| AT&T's HTC Inspire 4G can do HSUPA, has it disabled for some mysterious reason Posted: 21 Feb 2011 09:40 AM PST  There's a story going around the past couple days that HTC's Inspire 4G for AT&T -- a phone that you would assume to be wicked fast on both uploads and downloads in light of the name -- doesn't support HSUPA, a critical element to offering reasonable uplink speeds. Turns out it's not quite that simple. Here's what we're hearing from trusted sources: - Contrary to AT&T's official line -- which is flatly that the Inspire's specs don't include HSUPA -- the hardware most certainly does support it.
- For some reason, HSUPA has been disabled in the current firmware, but could be easily enabled in a future update if HTC and AT&T were to agree to do so. For what it's worth, we're not even aware of an HSPA+ chipset that lacks support for HSUPA, so that definitely sounds right.
- We've also been told that AT&T's network may simply have HSUPA disabled in 4G areas. That doesn't necessarily make sense since other HSUPA-compliant devices on AT&T (like the iPhone 4, to name an obvious example) can regularly hit HSUPA uplink speeds, but we suppose it's possible that there's some specific incompatibility between the infrastructure and the chipset used by the Inspire. An eerily-similar incident has happened in the past, after all.
We'll keep our ear to the ground as we get more on this situation, but the bottom line is that hope is not lost for heavy uploaders with Inspires -- we just need to find out what it's going to take to get HTC to push an update. |
| US Navy's free-electron laser breaks another record, takes aim at missiles next Posted: 21 Feb 2011 09:18 AM PST The US Navy's free-electron laser has broken a few records already, but it's just plowed through another fairly big one -- one that its creators say could put it on the fast track to actually being used to shoot down missiles. That particular record involved running the system for eight hours at 500 kilovolts, which is a level they've been trying to achieve for the past six years and, according to the researchers, "definitely shortens" the time frame for getting to their ultimate goal of 100 kilowatts. What's more, while this particular test didn't actually involve blowing anything up, the Navy seems confident that the laser will eventually be able to do just that, as it's just recently awarded Boeing a $163 million contract to package the laser in a weapons system that would be deployed on ships and be able to detect, track, and destroy missiles (or presumably anything else ). According the Office of Naval Research, the Navy hopes to meet that goal by 2015. [Image: Wired / Danger Room] |
| Twidroyd and UberTwitter (now called UberSocial) back online Posted: 21 Feb 2011 08:49 AM PST  We know you had a rough weekend, managing your micro-bloggin' and social networkin' with a web interface of all things, so we'll keep this one short and sweet: the kids at UberMedia have their once-banned apps back online! That includes Twidroyd and UberTwitter -- the latter being renamed UberSocial, but one of a few changes that the company made to ensure that it wasn't violating Twitter's usage policies. If only everything could be resolved this quickly, right? |
| Microsoft pushing small update to Windows Phones to prepare for copy and paste update later on Posted: 21 Feb 2011 08:32 AM PST  Don't get too excited when you see this update notification pop up -- as far as we can tell, it's got nothing users will notice -- but we've just been told by Microsoft that the company is getting ready to send out the first software upgrade to Windows Phone 7 devices in the field early this week. It's being billed as a "minor update to help prepare" for the copy and paste stuff (which we're assuming is still targeted for early- to mid-March, per Ballmer's MWC keynote), though the exact timing of this first one will vary a bit depending on carrier. Oh, and a note before you hook up to try to grab it: it also required a recently-pushed update to the Zune software (or the Connector for Mac OS), so you'll need to get that first before restarting the app and looking for the phone firmware. |
| Toyota decrees the plural of 'Prius' is 'Prii,' your Latin teacher looks on admonishingly Posted: 21 Feb 2011 08:21 AM PST The world faces many challenges and concerns when it comes to the future of transportation, but one of the biggest hurdles to a utopian future has finally been overcome. Toyota, using the might of its international team of engineers and wordsmiths, has finally decided what you should say when you see multiples of the company's hybrids parked together. They are to be called Prii -- not Priuses, not Priuples, not Boring Cars. Just Prii. Remember it. Show full PR text Toyota Announces the Plural of Prius
Decade-Long Debate Laid to Rest with Recognition of the Term 'Prii'
TORRANCE, Calif., February 20, 2011 –Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), USA, Inc. today announced that the general public has selected 'Prii' as the preferred plural term for Prius.
The Prius Goes Plural voting campaign was launched on January 10 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit and challenged the public to help the automaker determine the plural nomenclature of Prius. The campaign coincided with the world premiere of the Toyota Prius family of vehicles. With 25 percent of the votes, Prii becomes the word not only endorsed by the public who chose it, but also as the term recognized by Toyota. As such, Dictionary.com has updated its entry for the word 'Prius' to reflect this.
Toyota unveiled the winning word at the Chicago Auto Show this morning. Jay Schwartz, head of content for Dictionary.com, was on hand to inform the public that, as the plural of Prius has now been determined, the term 'Prii' will be reflected in Dictionary.com.
After the more than 1.8 million votes were cast during the course of the six-week campaign, Prii beat out its four competitors: Prius, Priuses, Prium and Prien. Prius came in at a close second with 24 percent of the votes. A video recap of the campaign and winning word celebration can be viewed at www.ToyotaPriusProjects.com.
"Community has always been a big part of the Prius brand, so it was only fitting that we invite the online communities to participate in the plural discussion," said Colin Morisako, advertising manager for Toyota. "The people have spoken-Prii will be the accepted term used to describe multiple Prius vehicles going forward."
The plural of Prius has sparked debates since the launch of the vehicle 10 years ago. Now that the Prius family has grown, Toyota asked its customers and fans to help the company decide on a term to describe the plural of Prius vehicles, thus answering the decade-long question-what do you call more than one Prius? Online voting modules enabled the public to vote for their preferred plural of Prius as well as view real-time polling data. The campaign also featured an animated video, print ads and a web series hosted by James Lipton, host of Inside the Actors Studio and author of An Exaltation of Larks.
With the expansion of the Prius family to include the Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicle (PHV), Prius v and Prius c concept, Toyota hopes to further increase acceptance of the Prius brand by offering a wider selection of vehicles that each maintain Prius' core values of high fuel economy, low emissions, proven gas-electric hybrid technology and environmental stewardship. For more information on the Toyota Prius family of vehicles, visit www.toyota.com/priusfamily.
About Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion. Established in 1957, TMS markets products and services through a network of nearly 1,500 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers which sold more than 1.76 million vehicles in 2010. Toyota directly employs nearly 30,000 people in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18 billion. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com or www.toyotanewsroom.com. |
| Anaheim school district handing out GPS trackers to chronically absent students Posted: 21 Feb 2011 07:51 AM PST  So, it's like this -- if you're a California gang member, you're assigned a GPS tracker. And if you're on track to become a California gang member, you're also assigned a GPS tracker. Lovely. According to The Orange County Register, the Anaheim Union High School District is handing out GPS trackers to chronically absent seventh and eighth graders, with the six-week pilot program expected to break the habit of skipping by nagging the ever-loving heck out of minors. The plan breaks down as such: if you've netted four unexcused absences this year, you and your parents (but mostly your parents) can "volunteer" to have a tracker assigned to the child in question. From there, they'll need to enter a code five times per day in order to pass muster, and they'll also be required to field at least three calls per week from a coach -- someone who will be checking in on one's "progress." The school hopes that having more kids in school will result in fewer kids getting wrapped up in gang activity, and based on successful trials in San Antonio and Baltimore, hopes are understandably high. All told, around 75 students at Dale and South junior high schools are taking part in the pilot program, and district officials are expected to make an expansion decision in due time. Meanwhile, attendance in the weekly Hackers Club has risen significantly in recent weeks, solving the original issue in a very different, roundabout way. |
| Screen Grabs: Dell Streak serves as seismograph on Fringe, Android nowhere to be found Posted: 21 Feb 2011 07:16 AM PST Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dot com. It ain't the first time Dell's Streak has been featured on a major network drama, but it's probably the last where it's used as a makeshift seismograph. Olivia managed to discover some fairly otherworldly facts with the use of this here handheld on a recent episode of Fringe, but mum's the word on whether she'll survive this season. You know -- the Friday slot. [Thanks, Michael] |
| Palm Pre Plus to get webOS 2 after all? Posted: 21 Feb 2011 06:49 AM PST We won't lie: we did feel a little put out when our pal Jon Rubinstein told us that webOS 2.0 wouldn't be coming to the Palm Pre Plus -- something about the older hardware not having the necessary "oomph" to handle the new OS. But perhaps all hope is not lost! According to a rep from O2 Germany (as espied on the company's support forums) HP will make with the new operating system at some point in the near future -- just not as an over-the-air update. When the time comes (indeed, if the time comes) you'll need to download it from HP's website not your computer and install it via USB. And maybe that will be the point when we discover the joys of running a new OS on an underpowered handset for ourselves! Update: Okay, maybe not. Mitchell wrote in to let us know that HP pulled the webOS 2.0 SDKs and are "actively encouraging" devs to stick with 1.4.5 for the Pre Plus. So, yeah, bummer. |
| Man will run Tokyo Marathon with dizzying array of gadgetry, amazing lack of shame (video) Posted: 21 Feb 2011 06:27 AM PST There are some activities that you'll simply never be able to get your friends to come along for, and for most groups of social cohorts running 26 miles certainly falls into the "you have fun with that" category. Some try to regale their friends with tales of burning lungs and fiery quads, but Joseph Tame has another solution. He's created the iRig, a curious contraption containing four iPhones, an Android device of unknown provenance, an iPad, three wireless routers, a weather station, a heart rate monitor, and a silly mock satellite dish up on his head. With all this he plans on livestreaming his entire race using Skype, FaceTime, Runkeeper, and a custom Android app that will send out atmospheric conditions -- according to Joseph doing "all this while looking incredibly cool." We can't argue with that, but we also can't help worrying about the chafing that contraption will induce. See for yourself in the video below. |
| Exclusive: Sony 'S2' dual-screen Android clamshell and 9.4-inch Windows 7 VAIO slider due this year Posted: 21 Feb 2011 06:02 AM PST So, by now you've seen the PlayStation Certified Qriocity tablet known within Sony as the "S1." But that's not the only tablet the vernerable Japanese company is preparing to launch in 2011. We've been told by a pair of highly trusted and proven sources that Sony is also working on two rather unconventional tablet form factors including a dual-screen Honeycomb clamshell and newfangled Windows 7 tablet slider. First, let's look at the clamshell model sporting a pair of 5.5-inch displays -- a device first hinted at in a 2010 Sony patent application titled " Electronic Book with Enhanced Features." However, unlike the patent's blocky illustration, we're told that Sony's clamshell -- known as the "S2" internally -- more closely resembles an oval cylinder when closed as depicted in the illustration above. Spec-wise, we're told that it will be very similar in performance to the S1 with a Tegra 2 SoC and WiFi + 3G radio on the inside and front- and rear-facing cameras on the outside. And like the S1 tablet, the S2 will be focused on delivering Qriocity media to the consumer. Sorry, no word on whether the S2 is PlayStation Certified. Obviously, the S2 won't be running stock Honeycomb -- instead, Sony is currently optimizing the Android OS to make the most of those two displays. One source reports having seen Gmail running on a demonstration prototype where the list of messages is displayed on one screen with the body of the selected message displayed on the other. Maps, we're told, will display the map graphic on one display with the detailed turn-by-turn instructions or Streetview displayed on the other. Likewise, the S2 will display a video and picture navigation menu on one half of the clamshell with the selected content blown-up to fill the screen of the other. We're also told that these apps will work in a variety of orientations. Sounds interesting, to say the least. Regrettably, our sources are less than enthusiastic. Click through to find out why. Unfortunately, both of our sources are cautious about the prospects of the S2. One source claims that the gap between the displays should be made smaller noting that the whole project is being met with skepticism within Sony. Another source calls the S2 an outright "dog." Still, Sony's plan is to ship the WiFi + 3G equipped S2 to the US, Europe, and Japan before the holidays with a $699 targeted asking price. Last up is a VAIO-branded 9.4-inch Windows 7 slider similar, we've been told, to Samsung's Sliding PC 7 Series and the ASUS Eee Pad Slider. It's design was described to us as "nice" and could easily be interpreted as a followup to the VAIO P series. Unfortunately, the hardware's good looks are undermined by a Pinetrail-class Atom processor. At the moment, the target price is set for $799 but will almost certainly increase, according to one source, by the time the slider is available for retail in the fall (possibly October). So there we have it, a trio of leaked devices that mark Sony's entry into a soon to be (over?)saturated tablet market. With the exception of the Windows 7 slider, Sony is betting on unique hardware and a custom-built user experience to differentiate its S1 tablet and S2 clamshell from all the me-too Honeycomb slabs launching in the first half of the year -- a real gamble given Sony's notorious reputation for poorly designed UIs and software. Regardless, both of our sources seem genuinely excited about the S1 tablet -- a device that could be very compelling if it can deliver Sony's rich ecosystem of Qriocity and PlayStation services for music, games, ebooks, and video in a unified manner. And that's a big "if." |
| BMW launches new 'i' brand focused on electrification, lower-case letters Posted: 21 Feb 2011 05:31 AM PST BMW already has one of the shortest names on the auto front, but it's about to get shorter. The company has just launched "i," a sub-marque much like the company's M cars but, rather than focusing on performance, highlighting new technology to create cars that are "good for us" while also being "good for our planet." It's what the company calls "premium mobility," cars for daily commuting that will let you "enjoy the finer things in life" without killing the planet in the process. The first two cars are the i3 (formerly known as the Megacity) and the i8 (the auto formerly known as Vision EfficientDynamics), both of which are said to be as fun to drive as a current car but much more efficient thanks to composite construction and electrified powertrains. Additionally, the company is also working with the My City Way apps, which cover 40 cities in the US and that many abroad, offering traffic cameras, POIs, and even public transit info -- a little odd for a car company. The company is pledging that we'll see these "born electric" cars in production by 2013 and coyly specifies that three is not the smallest number nor eight the largest, meaning we should expect other models to fill that gap -- just like the company's current alphanumeric lineup. We'll surely be learning more about these cars at Geneva in a few weeks, and if you think BMW is just being trendy using the lower-case i moniker, it did launch its iDrive controller back in September of 2001 -- a month before the iPod really made "i" super trendy. |
| GammaTech's Durabook S15C is deceitfully rugged, unashamedly mobile Posted: 21 Feb 2011 05:13 AM PST Shopped for a rugged laptop of late? If so, you've probably become overwhelmed with grief, likely due to the fact that 99.95 percent of them are both a) huge and b) unsightly. GammaTech's got a better idea: craft a rugged, shock-proof lappie that actually looks like every other 15.6-inch laptop on the market. Fancy that! The outfit's new Durabook S15C is its latest in a long line of field-tested machines, with this guy using a magnesium alloy case that's 20 times stronger than ABS plastic. We're told that it's tested to Mil-Standard 810G for drop and shock resistance, and there's a flexible HDD cable that'll absorb shock from drops. Moreover, an anti-shock mounting technology around the LCD helps to protect the screen from accidental damage, and if you're curious about the innards, here goes: there's the option for Core i5 / i7, a pair of dual-channel DDR3 RAM slots, an internal optical drive, a 15.6-inch Full HD display, three USB sockets, a serial port, gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and WiFi. Mum's the word on pricing, but considering that you'll need to dial 'em up to place an order, we highly doubt all that ruggedness will come cheap. Show full PR text GammaTech Adds S15C to Its Durabook Rugged Mobile Solutions
Newest Intro Designed for Rugged Environments; Includes Large 15.6" Display With HD Resolution, Intel® Compliant HD Stereo Audio, and Two Dual Channel DDR III Memory Slots
FREMONT, CA--(Marketwire - February 16, 2011) - GammaTech Computer Corp., a major international manufacturer and supplier of innovative notebook and tablet computers, has introduced another member to its line of cost-effective, high-performance, rugged mobile solutions, the Durabook S15C. It offers portability and features seldom found in notebooks that are designed for rugged environments.
"Just because an individual works away from an office and uses their notebook computer in a harsh environment is no reason for he or she not to enjoy the benefits of a notebook computer with a brilliant screen and powerful graphics," stated Jen Chen, GammaTech President. "Our new rugged S15C has a very generous 15.6" display with high-definition resolution and its many other terrific features make the S15C the perfect choice for such users."
The S15C notebook computer is engineered and designed to GammaTech's renowned tough standards. The magnesium alloy case is 20 times stronger than ABS plastic, and is tested to Mil-Standard 810G for drop and shock resistance. A flexible HDD cable design absorbs shock from drops, providing protection for your important data while anti-shock mounting technology around the LCD helps protect your screen from accidental damage.
Additional protection is provided by the unit's unique spill-resistant design that protects the keyboard, touchpad, and switches from spills seeping into sensitive interior parts. GammaTech's exclusive optical-disk-tray lock prevents unintentional tray ejection due to drop and vibration.
Double protection smart battery circuitry prevents damage caused by current or voltage surges and overheating, a vital concern for on-the-road users who require extra power protection.
The GammaTech S15C is powered by both Intel® i7 and i5 processors and the Intel® HM55 chipset. Its two dual-channel DDR III SODIMM slots provide up to 8GB of memory. The internal optical drive slot accommodates either a DVD super-multi drive or Blue Ray Disk combo drive.
Additional features include a standard 15.6" LED display with HD resolution and an option for an FHD LED display, Intel® integrated graphics controller, Intel® compliant high-definition stereo audio, and a built-in microphone.
The S15C comes with three USB ports, a serial port, integrated 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet, and an Intel® Mini-Express wireless LAN network connection. An optional Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR is also available. System security is provided by a Smart Card Reader slot, internal TPM 1.2 data security protection as well as a Kensington lock connector and both Administrator and Boot password control.
Availability
As with the complete line of Gammatech notebook and tablet computers, the S15C notebook computer is available through authorized resellers nationwide and at http://www.GammaTechUSA.com/java-jsp/gov_index.jsp. All GammaTech computers may be customized to customer specifications. |
| Volvo releases more details on 124MPG V60 plug-in, shows off iPhone app (video) Posted: 21 Feb 2011 04:47 AM PST Current gasoline-powered hybrids can barely manage to keep ahead of small diesels in the mpg wars that will shape our future transportation structure, but in theory a diesel hybrid would rule the roost -- for the moment, at least. That's what Volvo will be showing off in Geneva shortly, promising a whopping 124MPG from the V60 plug-in diesel hybrid it announced a few weeks back. The car uses an internal combustion engine driving the front wheels and an electric one to spin the rears, meaning 2WD efficiency but AWD grip -- and a combined 285hp to handily blow the doors off any Prius that dares step up at a streetlight. Volvo is saying the car will take about five hours to charge on a standard household outlet and that you'll be able to monitor that status from your iPhone. Check it out in the video below and turn up those speakers in preparation for one heck of an inspirational piano solo. Show full PR text Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid - a sneak preview of the production model arriving in 2012
At the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, Volvo Cars will be unveiling the V60 Plug-in Hybrid - a virtually production-ready car with carbon dioxide emissions below 50 g/km.
The Plug-in Hybrid, which will be launched on the market in 2012, is the result of close cooperation between Volvo Cars and Swedish energy supplier Vattenfall.
"No industry or organisation can tackle the climate challenge all by itself. It is our mission to develop carbon dioxide-lean cars, but a sustainable future must be created jointly by everyone in society. This project shows how cooperation between experts in different areas brings us closer to the transition from individually carbon dioxide-lean products to a climate-smart lifestyle," says Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volvo Cars.
In January 2007, Volvo Cars and Vattenfall launched an industrial partnership whose aim was to test and develop plug-in technology. This cross-border initiative resulted in the foundation of a jointly owned company - V2 Plug-in-Hybrid Vehicle Partnership,
Half the CO2 emissions, full driving pleasure
Development work has been jointly financed. Now the project is on the threshold of introducing the market's first diesel plug-in hybrid. It's an attractive car type that gives the user access to the very best properties of both an electric car and a diesel-powered vehicle: very low fuel consumption and CO2 levels, combined with long range and high performance.
"One important aspect of the project was to retain the Volvo V60's excellent driving pleasure, high safety standard and luxurious comfort. At the same time, average CO2 emissions and fuel consumption will be halved compared with what is available on the market today," says Stefan Jacoby, and adds:
"We're taking a giant step forward towards our "DRIVe Towards Zero" vision, that is to say the hunt for zero emissions. In fact, when the V60 Plug-in Hybrid is run solely on electricity and recharged using renewable energy, we've already reached that goal."
Cheaper fuel costs
When powered solely by electricity, the V60 Plug-in Hybrid has a range of up to 50 kilometres. The car's total operating range is up to 1200 km. Carbon dioxide emissions will be an average of 49 grams per kilometre (EU Combined) and fuel consumption will be 1.9 litres per 100 km.
The cost of the battery pack means the plug-in hybrid will be more expensive to buy than a Volvo V60 with a conventional combustion engine. On the other hand, fuel costs will be one-third compared with a conventional combustion engine. The cost of running on electricity in Sweden has been calculated at about 2.50 kronor per 10 km. The exact cost will vary from one market to another.
The plug-in hybrid can be charged via a regular household electricity socket at home or when parked somewhere else. Charging time is about five hours if the car is recharged at home.
Electric power offers a range of benefits
Electrification of the transport sector is an important step in the fight against climate change. Electricity is a highly beneficial fuel:
An electric motor is almost four times as efficient as a regular combustion engine. This means that an electrically powered car consumes less energy and thus produces lower emissions, even if it is powered by a blend of electricity sources that include fossil fuels.
European electricity production has an emission ceiling. This means that even if all vehicles were to run on electricity, electricity production itself is not allowed to produce more carbon dioxide. This emission ceiling will be gradually lowered over a period of time.
Electricity is an excellent source of energy. It does not risk running out, and it can be produced virtually without any CO2 emissions. For instance, Vattenfall is working towards halving the company's emissions by 2030 and becoming climate-neutral by 2050.
Emissions from millions of exhaust tailpipes are transferred to a small number of production facilities, which are easier to control and which will operate on the basis of the EU's trade in emission rights, something that does not apply to the transport sector at present.
Electric vehicles use relatively little electricity and the increase in consumption will be more than covered by ambitious expansion plans for renewable energy sources throughout Europe. A single wind-power station, for instance, produces sufficient renewable energy to power 3,000 electric cars. Vattenfall will offer buyers of the plug-in hybrid a contract including electricity from renewable sources.
Rapid expansion of renewable electricity production
Electricity production is undergoing rapid expansion. Wind-power is being commercially introduced on a large scale and is continuing to expand, biofuels will replace fossil fuels on a broad front, wave-power is expected to enter commercial operation within ten years, and new technology to clean CO2 emissions from coal-fired power stations is currently under development.
At Volvo Cars, work progresses on the V60 Plug-in Hybrid in parallel with development of the Volvo C30 Electric, which runs entirely on electricity.
"These two car types complement one another. With a plug-in hybrid the driver is entirely independent of recharging stations when driving long distances. The future electric-car market will feature a mixture of both all-electric cars and plug-in hybrids," says Stefan Jacoby.
The third leg in Volvo Cars' electrification strategy is empowering the upcoming engine generation with hybrid technology. |
| Xtreamer Ultra HTPC launching with Ion 2, €100 price point Posted: 21 Feb 2011 04:12 AM PST  Name recognition? Ah, who cares? Particularly when you're hawking an Ion 2-based media PC for €100. Xtreamer -- the same folks responsible for the e-TRAYz NAS -- is gearing up to unveil its latest concoction at CeBIT 2011, but it looks as if most of the beans have already been spilled. It's billed as a portable HTPC, and it can be ordered with a dual-core Atom D525 / Ion 2, up to 4GB of DDR3 memory, HDMI / DVI outputs, six USB ports, an eSATA socket, Bluetooth, WiFi, gigabit Ethernet and support for IR control. Predictably, that low (low!) price point doesn't include an operating system, but at least that gives you the option to slap whatever you want on there. If you're looking for a TV tuner or optical drive, you'll need to turn to external options, but those looking for a barebones system to build on should be able to procure one in a matter of weeks. That is, if the Boxee Box doesn't lure you in while you wait. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] |
| NEC's MEDIAS N-04C is only 7.7mm thick, has Android 2.2, NFC, and no ambition to leave Japan Posted: 21 Feb 2011 03:35 AM PST It's only been three months since the last avalanche of NTT DoCoMo phones, but that's not stopping the Japanese carrier from scheming up another hardware refresh. Leaked out ahead of what's expected to be a February 24th launch, we've now laid eyes on what's likely to be the highlight device of this year's spring batch : the 7.7mm-thick NEC MEDIAS N-04C. It follows last year's N-04B in nomenclature only, what with the older model being a flip phone, and offers a spacious 4-inch touchscreen, a 1seg TV Tuner, NFC contactless payments using Sony's FeliCa standard, and a skinned version of Android 2.2. Look out for it in Japan soon, but don't hold your breath if you live outside the sunlit kingdom -- history has shown devices like the N-04C tend to stick to their native market. |
| Motorola Xoom will ship without Flash support on February 24th, expects it in 'Spring 2011'? Posted: 21 Feb 2011 02:51 AM PST Verizon's webpage dedicated to the Xoom has just gone up and one of our eagle-eyed readers has already spotted a disquieting bit of small print: "Adobe Flash expected Spring 2011." You don't sit around expecting what you already have, so that leads us to conclude that the Xoom, the mighty iPad-slaying, Honeycomb-bringing, world-changing tablet... won't have Flash at launch. The version of Adobe's rich media player it's waiting for is most probably 10.2 for mobile devices, scheduled to arrive in the coming weeks, which should mean first-day buyers this Thursday will get a limited-time premium feature on their tablets: no Flash ads. [Thanks, Chris] |
| Antistatic E-3POD concept wins Citroen design award, job for its student creator Posted: 21 Feb 2011 01:52 AM PST Who says dreaming doesn't pay? A young designer by the name of Heikki Juvonen recently won himself a six-month job placement at Citroen's PSA Design Centre in Paris after producing the most compelling response to the company's Double Challenge set to students at London's Royal College of Art. The premise was simple -- put together an aesthetic for an ultra-compact urban vehicle that Citroen could call its own, and judging by the imagery above, we can all probably agree that Heikki achieved a very distinctive look with his E-3POD. We're not yet certain how we feel about being inside the largest of the three wheels for the duration of our electrically powered journeys, but the young gent has half a year on his hands to tweak and refine his eye-catching design. We'll be ready to test-drive the prototype as soon as Citroen becomes mad enough to build one. |
| Huawei offers to build out London Underground cellular coverage for free Posted: 21 Feb 2011 01:19 AM PST No such thing as a free lunch, is there? China's Huawei has generously offered to pick up the roughly £50 million ($81 million) tab for equipment to line London's sprawling subway system with mobile phone reception, a package it says it's extending as a gift from Olympic host nation to another (London will host the 2012 Summer Olympics, and it has said in the past that it'd like the Tube wired in time). The official line is that Huawei would make its money back over time through maintenance contracts, but some politicians are raising red flags over the Chinese firm's potential control over a critical piece of London's wireless infrastructure -- a sentiment that seemed to help kill a potential Huawei deal with Sprint in the States. Of course, the over-connected nerd in us is tempted to brush off espionage concerns if it means we can stay on email all the way from the West End to the Docklands. |
| Kno looking to sell off ambitious tablet hardware business, focus on software instead Posted: 21 Feb 2011 12:29 AM PST Competition usually giveth, but sometimes it taketh away too. All Things D is reporting today that Kno, the company that aimed to deliver a most bodacious dual-screen tablet to students, is investigating the possibility of selling off its hardware venture and focusing exclusively on its software offering. Internal sources claim the "quicker-than-expected" move into tablets by big electronics makers has made the environment tougher for Kno, which is now said to be negotiating with a pair of companies about offloading its slate-selling business. Apparently, just a few hundred pre-orders of the Kno were fulfilled before the company stopped shipping them recently, which could be an indication that a deal may be close. We can only guess what a purchaser would want to do with the Kno tablet designs, but as for the company itself, it'll look to the iPad and Android-based tablets for its new market of opportunity -- no point in wasting all those textbook distribution partnerships. |
| Panasonic's HV200 portable TV is controlled with a wave of the hand Posted: 20 Feb 2011 11:46 PM PST The Fistful of Lard conundrum, heard of it? Probably not because we just made it up. Nevertheless, it's the classic dilemma faced by any home cook: how do you control the counter-top set without subjecting the TV remote or all-in-one touchscreen to a slathering of semisolid hog fat? Easy, if you own Panasonic's new ¥50,000 (about $600) DMP-HV200 digital terrestrial television just announced for Japan. The IPX-3 rated, drip-proof set features gesture control that lets you change the channel or adjust the volume without touching the 1024 x 600 pixel LCD display or bundled remote. It's also available with an optional battery pack giving you about three and half hours of untethered image or video fed over 802.11n WiFi, SDXC cards, or USB cable. There's even a DMB-BV300 version with HDMI-out if you're willing to forgo the gesture control and fork over ¥80,000 (almost $1,000) for the illusion of Blu-ray magic on a 10-inch screen. |
| Product placement gets a logo of its own, turns the world inside out Posted: 20 Feb 2011 11:09 PM PST So the UK is finally catching up with the fine money-grubbing nations of this world and allowing product placement in British-made TV programming, starting from next Monday, February 28th. Advertising embedded in internationally sourced films and shows has long been tolerated as a necessary evil within the Queen's realm, but now that the telecoms regulator Ofcom is opening up locally farmed TV content to the blight of commercialization, it's come up with a suitably austere logo to warn us of its dangers. Basically, any future episodes of Hollyoaks that may contain a "stray" Diet Coke or Nokia N8 within the frame will be preceded by the above P placed within a P, which will prep you for the pernicious potentiality that the programming you are perusing may provoke you into purchasing new property. Capiche? |
| TI-Nspire calculator: yes, it plays Doom Posted: 20 Feb 2011 10:02 PM PST Sure, folks have ported games over to the good ol' number cruncher for ages, but getting a fully rendered classic like Doom to run on a calculator is a different feat altogether. The folks over at omnimaga have successfully moved a beta version of nDoom (a reworked version of the original id Software's FPS) over to a Texas Instruments TI-Nspire and -- with all things considered -- the game runs shockingly smooth. As of right now, the only proof of concept is the video you see above, with a tragic crash bringing all things dangerous to a dismal halt. We're looking forward to a fully working version of nDoom because, you know, video games and calculators are two things close to our nerdy hearts. |
| Dell XPS 14 discontinued, will be replaced with something thinner and lighter Posted: 20 Feb 2011 07:59 PM PST Sure, it was only about four months ago that Dell released its XPS 14, but unfortunately, those looking to snatch up the Core i5, NVIDIA GeForce 400M-powered laptop today will have a mighty hard time. Some keen-eyed tipsters noticed that Dell's 14-inch mainstream system was out of stock, and a quick call to one of our friends at Dell confirmed that the smallest version of the series won't actually be making a comeback. However, that's not because the system didn't sell well -- Dell maintains that it actually exceeded sales expectations. Considering it was a very aggressively priced rig that doesn't really surprise us, but why not bring it back? That's where things get interesting, and we'll give you Dell's exact quote on this one... "With the transition to Sandy Bridge technology, we chose to re-focus our efforts on incorporating this feedback into future thin and light products launching later this year. Stay tuned!" Yep, it seems like Dell is gearing up to bring some Adamo qualities back in to the XPS brand, which is actually what were told last year when the company killed off the Adamo brand altogether. We're staying tuned alright! [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] |
| Robot hand hits 20WPM, nearly ready to embrace infinite monkey theorem Posted: 20 Feb 2011 06:31 PM PST Robot hands have been grabbing, crushing, drawing and otherwise actuating for years, but have you ever seen one properly type? That's the primary purpose of a new Virginia Tech design. Engineers built this Dexterous Anthropomorphic Robotic Typing (DART) hand to mimic the real deal as best they could, down to individually-actuating three-segment digits and 110 degrees of wrist rotation in a package the size of a real human arm. Using a total of 19 servo motors and high tensile strength wire for the tendons, they managed to create a single mechanical paw that can achieve an estimated 20 words per minute while typing. Next, they plan to cover it in silicone skin and add piezoelectric sensors to provide tactile feedback. Imagine that: the next time a secret family member severs your arm with a focused plasma beam, you'll know where to go for replacement. Find a quick video and the full scientific paper at the links below. |
| Inhabitat's Week in Green: trains speed up, paint improves planes, and the CO2-scrubbing artificial trees Posted: 20 Feb 2011 05:00 PM PST Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.
This week Inhabitat saw high-speed railways pick up steam around the globe as China announced plans to build a trans-continental railroad in South America and Japan began developing the world's fastest high-speed train. We also saw eco transportation reach new heights as a kite-powered car completed an epic 5,000km journey across Australia and researchers developed a nanotech paint that will increase the fuel efficiency of airplanes. The automotive world is also gearing up for the Geneva car show as Toyota is getting set to roll out an all-electric IQ and Porsche pulled back the curtain on its Panamera S Hybrid and Boxster EV. In other news, this week we brought you an exclusive video interview where celebrated environmentalist Stewart Brand argues that nuclear power could save the world. We also explored several other alternative energy sources that are decidedly less controversial - PurposeEnergy is transforming beer brewing waste into a source of clean-burning biofuel, and a design duo has proposed a series of beautiful solar-powered artificial trees that scrub CO2 from the air. Roughly one in every six people do not have access to safe drinking water, so we were excited to learn about a pedal-powered water purification system based on the bicycle that holds great promise for the developing world. Speaking of cleaning up dirty water, this week Stephen Baldwin sued Kevin Costner over the oil-separating technology that cleaned up the BP oil spill. And last but not least, we were wowed by this hydrofloor system, which can save space and energy by concealing a swimming pool beneath your living room floor! |
| Ixonos shows off windowed UI for Android Posted: 20 Feb 2011 04:07 PM PST When your tablet needs a windowed UI, has it crossed some undrawn, implied boundary that makes it too complex for the kinds of casual tasks you'd want to accomplish on a tablet? Hard to say, but the mobile developers at Ixonos took to MWC last week to showcase a windowed build of Android on top of a tablet developed by Aava -- so at the very least, we know it's possible. The system is built atop Froyo and allows apps to continue running in the background -- they don't suspend, which means you can, say, play a video while you're off composing messages. The company also demonstrated the software on a dual-screen 7-inch tablet, allowing apps to be launched on either screen and transferred between them -- all seemingly without any customizations needed to individual apps, which is going to be key for a system like this to gain any market traction. Follow the break for Ixonos' press release and demo video. Show full PR text Ixonos Showcases an Innovative Android Solution With Inspiring User Experience at Mobile World Congress 2011
HELSINKI, February 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ixonos, a world leader in creating wireless technologies, software and solutions for mobile devices and services, showcases its broad Android capabilities at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on 14-17 February 2011.
Ixonos demonstrates an innovative Android-based multi-window solution, which runs on various popular hardware platforms. The solution is demonstrated on a tablet developed by Aava Mobile as a multi-window system, which enables the use of several applications simultaneously, for example the viewing of messages and calendar side by side.
"The multi-window solution brings Android user experience to a whole new level. Running the solution on a device with a 7-inch or bigger screen allows for new efficiency in handling daily tasks. The user can now see the whole workspace at one glance and run multiple applications at the same time," explains Mr Vesa Metso, Director, Key Customer Accounts, Android, at Ixonos.
Ixonos has also made the multitasking user experience available on a dual-screen configuration. This takes multitasking use cases even further by enabling the device to be used like a laptop, with a touch pad QWERTY keyboard below the second activity window, or as a highly-advanced two-screen tablet, where both screens are used either for different activities or the activity is expanded across both screens.
"Multitasking is a functionality people expect from superior user experience and two-screen tablet devices are now debuting the market. With our solution, multitasking is the norm for tablets. Moving from one application to another is quick and easy, and the user can move applications or activities from one screen to another. This truly takes efficiency to new heights," Mr. Metso adds.
The multitasking solution has been developed at Ixonos' Android Competence Centres in Europe, demonstrating Ixonos' deep know-how of Android components and modules. |
| Switched On: Nokia's Windows of opportunity Posted: 20 Feb 2011 03:00 PM PST Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Perhaps it bore repeating for the shock value to sink in, but Nokia CEO Stephen Elop missed nary an opportunity to defend his company's choice of Windows Phone as its future smartphone foundation. Nokia, he said, was making "a big bet" on Microsoft and vice versa. However, Windows Phone is only one leg of Nokia's strategy moving forward. Its "next billion" initiative is tied to handsets in which Nokia and Microsoft interests do not meet. And Nokia's third task, creating or planning for the next disruption, will keep the company tethered to the MeeGo operating system. Indeed, the Wall Street Journal's behind-the-scenes look at how the Microsoft-Nokia alliance came to be, revealed how close it came to not being at all. Nokia seriously considered Android as the operating system of choice for its smartphones, and was only persuaded differently by a big check and an exceptional flexibility to make changes to the Windows Phone 7 operating system. Because, for all the attention around Nokia's selection of Windows Phone, it ultimately neither guarantees Nokia's success nor dooms it to failure in the US smartphone market. Here's what will: If Nokia wants to change, it will have to differentiate in atoms as well as bits. | Winning hardware. For the past decade, Nokia has been consistently behind the curve in delivering handsets in step with popular trends – RAZR-like thin clamshells, QWERTY-enabled messaging phones, and of course finger-friendly touch screens. Over the past year, the market has become saturated with big touchscreen slabs with occasional sliding keyboards that have been variations on the iPhone aesthetic. Alas, mostly by design, we've seen even less variation in the first batch of Windows Phones than we have in the Android camp. If Nokia wants to change, it will have to differentiate in atoms as well as bits to bring value to its adopted ecosystem. Cloud services. Though the company may not have followed the fashionable form factor du jour as quickly as could be, Nokia has long understood the power of the cloud. However, despite an acquisition binge a few years ago, the Ovi message has not been communicated effectively, and now there is the chance that -- like Symbian -- it might fade into the shadow of Microsoft's offerings. Nokia has some strong Ovi services, and they could be a key differentiator. With Windows Phone, the company needs to feature them more and integrate them better. Carrier relationships. There's been a little progress and a bit of hope as Verizon Wireless has switched to Nokia's home court of GSM-derived LTE, but there is still much progress that needs to be made if recent comments by Verizon CTO Tony Melone are indicative of US carrier feelings towards the Nokia-Microsoft alliance. However, Microsoft can be a boon in this regard: Windows Phone 7 launched with four devices on two carriers in the US -- more of a splash than Symbian ever made -- and Windows Phone's predecessor Windows Mobile continues to be sold by all four carriers in the United States. Contrary to what the company has indicated, Nokia's battle here is not one against Android, but fighting for attention versus the Windows Phones of Samsung and LG, both of which traditionally have strong carrier relationships, and HTC, which has been slowly building them. Nokia has taken on an operating system backed by a company with the financial resources to stay in the fight for the long term, a powerful lineup of integrated products and services (albeit not all equally appealing) and a focus on user experience. Yes, it will have to pay for Windows Phone licenses and work to bring Windows Phone to a wider range of architectures to meet its handset portfolio needs, but Microsoft seems to have more than offset that expense. Most of the risk in Nokia's choice was not picking the wrong operating system, but continuing not to pick one at all. Now that it has, it needs to deliver on all three fronts to improve its smartphone standing in the United States.
Ross Rubin is executive director of industry analysis for consumer technology at market research and analysis firm The NPD Group. Views expressed in Switched On are his own.
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| Nanocade kit now on sale in the USA, somewhat less pricy at $229 Posted: 20 Feb 2011 02:03 PM PST If you asked us to drop $350 for 23 pieces of laser-cut plastic, we'd probably shoo you away, but it's hard to resist the incredible charm of the Nanocade. Besides, designer Rasmus Sorensen's actually selling the miniature arcade cabinet parts for just $229 right now, which makes the decision to finally build your own MAME machine a wee bit more affordable. You'll still need to supply all the internals yourself, including buttons, an arcade stick, a monitor and glue, and even should you succeed, good luck prying guests away from your new coffee table conversation piece. Find the basic kit in your choice of Midnight Black or Arctic White at our source link. Note: It's a bit of a bummer, but the Nanocade website says that handsome curved control panel displayed above actually isn't part of the initial kit -- it comes with a pair of flat pieces that meet at a (seemingly) wrist-chafing angle instead. |
| Momentus XT hybrid drive causing headaches, Seagate working to fix Posted: 20 Feb 2011 01:01 PM PST All's not well in hybrid solid state storage land, as owners of Seagate's Momentus XT are facing serious issues with their drives -- despite glowing initial reviews, a number of long-term users claim that the drives chirp, crash, stutter, and freeze with alarming regularity, particularly when installed in a Mac. Seagate forumgoers speculate these are symptoms of the XT's magnetic platters spinning down inappropriately, due to an overzealous power management scheme. That's the bad news -- and it sounds pretty bad -- but the good news is this: Seagate's owning up to the issues, and is actively involved in getting them fixed. So far, a pair of new firmware updates have addressed some symptoms, a third is on the way, and a Seagate engineer known only as STX_NB is proactively chatting with affected customers about possible fixes. That's what we call technical support -- take notes, tech companies. |
| The Engadget Podcast, live at 4:15PM EST! Posted: 20 Feb 2011 11:52 AM PST MWC was insanely insane, and we're going to spend this week's podcast hour just trying to count all the Android phones that were launched. If you're aware of any good whole numbers, we'd love to enlist your help! Check out the live stream and chat after the break. P.S. And don't forget that Ustream has Android and iPhone clients as well, if you're out and about and you can't join in on the Flash-based fun below.
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| Apple patent application points to denser batteries, improved charging technique Posted: 20 Feb 2011 11:31 AM PST Some might think a ten-hour Macbook battery mighty fine, but we're happy to say that Cupertino's not quite satisfied. AppleInsider spotted a pair of Apple patent applications detailing a improved way of juicing up those lithium-polymer cells, which should greatly increase the number of recharge cycles they can endure -- or, optionally, allow Apple to use denser batteries that last longer on a charge. We'll break it down for you: the graph in the upper-left shows how Li-ion batteries currently charge, first very rapidly (constant current, increasing voltage) and then more slowly (constant voltage, decreasing current) to top the cells off. What Apple's proposing is the multi-step method depicted on the right, where current and voltage trade off, to charge the battery while being far less harsh on the physical chemistry of the electrodes inside. As you can see in the bottom graph, the multi-step CC-CV cells lose much less of their potential after 300 recharge cycles, but that's not all Apple's cooking up -- the company figures that it can increase the thickness of the electrodes to improve battery life (by as much as 28Wh/L, according to one chart) without negative effect thanks to the softer charge. Sure, we'd rather have plant-eating graphene supercapcitors, but this sounds like a plan for now. |
| Imperia plug-in hybrid does 0 - 60 in four seconds, looks classy while doing it Posted: 20 Feb 2011 10:02 AM PST If you're tired of hybrids like the Prius or Volt, cars that could easily get lost in a Hertz parking lot, check out the GP. It's the first and only product from resurrected Belgian auto maker Imperia, which previously operated in the early 20th century, but other than the pronounced front grille offers little resemblance to its forbears either above or below that pronounced bonnet. It has an inline four cylinder turbo engine offering 212hp that's paired with a 134hp electric engine, itself backed by a Li-polymer battery pack. It'll do about 45 miles on batteries alone but, more importantly, will roll the 0 - 60mph sprint in under four seconds. Or, at least, it will if it ever hits production. A concept of the car was unveiled at the Brussels Auto Show, but it's anyone's guess when it might actually hit the road for reals. |
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