's entirely possible they could be ramping up to do that again, sharing apps and services between Windows Phone 7 and Symbian / MeeGo. We doubt it, but it's within the realm of reason. But turning our attention back to the major platform shift, there are a couple factors that add a little more credibility to the rumor this time. First off, the elephant in the room: recently-appointed CEO Stephen Elop comes from Microsoft on good terms and has clearly been given marching orders to take Nokia in a new, more profitable direction; the Symbian Foundation's gutting happened on Elop's watch, for example, and he just hinted a few days ago that joining an existing ecosystem could make sense. More importantly, though, we've got a trusted source of our own who's now saying that the tide has turned and this appears to be happening at Capital Markets Day -- and that one of Nokia's existing platforms will be dropped as a direct result. It's hard to pick which one that'd be: Symbian, though terribly out-of-date, is still wildly popular in Europe and emerging markets, while MeeGo is technically promising but has yet to make any impact in the market whatsoever. On the flipside, noted Microsoft pundit Mary Jo Foley doesn't put a lot of stock in this latest round of rumors. So, here's the question: can Nokia become another Samsung, LG, or HTC, betting its hopes and dreams on its chops as a hardware manufacturer alone? Historically, Nokia has been defined as much (if not more) by its platforms than by its hardware, which lacks Samsung's capability for end-to-end in-house sourcing. Regardless of what happens next Friday, this should all make for a very interesting MWC indeed. |
| Visualized: the PlayStation towel Posted: 04 Feb 2011 07:47 AM PST And like the Sony NGP, it's touch-friendly on both sides. The officially-licensed, Taito-produced, 28 inches long absorbent cloth comes in three styles and will ship next month for $23.90. |
| Saab chooses UQM motors for its 9-3 ePower EV, will be carving Alp twisties soon Posted: 04 Feb 2011 07:20 AM PST Saab announced it was working on an all-electric version of its 9-3 wagon late last year, dubbing it the ePower. Now we're learning what's driving it. The vehicle will be powered by a 135kW UQM Technologies PowerPhase system, an equivalent of 181hp that will propel the car to 60 in 8.5 seconds -- no Huayra but pretty peppy for an EV. Top speed is 93mph and the car's range is expected to be 200km, or about 125miles. Interestingly Saab is eschewing more advanced water-cooled battery tech, like that found in the Volt or Model S, and going for an air-cooled design, despite even the classic 93 of the '50s being water cooled. The company has indicated this will cut costs and promises the battery will still operate at full power even when temperatures drop below -22F. We'll find out soon, as early cars are set to hit Swiss roads sometime in the coming months. Show full PR text UQM Technologies PowerPhase® Electric Propulsion System Powers Saab 9-3 ePower All-Electric Development Test Fleet
Saab 9-3 ePower test fleet of 70 vehicles will be powered by UQM Technologies electric motors and controllers
Deliveries of PowerPhase 135kW systems to Saab began in Q3 of CY 2010
These electric propulsion systems for the Saab 9-3 ePower vehicles were previously announced by UQM as an order from an international OEM
UQM has in place validated production lines for its PowerPhase 100 and 135kW systems with annual capacity of 40,000 systems
LONGMONT, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UQM Technologies, Inc. (NYSE Amex: UQM), a developer of alternative-energy technologies, has been selected by Saab to power its all-electric Saab 9-3 ePower development test fleet. Initial deliveries began in the third calendar quarter of 2010 and will continue through CY 2011.
"Our history of technological innovation in developing electric propulsion systems combined with extensive production engineering capabilities gives us a unique advantage in meeting the development and production needs of vehicle manufacturers."
"This order from Saab reinforces our ability to meet the performance, quality and cost needs of international automobile companies developing electric and hybrid vehicles," said Eric Ridenour, President and CEO of UQM Technologies. "The PowerPhase 135kW systems for Saab are being built on our validated production lines with annual capacity of 40,000 systems. These production lines are among the many steps we have taken to fully prepare UQM to grow from test-fleet programs to production fulfillment."
The UQM PowerPhase 135 kW electric propulsion systems will power the 70 Saab 9-3 ePower test fleet vehicles. The 9-3 ePower program is the first step towards developing a potential Saab production vehicle. The PowerPhase 135kW features a power-dense 135 kW/181 hp electric motor and advanced control system. Saab will use our propulsion system with a single-speed transmission, and the company has published performance estimates of 100 km/hr (62 mph) acceleration in just 8.5 seconds together with a top speed of 150 km/h (93 mph). Saab will begin field trials of the test fleet in Sweden early this year.
"We are looking forward to working with Saab through its automotive testing and qualification program with our PowerPhase electric propulsion system," said Ridenour. "Our history of technological innovation in developing electric propulsion systems combined with extensive production engineering capabilities gives us a unique advantage in meeting the development and production needs of vehicle manufacturers."
About Saab
Saab, or Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (Swedish Aircraft Company), was founded in 1937 as an aircraft manufacturer and revealed its first prototype passenger car 10 years later after the formation of the Saab Car Division. In 1990, Saab Automobile AB was created as a separate company, jointly owned by the Saab Scania Group and General Motors, and became a wholly owned GM subsidiary in 2000. In February 2010, Spyker Cars N.V. of the Netherlands, acquired the company from GM as an independently-run business.
Saab cars reflect the brand's unique Scandinavian design ethic, which is fused with its aircraft engineering heritage. The company is a global premium car maker with a distinguished history of innovation. It is recognized for its pioneering role in turbocharging, as well as occupant safety and the introduction of flex-fuel technology through Saab BioPower. Saab Automobile AB currently employs approximately 3,800 staff in Sweden, where it operates world-class production and technical development facilities at its headquarters in Trollhättan, 70 km north of Gothenburg.
Please visit www.saab.com for more information.
About UQM Technologies
UQM Technologies is a developer and manufacturer of power-dense, high-efficiency electric motors, generators and power electronic controllers for the automotive, aerospace, military and industrial markets. A major emphasis for UQM is developing products for the alternative-energy technologies sector, including propulsion systems for electric, hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric and fuel cell electric vehicles, under-the-hood power accessories and other vehicle auxiliaries. UQM headquarters, engineering, product development center and manufacturing operation are located in Longmont, Colorado.
Please visit www.uqm.com for more information.
This Release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act. These statements appear in a number of places in this Release and include statements regarding our plans, beliefs or current expectations, including those plans, beliefs and expectations of our officers and directors with respect to, among other things, orders to be received under our supply agreement with CODA Automotive, our ability to successfully expand our manufacturing facilities, and the continued growth of the electric-powered vehicle industry. Important Risk Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements are contained in our Form 10-Q filed today, which is available through our website at www.uqm.com or at www.sec.gov. |
| DARPA working with Local Motors to crowdsource next-generation combat vehicles Posted: 04 Feb 2011 06:54 AM PST A next-gen Hummer isn't going to build itself, and these days we can't trust our government bodies to come up with all the cool ideas. DARPA is looking for some help, and if you're feeling up to it that can be you. Our favorite Advanced Research Progects Agency has selected a chassis from crowdsource car designers Local Motors (the same one found inside the company's Rally Fighter) and is asking civilians of all shapes and sizes to figure out what shape and size the Experimental Crowd-Derived Combat-Support Vehicle will be. Sure, XC2V doesn't quite roll off the tongue like " Flying Humvee," but it sure does sound a lot more practical. If you want to have your say (and a chance at the $7,500 prize) you'd better hurry up, because submissions are due by March 3rd. Sadly, designs drawn in Crayon on the back of homework are not eligible, otherwise you'd all be fighting for second place. |
| Palm Pre 2 launching on Verizon February 17th? Posted: 04 Feb 2011 06:31 AM PST We've been ribbing the Pre 2 lately for being so far past its prime that a launch of any kind on Verizon is starting to seem implausible -- but it looks like these guys might still be willing to throw it out on shelves for a little while. The latest rumor, via an internal product page at a third party retailer, says that the phone will launch in "all channels" on February 17th... just in time for it to be made even less appealing by whatever new gear HP shows off at its event on the 9th. Wrong place, wrong time, wrong hardware -- but hey, if you absolutely must have webOS 2.0 as soon as possible on a carrier-branded device on the States, this thing is still your only way to ride. [Thanks, anonymous tipster] |
| Mitsubishi creates giant curved OLED, probably won't fit in your living room (video) Posted: 04 Feb 2011 06:02 AM PST Display companies like Mitsubishi still don't make a big-screen OLED we can buy, yet look at this, a curved display created by the company that looks to be about four feet tall and maybe 10 feet around. Okay, so a 3mm pixel pitch wouldn't look too great standing anywhere within about 20 feet of the thing, but that's why it's designed for malls and big stores, places where its 1,200 nit brightness can shrug off ambient light. It was unveiled at ISE 2011 and there's a video of it doing its thing after the break, but surely it won't be long before they're all over Las Vegas. |
| Tech industry is world's most trustworthy, says new survey Posted: 04 Feb 2011 05:34 AM PST Who do you trust to "do what is right?" Your answer to that question will depend on how you interpret it, though we don't think there's too much room for ambiguity with the latest results from Edelman's 11th annual Trust Barometer survey. It shows the tech industry a clear 10 percent ahead of the rest of the corporate world in terms of trustworthiness, with the automotive (another favorite of ours) and telecommunications ( really?) sectors following up in second and third. The results come from the polling of 5,075 "informed" members of the public from 23 nations. We reckon all the companies involved in making the business of chipmaking quite so reputable should pat themselves on the back -- unless their names are Motorola, Samsung or Sony Ericsson, those guys' failures with Android updates haven't really contributed to the credibility of their industry at all. |
| Verizon breaks first day sales record with iPhone 4 pre-orders -- in only two hours Posted: 04 Feb 2011 04:45 AM PST It took Verizon only two hours of having the iPhone 4 available for pre-order to break its all-time record for first day sales of a single device. That's in spite of the fact it only opened up pre-orders to its own subscribers and did so in the dead of night. To be clear, between 3AM and 5AM yesterday morning, more people ordered up the iPhone 4 than Verizon has been able to get through its doors on any full product launch day. Predictably, the carrier hasn't bothered to include the actual number of devices ordered up, but judging from the server issues it was having immediately after making the handset available and the subsequent shutdown of advance pre-orders, we'll go ahead and guess it was "a lot." Show full PR text VERIZON WIRELESS HAS RECORD SALES ON FIRST DAY OF iPHONE 4
Available to General Public on Feb.10
BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – At 8:10 p.m. EST yesterday, Verizon Wireless ceased online orders of iPhone 4 to existing customers and ended the most successful first day sales in the history of the company.
"This was an exciting day," said Dan Mead, president and chief executive officer for Verizon Wireless. "In just our first two hours, we had already sold more phones than any first day launch in our history. And, when you consider these initial orders were placed between the hours of 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., it is an incredible success story. It is gratifying to know that our customers responded so enthusiastically to this exclusive offer --- designed to reward them for their loyalty.
"I am proud of our employees who worked tirelessly to strengthen and scale our systems, enabling unprecedented customer orders through our website. Overall, it was a very good day," he added.
Mead also said customers will have another opportunity at being among the nation's first to own an iPhone 4 on the Verizon Wireless network.
"Yesterday's launch set the pace for next week when we open up sales to everyone across America."
The general market launch of the iPhone 4 on the Verizon Wireless network will occur on February 10. The company will open its more than 2000 Verizon Wireless Stores at 7 a.m. It will also be available at all Apple store locations, Best Buy, select Wal-Mart stores, and on-line at verizonwireless.com and apple.com. |
| LG Optimus Pad (aka G-Slate) coming to MWC 2011 with Honeycomb, Tegra 2 and 3D display Posted: 04 Feb 2011 04:00 AM PST The T-Mobile G-Slate may be fully official now, but the rest of the world needs love too, and LG's just announced it intends to deliver said loving at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona a few days from now. The Optimus Pad, as this 8.9-inch tablet will be known outside the US, will offer Android Honeycomb as its OS, along with a 3D-capable 1280 x 768 display, dual-core Tegra 2 processor, a front-facing camera plus a pair of imagers on the back allowing for 3D picture-taking, 32GB of onboard storage, and a 6,400mAh battery. We should be getting to grips with the device at MWC in due course -- look for it to launch alongside or shortly after its US twin hits retail in March. |
| Virginia pilot program halves electricity bill for charging EVs overnight Posted: 04 Feb 2011 03:39 AM PST Regardless of whether the internal combustion engine gets snuffed out this century, EV chargers aren't going to replace gas pumps at the rate they're presently rolling out, so it's quite likely new Leaf and Prius PHEV owners will need to charge at home. How might that affect one's electricity bill? It'll probably go up, but a Virginia utility says that a full tank of juice might not cost all that much. Dominion Virginia Power is volunteering to cut its rates by more than half for off-peak charging as part of a proposed pilot program, whereby 750 lucky EV owners will get enough electricity for a 40-mile commute for just 35 cents so long as they charge overnight. The utility's not talking kilowatt-hours here, but it says it typically gets $0.86 for the same amount. The deal requires the installation of a specially-approved charging station, but Virginia's looking at a second scheme too -- if those 750 agree to pay a flexible off-peak rate of between $0.33 and $0.41 per 40-mile dose, they can power the rest of their house using the budget volts as well. PR after the break. Show full PR text Dominion Virginia Power Proposes Rate Options for Charging of Electric Vehicles
- Proposed rates would offer time-of-day pricing for electric vehicles
- Pricing structure would encourage off-peak charging
- Opportunity to better understand electric vehicle energy usage
RICHMOND, Va., Feb. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Virginia Power, a subsidiary of Dominion (NYSE: D), Monday proposed a pilot program to offer time-of-day pricing options to encourage off-peak charging of electric vehicles, taking another step in supporting the arrival of plug-in vehicles in the marketplace.
If approved by the Virginia State Corporation Commission, the voluntary pilot program would offer reduced rates for overnight charging and higher rates during peak times to Virginia customers.
Customers in the pilot would pay as little as 33 cents to charge an electric vehicle overnight with enough electricity for a typical commute of 40 miles. This compares to a cost of up to 86 cents when using the standard residential electric rate.
"Based on sales of hybrid cars, we believe many of our customers will purchase electric vehicles and they will recharge them at home. We need to be ready," said Kenneth D. Barker, vice president of Customer Solutions and Energy Efficiency. "Dominion supports federal initiatives to lessen our nation's use of petroleum and Gov. Bob McDonnell's energy plan to improve the energy efficiency of vehicles in the state and utilize alternate fuels."
"Electric vehicles have the potential to affect the company's infrastructure at all levels – transmission, distribution and generation. The pilot program enables the company to gauge potential impacts from electric vehicles. The pilot offers customers rate options structured with pricing levels to encourage charging outside of the peak demand periods of the day," Barker said.
Dominion believes the electric vehicle market has the potential to grow to 5 percent of all vehicle sales in Virginia, for a total of 86,000 electric vehicles, by 2020. If charged on peak, these vehicles could lead to an increase in the amount of peak-demand electricity that the company must supply that year by about 250 megawatts.
The two experimental rate options being offered to electric vehicle owners as a part of the proposed pilot are:
Electric Vehicle only – This option is for charging the electric vehicle only. The company estimates that it would cost about 35 cents on this rate to charge an electric vehicle overnight with enough electricity for a typical 40-mile commute.
Customers electing the electric vehicle-only rate option will have a second meter installed to ensure they are billed on the special rate only for the energy used to charge their electric vehicle.
Whole House – This option allows you to take advantage of lower prices for many household activities. The pricing would change during the day to encourage the off-peak charging of electric vehicles and use of other household appliances such as the dishwasher and clothes dryer. The company estimates that it would cost between 33 cents and 41 cents on this rate to charge an electric vehicle overnight with enough electricity for the daily commute.
The company intends to partner with car dealerships and charger installation vendors to build customer awareness. Each rate option would be limited to 750 participants for a total of 1,500, who would have to stay enrolled for one year. The pilot would be available to customers within 90 days after SCC approval, and it would terminate Nov. 30, 2014.
Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of more than 27,600 megawatts of generation, 12,000 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline and 6,000 miles of electric transmission lines. Dominion operates the nation's largest natural gas storage system with 942 billion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves retail energy customers in 13 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com. |
| Vail is now Windows Home Server 2011, Drive Extender's officially dead Posted: 04 Feb 2011 03:01 AM PST Microsoft announced months ago that the artist formerly known as Vail -- now officially known as Windows Home Server 2011 -- was dropping Drive Extender functionality. Though we were given hope that the feature might be reinstated, the release candidate of WHS2011 went out to testers today... sans Drive Extender's 'drive pooling for dummies' capability. In its place, Microsoft has included a Move Folder Wizard that alerts you when a new hard drive has been added (for those who were visited by the HDD fairy without their knowledge, no doubt) and walks you through formatting and partitioning your new drive. However, partition size is limited to 2TB for it to work with the server backup feature, so your massive collection of ripped Blu-rays will require a veritable alphabet of drive letters. Not all the news is bad though, as the dev team has enabled Shadow Copy in the OS to allow data time traveling in case you accidentally delete something. If that sounds good to you, hit the source link below and get your download on. |
| Nokia releases Symbian update for N8, C7 and C6-01, it's not the one you've been waiting for Posted: 04 Feb 2011 02:24 AM PST What we once knew as Symbian^3 was simplified into " just Symbian" a few months back, ostensibly to make updates faster and easier for Nokia to execute. Well, huzzah huzzah, here's your first update. Version 1.1 of the new Symbian enhances communications by allowing you to accept meeting requests straight from an email and also integrating maps so that you may view the location as well. Besides that, N8 users get killer new features in Quick Office 6.4 like zooming in and out of Word documents along with three "high quality" games preloaded on new devices (which were already freely available in the Ovi Store). Excuse our overwhelming sense of disenfranchisement, but where the hell is our portrait QWERTY keyboard, split-screen text input, or those much-needed browser improvements? In the rubbish bin next to Symbian^4? |
| Does Google's new Android Market website ignore custom ROMs? Posted: 04 Feb 2011 01:57 AM PST Now that the Android Market website has finally launched (and stabilized) we're beginning to see reports of rooted devices, and some running custom ROMs, not being recognized by the website. We're having the very same issue ourselves, where a pristine Desire Z running a factory installed copy of Android 2.2 Froyo is listed on the "My Device" page while an old HTC Hero hacked to run Froyo courtesy of FroydVillain ROM does not, even though it's logged in and syncing using the same Google login ID and the Android Market has been recently used from the device (as Google recommends on the "Trouble Downloading" help page). So what about you oh reader, oh rooter... what are you experiencing? [Thanks, Florian] |
| Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo named and previewed in one fell swoop, bringing Gingerbread to MWC 2011 Posted: 04 Feb 2011 01:14 AM PST We said it at the Show and we'll say it again, Sony Ericsson just doesn't know how to keep a secret. One of its phones set for launch at Mobile World Congress 2011 has just slipped the net ( again) and this time we have its full product name to boot, the Xperia Neo. You'll be familiar with this Android 2.3 handset already from mobile-review's thorough preview a couple of weeks ago, though at the time it was known under its codename of MT15i. This latest hands-on look at the hardware is similarly positive about the Neo, describing it as a well constructed phone and praising Sony's Android modifications as restrained and actually useful. Talk about a 180-degree turn from the way things used to be. There's another reason to be excited about this phone, however. Back in December, Sony Ericsson registered trademarks for Xperia Arc, Xperia Play, Xperia Neo, and... an Xperia Duo. We expect all four to be out and about at MWC this year, and we may have already seen the latter device in yet another bit of leaked photography. |
| Next-gen Ford GT supercar to be a hybrid, still weigh 500lb less than predecessor? Posted: 04 Feb 2011 12:28 AM PST Ford's GT came back to life in the mid 2000s to give the brand a much-needed halo car and to re-kindle the fires of those who watched the GT40 trounce the Ferraris at Le Mans in the late '60s. It didn't live long, but rumors of its re-resurrection are growing stronger. Latest comes courtesy of Auto Express, which indicates this generation GT will weigh right around 3,000lbs -- a massive 500 lighter than its predecessor despite this new model supposedly packing a hybrid system. It'll offer a supercharged V8 paired with an electric motor driving the front wheels, not unlike the setup in the Porsche 918 RSR and its street-going version, the 918 Spyder. If these rumors prove true it'll hit that target thanks to an all-aluminum chassis, composite body panels, and an aggressive diet. |
| Motorola Xoom coming to Best Buy on February 24th, HTC Thunderbolt on the 14th Posted: 03 Feb 2011 11:19 PM PST We're already fatigued of reporting launch dates for devices announced at this year's CES -- it seems like each one has had at least four different potential release points -- but when you get one of Best Buy's official Facebook pages blabbing about when the Moto Xoom and HTC Thunderbolt will be arriving... well, you sum up the strength to do it one more time. Contrary to earlier insider leaks pinning the Xoom to a February 17th launch, Best Buy is now promising to have the vanguard of the Honeycomb tablet revolution on February 24th. That's exactly a week later than our earlier info, so perhaps somebody somewhere decided to push things back a bit. We have no doubt, however, that Motorola is nearly ready with its slate -- there have been plenty of them spotted around the Super Bowl this week. In the meantime, HTC's LTE-equipped 4.3-incher seems to have finally settled down on Valentine's Day as its time of reckoning, a day after the similarly sized Inspire 4G hits AT&T. |
| PSP-playing boy falls onto train tracks, saved by a real life hero (video) Posted: 03 Feb 2011 10:33 PM PST Not the best news for Sony execs to be waking up to this morning, as the company's PSP has played a starring role in an unfortunate, though thankfully innocuous, incident. A 10-year old Milanese boy was recently so absorbed by his portable's make.believe world that he forgot the real one around him had boundaries with bright lines painted around them. A moment later the young gamer found himself next to the train tracks a few feet below the platform designed for human occupation, though he wasn't there long as an off-duty policeman by the name of Alessandro Micalizzi quickly leapt down and lifted him to safety. See it on video below and feel free to draw your own conclusions about your gaming habits.
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| Google Chrome 9 update brings speed, WebGL, and apps Posted: 03 Feb 2011 10:04 PM PST You're probably a lot like us: more handsome and socially adept, naturally, but with a similar fear of robots and penchant for living fast and loose with pre-release developer builds. As such, the latest changes to the stable release of the Chrome browser won't be of much use to you. Nevertheless, Google's official window to the web was just injected with a speed bump, 3D WebGL graphics, Google Chrome Instant search results, and the Chrome Web Store already available in Chrome's beta channel. If nothing else, please, we beg you, do the right thing and inform the local luddite. |
| Kenko shows off C-Mount-based compact camera with interchangable lenses Posted: 03 Feb 2011 09:28 PM PST C-Mount lenses (commonly used on 16mm film cameras) have already found a bit of new life on Micro Four Thirds cameras thanks to adapters, and it look like the compact lenses are now also found another fan in the form of Japanese camera manufacturer Kenko. It's now showing a new compact camera that will apparently accomodate C-mount lenses directly, and be available in Japan this summer for ¥32,000, or about $370 (it's not clear if that includes any lenses). Details are still fairly light beyond that, unfortunately, but it looks like you'll at least have plenty of lenses to choose from if the company's display at the Tokyo International Gift Show is any indication. |
| Verizon iPhone now shipping to select customers: 'it begins' Posted: 03 Feb 2011 08:44 PM PST While pre-orders have been halted for the interim, several readers that got their credit card information in on time have been sent an email from Verizon alerting to an CDMA iPhone shipment en route to their residence of choice. FedEx doesn't seem to be tracking any of the orders just yet, but we'll check back tomorrow to be sure. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Update: We've seen our first FedEx tracking screen and the estimated delivery date is February 7th, a whole 72 hours before everyone else gets it. Thanks, Richard! |
| RIM tilts BlackBerry PlayBook keyboard on side, drops hints about TAT, module cavities and battery life Posted: 03 Feb 2011 07:16 PM PST RIM held a BlackBerry WebWorks developer event in San Francisco this evening, and while hard news was not in attendance, we did score a number of tidbits about the company's BlackBerry PlayBook. First and foremost, there's most definitely a portrait virtual keyboard in the latest QNX tablet build, and we literally gave it a spin, watching as the landscape layout slowly switched to portrait mode as we changed the slate's orientation. Second, we may have gotten our first hint about what RIM's doing with the recently-purchased TAT -- we overheard that the PlayBook's bezel gestures actually aren't quite finalized yet, and that the astonishingly silent UI design division may be lending a hand. On the all-important subject of battery life we don't have much to add beyond earlier boasts, but a staffer did tell us that RIM's shooting for a "full work day" of juice. Last but not least, we were told that Jim Balsillie's module cavity certainly exists, but it's not the user-upgradable slot or socket we'd hoped -- rather, it's a orifice deep inside the PlayBook for hardware enhancements at the factories where devices are built. Like this one, perhaps? Video after the break. |
| RFID poker gets DIY kit, automated card counting now available at home (video) Posted: 03 Feb 2011 06:36 PM PST When Andrew Milner built himself an RFID-equipped poker table and the automated video overlay system to match, it was certainly a labor of love. Now, like any good poker player, he's trying to get a little money out of it. He's selling a DIY kit that includes almost all the hardware and software you need to replicate the video below but do it on your game night with your friends. (You'll need to supply the webcams, a table with cutouts, and a Windows PC to handle the footage.) This means you can create video replays that look awfully professional even if your ability to calculate odds on the fly and to focus more on the river than the bowl of chips is decidedly amateur. Components can be bought individually, like a deck of RFID cards for $148, or you can get the entire kit for about $1,600 -- stakes a bit too high for our game. Show full PR text Perth, Australia – 2nd Feb 2011
Do-It-Yourself RFID Video Poker Table kit officially launched today by
developer Andrew Milner.
Watch the brand new demo video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1-p4JNrgQw
In September 2008, video of a prototype RFID Poker Table was released, showing a poker table that
had been equipped with RFID electronics and software that displayed real time video of a poker
game, with graphics that displayed each player's cards as they were dealt.
The video received over 50,000 views on YouTube and resulted in an avalanche of commercial
enquiries. "There was clearly strong demand for a commercial product, but at the time the
technology wasn't available at a viable price point" says Andrew. He added "Today that has changed,
and I'm pleased to be able to announce the launch of a commercial grade kit at a price that
represents real value for money."
Sold as a DIY kit, customers build their table from components available at the online store. Kits
include all table electronics, playing cards, software, CAD drawings and a step by step build guide.
Specially manufactured high quality playing cards that contain embedded RFID tags are a key
component; with a high end acetate finish that is indistinguishable from standard playing cards, the
RFID cards look, feel and play exactly like the real thing.
The RFID Video Poker Table includes a suite of software applications for Windows that offers ease of
use and rich functionality. Featuring fully customizable graphics, HD video support, live Internet
streaming and a fully featured post production edit suite, the software caters to home game
hobbyists and broadcast professionals alike.
Eliminating the need for pocket cams and automating the time consuming and expensive process of
manually recording poker hands and creating custom graphics, game graphics are rendered in just
minutes in post production, or in real time for live broadcast.
Detailed information, including comprehensive technical resources is available from
http://videopokertable.net along with kits for purchase at the online store. Kits are available for
immediate shipping worldwide, and pricing is around AUD 1,600 depending on exact table
specifications.
Contact: Andrew Milner, andrew@videopokertable.net |
| Chronic Dev Team unleashes greenpois0n, untethered jailbreak for iOS 4.2.1 Posted: 03 Feb 2011 05:29 PM PST It's finally here, folks. The Chronic Dev Team has put out the latest version of greenpois0n that allows you to free your iDevice running 4.2.1. What's different about this jailbreak? Glad you asked. This time 'round, the program will let you perform an untethered jailbreak -- you can finally reboot the device without having to re-jailbreak. Be warned though -- this build was rushed out and we haven't tested any devices on our end. At the time of this writing, the software is only available for Mac. Oh, and unlockers, don't update to 4.2.1 if you plan on swapping sim cards in the future. Hit the source link to get started. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] |
| Verizon halts iPhone pre-orders, brings back everyone's favorite technician for new ad (video) Posted: 03 Feb 2011 04:41 PM PST As they say, "Ye who snoozes, something something something, set your alarm for launch morning." Take solace in a new dramatic commercial for Verizon iPhone featuring you-know-who -- it's after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] |
| Google's paying $20,000 to hack Chrome -- any takers? Posted: 03 Feb 2011 04:33 PM PST So far, Chrome is the only browser of the big four -- Safari, Firefox, and Internet Explorer being the other three -- to escape the Pwn2Own hacking competition unscathed the past two years. (Sorry Opera aficionados, looks like there's not enough of you to merit a place in the contest... yet.) Evidently, its past success has Google confident enough to pony up a cool $20,000 and a CR-48 laptop to anyone able to find a bug in its code and execute a clean sandbox escape on day one of Pwn2Own 2011. Should that prove too daunting a task, contest organizer TippingPoint will match El Goog's $10,000 prize (still $20,000 total) for anyone who can exploit Chrome and exit the sandbox through non-Google code on days two and three of the event. For those interested in competing, Pwn2Own takes place March 9th through 11th in Vancouver at the CanSecWest conference. The gauntlet has been thrown -- your move, hackers. |
| Texas student sends robot to school in his place, can't get it to do his homework Posted: 03 Feb 2011 03:45 PM PST  You may have recently seen telepresence robots played for laughs on The Big Bang Theory, but they do also have quite a few practical purposes, and high school student Lyndon Baty from Knox City, Texas is now using one to particularly great effect. He has a weakened immune system that prevents him from actually attending school, so he's using a remotely-controlled Vgo telepresence "robot" that allows him to move from class to class and interact with teachers and other students using nothing more than his laptop and webcam at home. The bot itself is four-feet tall, self-balancing, and simply packs a basic video conferencing system up top that allows its operator to interact with their surroundings -- at $5,000, it's also considerably cheaper than some other similar options. As Popular Science notes, however, this isn't the first time that a telepresence bot has gone to school -- a student in Russia suffering from leukemia has also been using a similar bot since September of last year as part of a pilot project from the robot's designers. Head on past the break for the local news report from Texas.
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| Verizon 4G LTE might offer $30 unlimited data plan, if you're lucky Posted: 03 Feb 2011 03:01 PM PST The mobile rumor mill has been abuzz about Verizon's potential move away from unlimited data plans for a long time now, but we're not putting the rumors to rest. In fact, we're just fanning the flames -- according to the folks at Droid Life, Big Red's $30 unlimited data plan could be coming to 4G LTE. The site's sources point out that this might mean $30 plus $15 for 4G data, and that pricing structures are likely to change as the LTE Juggernaut powers ahead. Considering the first Verizon 4G phones haven't even made it to market yet, unlimited data might be around for sometime to come ... then again, it might not -- don't you just love speculation? |
| Technocel's $70 PowerPak Duo battery pack doubles up on USB ports, ships April 1st Posted: 03 Feb 2011 02:29 PM PST Technocel's original PowerPak (and Battery Boost) were both among our stash of gadgets used at this year's CES, and they proved incredibly useful for juicing up a dead MiFi or smartphone without having to remain tethered to an AC outlet. As you well know, we're pretty big fans of external battery packs, and it seems as if Technocel has addressed the one major gripe we had with the first-generation PowerPak. The Duo is essentially the same kind of gizmo, but with a lot more oomph and double the ports. It's a squared power brick with an internal 2500mAh lithium-ion battery (compared to 1600mAh in the earlier build), and rather than having a single USB port, this guy's got two; moreover, it's far easier to look at, and is said to provide up to 7.5 extra hours of talk time to the average phone. The company also throws in a half-million interchangeable tips that are compatible with around 95 percent of handheld USB devices, and based on word directly from Technocel, it'll go on sale April 1st for $69.99. |
| CLIQ XT won't get Android 2.1 upgrade, Motorola's word as good as dirt Posted: 03 Feb 2011 02:01 PM PST  Motorola's dangled an Android 2.1 upgrade in front of CLIQ XT users for what seems like forever -- now it's putting away the bait indefinitely. In a statement released this morning, the company said that despite months of rigorous testing, the phone will remain on Android 1.5. We first heard promises of an update in June last year, but Motorola quickly reneged. In November, its predecessor got an upgrade, but the CLIQ XT was left hanging. Then in December, the company announced a delay, citing "additional testing," and when those tests failed to bear fruit, it just plain gave up. Now CLIQ XT users are stuck with a phone indefinitely sporting an OS that's three steps behind the most up-to-date competition, and unfortunately, that's all she wrote -- Motorola shows no signs of pursuing another upgrade anytime soon. And that, friends, is your cue to pick up a handset made by HTC and situated on Verizon Wireless. [Thanks, Josh] |
| Sony's Kaz Hirai discusses NGP strategy, longevity, expectations (video) Posted: 03 Feb 2011 01:34 PM PST Why was the NGP announced so far ahead of its launch? How long does Sony expect the NGP to reign before a refresh is needed? What impact will the NGP have on Nintendo's supremacy in mobile gaming? Each of those questions has been handled by Sony Computer Entertainment's chief Kaz Hirai in a video interview you can now eyeball after the break. In case you want the textual version of his responses, Kaz says the PSP successor was unveiled early in order to allow Sony to get as many third-party developers on board as possible (which is a lot easier when you don't have to worry about them leaking your hardware to Engadget), the new mobile console's lifetime should be no less than what we've come to expect from Sony's home consoles (so at least four or five years), and Sony's weapons for attacking Nintendo's dominance will be the litany of integrated sensors and connectivity options at the NGP's disposal. Kaz is careful to note that Sony is only aiming to improve on the PSP's current install base, but we suspect Sony's unofficial ambitions are far higher than that.
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| BlackBerry PlayBook gets demoed in portrait mode Posted: 03 Feb 2011 01:06 PM PST It's brief and a bit blurry, but in the midst of a 14-minute demonstration of the BlackBerry PlayBook the folks from Lotusphere Podcasts scored something of a first: a demo of the tablet finally using portrait mode. Unfortunately, we don't get a look at much more than the home screen and the keyboard, and it appears that the functionality might not be perfected just yet -- the PlayBook used for the first ten minutes of the video was the usual horizontal-only deal, and the portrait-enabled model was quickly put back on the table after the brief demo. Hit up the source link below for the complete video, and look for the portrait mode to make an appearance around the 10:55 mark. |
| Dell Venue ready to order now for $500 unlocked, shipping February 18th Posted: 03 Feb 2011 12:43 PM PST In classic Dell fashion, the company's most legitimately appealing Android handset yet has just gone up for sale with nary a peep marking its arrival. If you'll recall, the US announcement for the Venue wasn't exactly overloaded with facts and figures, we were basically told that it's coming, and hey, here it is now! A cent under $500 buys you an unlocked Android 2.2 device -- with either AT&T or T-Mobile 3G bands, your choice -- equipped with a 4.1-inch WVGA AMOLED display, an 8 megapixel camera, and some of the best looks on any smartphone yet. The preliminary shipping date we're seeing is February 18th, let's hope that's a much more concrete number than we've experienced with the Venue Pro, eh? [Thanks, Spiridon and Tanjot] |
| SAE and Zigbee team up to make plug-in cars charge smarter Posted: 03 Feb 2011 12:23 PM PST  We're no strangers to Zigbee around these parts, using the various Alliance-certified devices to monitor our power usage and let our refrigerators talk to our washing machines. Soon our cars might be able to get in on that little conversation with the Zigbee Alliance and SAE International starting to work together. SAE develops standards and certifications in the automotive industry (amongst many others) and it embracing Zigbee Smart Energy means that we should see many more auto manufacturers adopting this tech to enable their cars to talk to the grid straight through their plugs. They'll be able to do things like provide charging status updates and to pull down utility pricing information, ensuring your ride charges when rates are lowest. Many current and most upcoming electric cars can do this sort of thing, but they rely on wireless data connectivity to do so. Zigbee would eliminate that. No word on which manufacturers will jump on first, but given the pull the SAE has we think many will. Show full PR text Zigbee Alliance and SAE International Accelerate Electric Vehicle Connection to the Smart Grid
WARRENDALE, Pa., Feb. 2, 2011 - The ZigBee® Alliance, a global ecosystem of companies creating wireless solutions for use in energy management, commercial and consumer applications, and SAE International today announced their collaboration on ZigBee Smart Energy™ standard development. Their efforts will make ZigBee Smart Energy the preferred technology supporting Plug-In Electric Vehicles (PEV) and enabling essential vehicle to grid (V2G) communication and power capabilities.
ZigBee Smart Energy is the market leading home area network and advanced metering infrastructure standard for the Smart Grid. The collaboration recognizes the important role SAE International plays as the focal point for integrating automobile communication with emerging energy management requirements. Using ZigBee Smart Energy to define how PEVs and the grid interact, whether at the consumer's home or at a remote location, will be one of the goals the two groups address. Ultimately, this initiative will provide future PEV drivers with the real-time information needed to control their transportation energy use, manage their charging costs and receive utility incentives for participating in PEV programs. It also provides the essential control functions necessary to safely manage the charging of PEVs while maintaining grid integrity.
"Adding ZigBee Smart Energy to PEVs will give automakers and utilities a common language to manage the charging, storage and use of energy in PEVs," said Richard Scholer, SAE Hybrid Vehicle Communications Task Force Committee Chair. "SAE International's formidable task is to help coordinate the urgent efforts of many different companies, industries and disciplines. It realizes the faster standards appear, the sooner electric-powered vehicles can gain consumer acceptance as a new and reliable mode of transportation."
Work between the groups is already underway with completion targeted for next year when ZigBee Smart Energy version 2.0 is scheduled for completion. SAE International joins ZigBee Smart Energy development efforts led by some of the largest utilities, suppliers and technology companies in the world.
"With an estimated 40 million smart meters integrated with ZigBee Smart Energy in homes, SAE International's involvement will give consumers an effective way to manage their PEV energy needs," said Bob Heile , chairman of the ZigBee Alliance. "With SAE International and ZigBee working together to create the needed standardized infrastructure, millions of consumers will be able to take advantage of rechargeable vehicles, speeding their adoption and allowing everyone to benefit."
ZigBee Smart Energy - The Standard for Smart Metering and Energy Management in Home Area Networks
ZigBee Smart Energy enables energy service providers and utilities to wirelessly communicate with and manage common household devices such as smart thermostats, in home displays and appliances. It improves energy efficiency by allowing consumers the means to manage their energy consumption more precisely using automation and near real-time information and additionally gives consumers the ability to choose interoperable energy saving ZigBee Certified products from a variety of different manufacturers and connect them into a home energy management network. It also helps utilities and energy providers implement new advanced metering and demand response programs to drive greater energy management and efficiency, while responding to changing government requirements. For more information and a list of ZigBee Certified products, visit: www.ZigBee.org/SmartEnergy.
About SAE International
SAE International is a global association of 115,000 engineers and related technical experts in the automotive, aerospace and commercial-vehicle industries. SAE International's core competencies are life-long learning and standards development. SAE International's charitable arm is the SAE Foundation, which supports many programs, including A World in Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series.
SAE International Ground Vehicle Standards Technical Committees are leading the vehicle transportation industry in the development of standards to provide the safe and effective implementation of hybrid/electric vehicles. SAE International standards play a key role in market access, reducing costs, increasing productivity, improving market position and advancing new technologies. To find out more about how SAE International is addressing the challenges of transportation connectivity visit the new vehicle electrification portal at http://www.EVSAE.COM.
ZigBee: Control your world
ZigBee offers green and global wireless standards connecting the widest range of devices to work together intelligently and help you control your world. The ZigBee Alliance is an open, non-profit association of approximately 400 members driving development of innovative, reliable and easy-to-use ZigBee standards. The Alliance promotes worldwide adoption of ZigBee as the leading wirelessly networked, sensing and control standard for use in consumer, commercial and industrial areas. For more information, visit: www.ZigBee.org.
Contact:
Kevin Schader
ZigBee Alliance
kschader@inventures.com
+1 925-275-6672
Earlene Tang
GolinHarris for ZigBee Alliance
etang@golinharris.com
+1 714-918-8215 |
| Dreamplug is the low-powered, lilliputian PC for people with really boring dreams Posted: 03 Feb 2011 11:57 AM PST Sure, tiny-ass PCs are nothing new, but as power increases and prices drop, things definitely get more interesting. Take, for instance, Globalscale's DreamPlug: your hard earned $150 will get you a 1.2GHz Marvell Sheeva ARM processor, 512MB of DDR 2 (800MHz) RAM, 1GB storage, not one but two gigabit ethernet ports, two USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA 2.0 port, SD card slot, Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth, and a headphone jack. And it all sits in the plug itself! And it draws a scant five watts of power. Of course, this isn't gonna replace your trusty desktop, but we're sure you can think of all sorts of clever uses for this bad boy. Set to start shipping sometime this month, hit the source link to get started. |
| Aava Mobile reportedly set to reveal Medfield-based Android / MeeGo phone at MWC Posted: 03 Feb 2011 11:34 AM PST Eager for a way to forget about Moorestown? We wouldn't be shocked if Intel was in the same camp, and if this here rumor pans out, it could be Medfield acting as the amnesia at Mobile World Congress. If you'll recall, Intel briefly showed off a Medfield-based phone late last month, and now we're hearing that Aava Mobile -- the same company responsible for a WoW-crunching Moorestown demonstration at Computex -- is poised to release a real stunner in Barcelona. Slashgear has it on good authority that Aava's second-generation Core design will be officially rolled out in a matter of days, complete with Intel Inside, an 8.9mm-thick chassis, Android and MeeGo. You read correctly -- both mobile operating systems will be supported. It's said that Aava doesn't actually plan on hawking these to consumers; instead, they'll be shuttled off to developers in order to promote its integrated ACPU and modem platform. Hard to say if the shell we'll (hopefully) see at MWC will remain final, but you can bet we'll be digging for more once the show floor opens. |
| Agility Saietta electric sports bike eyes-on Posted: 03 Feb 2011 10:56 AM PST We came, we saw, we took pictures. A London-based startup by the name of Agility today unveiled its first and only product, the Saietta electric sports bike, and we just had to pop out to the MCN Motorcycle Show in its hometown to peep it for ourselves. Well, what is there to say that the pictures don't already? We should probably start off with that massive hump you see up front. At first glance it makes the bike look extremely front-heavy, but it is in actual fact mostly a shell -- made of a lightweight composite material whose ingredients we were not allowed to know -- which channels air into the areas that need cooling and, more importantly, optimizes the hell out of this two-wheeler's aerodynamics. There's an exposed double wishbone suspension system, just some of the eye candy on this extremely reflective racer, and the weight balance is, contrary to our first impression, almost perfectly even. This is due to the battery packs being stashed in the center, just in front of a brushed DC motor with 90+ percent efficiency (Agility tells us the whole roaring machine has an 83 percent throughput efficiency). There will be a choice of body panels, we saw a highly reflective chrome one, but a tamer red version is also available. Speaking of colors, the tiny speedometer lights up in a snazzy blue for night riding. We were looking at only the company's third production prototype, but pre-orders are already being taken -- at prices of just under £10,000 for the S model with a 50-mile range and just under £14,000 for the R variant that has a twin battery pack and, correspondingly, can stretch out to 100 miles -- for an April delivery. US pricing is said to feature a "slight" premium, but Agility hopes it may be able to build some of these Saietta bikes over on the West Coast, potentially cutting into the expense of selling them in North America. The only thing our pictures don't reveal is how a bike with instant torque and a four-second 0-60 acceleration (on the lighter S model, the R does it in five) feels like, but if we're really good over the next few weeks, we might just get a chance to ride one and find out for ourselves. |
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