| EVOtainment System brings emulation greatness to the HTC EVO on a Wiimote and a prayer Posted: 08 Mar 2011 10:12 AM PST In a world full of cheap, plastic Wiimote accessories, aisles that overflow with flimsy little steering wheels for Mario Kart, one man found purpose. One man found something good to do with them. One man created the ridiculous contraption you see above. That man is Jack Malone, crafter of this the so-called EVOtainment System. It's a Wii racing wheel from Nerf that's been drilled out and augmented to enable a Classic Controller to join the party, backed with a strip of 3M Dual Lock. Up top a universal GPS mount clings desperately on to his HTC EVO, which connects over Bluetooth to the Wiimote. It's emulatory bliss in a design that's only a little bit less chunkier than the Game Gripper. [Thanks, Jack] |
| Networked 'On Air' light illuminates when webcast begins, dims when it ends (video) Posted: 08 Mar 2011 09:48 AM PST We won't get into the myriad ways to impress one's audience while engaging in a live video podcast, but here's one that slides into the 'surefire' category. The crafty folks over at MAKE decided to construct an automated On Air light for their new live sessions, and rather than automating it with a human hand flipping a switch at a predetermined time, they decided to wire it up to receive signals from a UStream API. In essence, the light is programmed to turn on when the podcast shows 'online,' and turn off when that status changes to 'offline.' It's a beautifully simple concept, and yet, so illuminating. See for yourself after the break. |
| T-Mobile's new data plans detailed, launching March 13th Posted: 08 Mar 2011 09:25 AM PST As it turns out a 20 percent discount isn't all that's in the cards for T-Mobile webConnect subscribers. We now have what looks to be full details on the new data-only plans for laptops and other devices that, rather sadly, feature price increases across the board. T-Mo will be offering a monthly 200MB plan for $29.99, 5GB for $49.99, and a new 10GB choice for $79.99. That compares to $24.99 for the current 200MB plan and $39.99 for the current 5GB plan -- but don't forget those 20 percent discounts if you also have T-Mobile voice, which bring the cheapest plan down to a more tangible $23.99, 5GB to $39.99, and 10GB to $63.99. The last two are overage-free, but they're also throttling-enabled. |
| Chrome gets a performance boost, simplified settings interface Posted: 08 Mar 2011 08:59 AM PST It was just a month ago that Google brought Chrome up to version 9 with various performance upgrades and other improvements, but it's now already back with version 10, which is fresh out of beta today. That boasts yet more upgrades in speed -- include a 66 percent improvement in JavaScript performance on the V8 benchmark suite -- along with a completely revamped settings interface that replaces the usual window with a tab in the browser. You can also now synchronize your saved passwords across different computers, and Google has extended its sandboxing technology to the integrated Flash player in Chrome, which promises to better guard against malicious websites. As usual, Google has also explained all of the improvements in some handy videos -- check those out after the break.
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| Nintendo 3DS review (Japanese) Posted: 08 Mar 2011 08:21 AM PST It's been almost a year since Nintendo revealed the 3DS to the world, trotted it out at E3, held proudly by a flotilla of genetically-cloned and identically-dressed ladies. Of course we knew about it long before that, but when it comes to glasses-free 3D screens seeing is believing. After that first glimpse we were left intrigued by the technology, but we wouldn't say we were exactly believers. Now, after spending about a week living with one of Nintendo's $250 consoles, working with one, gaming with one, and practicing kana with one, we've seen the light. The fancy-pants screen works, but it only does so with a lot of caveats. Hardware We went with the more colorful of the two 3DS units that Nintendo released in Japan, a hue the company calls Aqua Blue in the US. That's false advertising if you ask us, because whatever palette entry was selected here definitely falls closer to the G than the B in the visible color spectrum. It's a distinctive shade and the metallic sparkles definitely lend a high-class look, but the three-tone effect is a bit unfortunate. On the bottom it's a light green, a sea foam. The middle is the straight, darker metallic green, and up top the lid has been given what looks to be an extra layer of clear plastic. It's a nice effect and creates a little lip, flipping the console open is made even easier, but the coating creates an even darker hue than the other two layers. That's three shades of green plus a random splotch of silver paint 'round the back, a combination that makes the two-tone '80s design of the original, chubby DS look positively minimalistic.  In retrospect we'd pick the black, but there's little to complain about for the overall design of the console. It's a bit thicker and a bit wider than a DS Lite, almost exactly the same size as the DSi. More importantly, it feels impressively well built. The hinge is light but has a very positive detent to hold the screen just short of 180 degrees. The rubber SD card door amazingly feels like it won't break off. Inside that door you'll find a 2GB card by default, plenty for game saves and enough to get you started with downloadable titles down the road. 3DS game cartridges slot in around the back, where they have since the original DS, and of course there's nowhere to fit your old Game Boy Advance carts here -- just like on the DSi. To one side of the cartridge slot is the AC input, the same port used on the DSi and sadly still not microUSB, so make sure you don't lose that proprietary charger. On the other side is the new telescoping stylus, tucked away in a notch that's a little hard to find -- we usually just resorted to just tapping away with a fingernail. Flip 'er open and it's the analog stick that jumps out at you, what Nintendo calls a circle or slide pad. It stays flat and shifts about, much like the one on the PSP. This one, however, has a comfortable indent and rubberized coating that feels good to use. The D-pad has been shifted down to make way, not so far that it's a reach but if you prefer you can now use the analog stick in classic DS games -- without the use of its analogue sensitivity, naturally. Buttons spring well and feel responsive, all except for the new Select, Home, and Start buttons beneath the screen. They look like capacitive-touch inputs of the sort you'd find on an Android or WP7 handset, but that's an illusion. They're actual, physical buttons that depress when stabbed and are a little hard to find quickly, something that, admittedly, you won't be often have to do. The only other physical controls are the volume slider on the left (headphone jack is located front-and-center on the bottom half of the unit), a wireless radio toggle on the right, and a little silver shuttle to the right of the main screen. It doesn't have a label, other than "OFF," but is still worth discussing on its own. The main screen That little slider to the right of the main screen controls the 3D effect of the top-mounted, ( presumably) Sharp-sourced, 3.5-inch, 800 x 240, glasses-free 3D screen. It uses lenticular lenses to send two separate images rather than one, each intended for only one of your ocular holes. So, an effective resolution of 400 x 240. Each half of the screen is populated by pixels rendered as if there were two in-game cameras, and raising the slider actually moves those two virtual perspectives further apart. The greater the angular difference the more immediate the illusion of depth and the harder your eyes will need to work to piece things back together again. We found that in order to comfortably use the console at maximum 3D impact it needs to be held in reasonably close proximity to your face, something like 12 inches or so. When lying prostrate on the couch and holding the console above you that's totally fine, but other times, like sitting in coach -- or even in business class -- a comfortable gaming position has the console much further away. In these situations we needed to drop that 3D slider down, lessening the overall effect but giving our eyes a much easier time of it all. Drop the slider all the way to its minimum and the 3D effect is completely disabled. At this point the screen is purely 2D, the lenticular trickery is overridden, and your eyes are free to focus and align as normal. We're happy to report that, in this mode, the screen shows no signs of its previous 3D prowess -- it looks just like any other LCD. Better, in fact, thanks to the higher-resolution and wider aspect ratio. That's important to note, because a lot of people are going to buy a 3DS and find they don't really care for the 3D effect at all, or that it causes too much eyestrain when using it, or maybe due to a freak stylus accident they no longer have stereoscopic vision in the first place. In 2D mode the system still looks very good. To be clear: the screen is always in 2D mode for older DS games, and given its greater size and higher resolution, those titles are played letterboxed. Thanks to the giant black bezel you actually hardly notice it. The bottom does without the letterbox action, despite the extra resolution three-inch touchscreen (320 x 240 vs. 256 x 192 in the DSi). Internal hardware We don't have firm performance figures for the 3DS but it's clearly capable of better graphics processing than its predecessors. Obviously the original DS had no shortage of 3D titles and, while the few 3DS we've seen thus far don't exactly make them look stone age by comparison, there's a definite step forward. Sadly, though, those 3D titles for the DS cannot make use of the display's trickery -- they'll be flat. The 3DS also features both an accelerometer and a gyroscope. This enables augmented reality games like Face Raiders, which we'll discuss in a moment, but it's hard to not question the practicality of such games on this platform. When you're using the screen's 3D feature you have a specific sweet spot that you need to stay within. Move an inch in any direction and you lose the effect. Since most motion-sensitive games require motion of at least one inch you can surely see the problem. Stereo speakers still flank both sides of the top screen, and they seem to handle slightly more volume and do it slightly more capably than the speakers in the previous DS models. We're still not talking high-fidelity here, though. Charging and battery life The biggest 3DS disappointment is absolutely the battery life. The 1,300mAh battery is 30 percent larger than the one in the DS Lite but simply cannot deliver the same sort of longevity we've come to expect from previous Nintendo consoles, topping out for us at three hours and fifteen minutes with WiFi enabled. Compare that to the 15 hours the DS Lite could manage and you can see why we're disappointed. Disabling WiFi added about another half hour, enough for your average commuter flight, but we're going to be in a bit of a pickle when we cross the Pacific and head to TGS this September. And, since the thing can't charge over USB, there's no hope in scavenging a little power from a laptop so that our mid-flight drift-a-thon can continue. Realizing that the battery life and charging situation is less than ideal here Nintendo thoughtfully included a charging base. Simply throw the 3DS into it and it starts the electrons flowing, the idea being you'll plop your console in here whenever you're not using it -- or when it's playing a video or the like. When we first saw photos of it we got excited about Nintendo jumping onto the inductive charging bandwagon, but the reality is much more simple: the weight of the console pushes down a lever that causes two conductive prongs to swing out. They touch the back of the console and the juice will flow. Camera and multimedia Dual cameras are embedded on the back of the 3DS lid, plus another on the front, each offering one full VGA's worth of pixels -- that's 640 x 480 and laughably low-res these days even for a handheld gaming console. Of course the draw here is that photos can be captured in 3D and naturally viewed again on the screen in the same number of dimensions. however, the results look so bad that the novelty of it all will wear off in record time. Low-res would be fine if the quality was good, but it isn't. Light sensitivity is poor, so turn on those lamps, and color reproduction disappoints. As of now there's no way to capture moving footage from those VGA monsters, but Nintendo has promised that's coming soonish. 2D photos are stored as JPEGs onto the SD card, while the 3D images get written as .MPO. There's also a simple paint application built into the 3DS and the results of your artistic handiwork likewise get written as JPEG -- at a mere 320 x 216. Finally, the onboard microphone is paired with a simple voice recorder app for sending yourself reminders or for leaving little audible surprises for your nephew. Games We'll leave the detailed games coverage to our compatriots over at Joystiq but here are some brief impressions of the few imported titles we were able to take for a spin. - Face Raiders - For a game that's built into the 3DS, Face Raiders is surprisingly fun. You take a 3D picture of a friend's mug and it's layered over what can only be described as a disembodied head held aloft by a beanie. In an augmented-reality twist these heads are superimposed over whatever the cameras see, and as they hover about, winking and smiling at you, you're asked to shoot them. To aim you simply move the 3DS around, ensuring this is a game you won't be playing much of in public. It also ensures you won't be playing this game with the 3D effect turned on, but it is still good dumb fun.
- Ridge Racer 3D - Ridge Racer 3D, or Riiiidge Raaacer 3D! as it's also known, is yet another entry in the storied sideways racing series. Little is new here, including recycled tracks, but polished graphics and visual effects make it a bit of a looker. It's not necessarily the best at exhibiting the system's 3D effects, however, something about the speed of the visuals forcing us to keep the 3D slider a little lower than usual.
- Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition - Lots of fighters are collected, some of which you'll have long-since forgotten about since the endless SF releases of yore, and all rendered in 3D and presented in 3D too. The extra depth does serve to make the highly polished graphics look even better, and the way the status bars and round timer hover over the action is a neat effect.
- Samurai Warriors: Chronicles - Somehow the feudal lords at Koei keep finding more brainless goons to fill their armies, so yet another Warriors game is needed to manage their population. It's hack and slashery galore here, as ever, and the 3D effect doesn't do much to make the gameplay more compelling than it has in the past eleventy iterations.
- Winning Eleven 3D Soccer - Depending on your proclivity for European sporting distractions the latest installment in the long-running Winning Eleven series may not have even hit your radar. But, if you're looking for a good exhibition of the console's 3D effect, this is it. Something about the flat green grass and the players rendered atop it results in the cleanest, most eye-friendly visual pop of any of the titles we sampled. It's also, quite simply, a great game of footie.
Ultimately the 3D effect adds nothing to these titles from a gameplay perspective -- you won't be spotting enemies around corners or aiming your passes better thanks to the screen. However, it does add another bit of visual flair, a new and interesting graphical tweak that even your high-end gaming PC probably isn't delivering. The future Before closing we should mention that, according to Nintendo, this is just the beginning. The company has yet to exactly clarify exactly how its new 3D downloadable offerings will be consolidated in with the existing DSiWare stuff, but we're expecting a healthy amount of downloadable content, including 3Dified versions of retro classics from the TurboGrafx 16 and Game Gear. Intriguingly Nintendo is promising Netflix support for the 3DS as well, which could be quite compelling -- particularly should Netflix start offering 3D content. That's mere speculation, but Nintendo itself is pledging to offer 3D video downloads of some sort. We're hoping for best-of collections featuring a variety of madcap Japanese game shows. Oh, and sadly we're told to expect region locking on all 3DS titles, though naturally we don't have any American carts yet to verify. American DS titles play just fine on this Japanese system, though. Wrap-up The 3DS is simply something that needs to be seen -- not because it's so fantastic or because its design is such a departure from those handhelds that have come before it. You have to see it because the screen inspires different reactions from different people. Some start recoiling in horror long before their eyes have adjusted, others can start to get into it but then find themselves crippled by headaches, while others still never want to put the thing down. Even ignoring that screen altogether, the 3DS is a solid evolution of handheld console design that Nintendo started ages ago. The addition of analog controls makes gaming feel more modern, the increased graphics horsepower makes games look more modern, and the reduced battery life will make gamers feel the all-too modern pangs of battery anxiety. It's not a perfect console, but it's safe to say it's no Virtual Boy. |
| Phosphor Reveal wristwatch hands-on (and giveaway!) Posted: 08 Mar 2011 08:00 AM PST It usually takes a very particular type of personality to buy a crystal-encrusted object of any sort, much less something that you'd drape across an exposed body part like your wrist. That said, the pure novelty of the movement in Phosphor's Reveal line of watches might be enough to change your mind: it uses some sort of patented black magic to flip between two different colors of crystals to form digits that indicate the time. We've had a couple of the watches in our possession this week, so we're able to personally confirm the cool factor. What surprised us a bit is the amount of time it takes for digits to change: depending on how many crystals need to flip, we'd estimate it can take as long as a quarter second or so, because the crystals flip in sequence rather than all at once (perhaps to limit current draw). Like E Ink -- another one of Phosphor's specialties -- this "display" is bistable, meaning it'll stay put without any power consumption once a time is set. Of course, we don't know exactly how much power it takes to be flipping all these crystals every minute, so it's an open question how often you'll need to be replacing the coin cell. The most understated men's style is -- in our humble opinion -- simple enough to wear even if you can't stand the thought of donning dozens of Swarovski crystals, thanks in part to the fact that the bezel is a clean dark metal; of course, if you don't mind the crystals, Phosphor is happy to help you bling it up. Follow the break for some video of the watches in action! Oh, we almost forgot: we're giving two of these away. Right now. Here's what you need to know! The rules: - Leave a comment below. Any comment will do.
- You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
- If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
- Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
- Winners will be chosen randomly. Two winner will each receive one Phosphor Reveal wristwatch. We choose which style you get. We can't honor requests -- sorry!
- If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
- Entries can be submitted until Friday, March 11, 2011, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
- Full rules can be found here.
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| Philips doubles up with both passive & active 3D TVs, new Blu-ray players in Europe Posted: 08 Mar 2011 07:46 AM PST We got a peek at what the Philips/Funai combo has in store for North America during CES, but at today's Philips Pulse event in Barcelona it showed off even more of its 2011 plans. Most distinctively, while it's using FPR passive 3D glasses technology (calling it Easy 3D) in some of its new TVs just like LG & Vizio, it will break from those two by continuing to offer active shutter displays as well, branded 3D Max. If your main interest is one of those sweet 21:9 ultrawidescreen displays (pictured above) you can get it either way as a Gold or Platinum series product while the regular 16:9 sets are divided with the 7000 series featuring Easy 3D and 3D Max slotted for higher end 8000 and 9000 series products. All of the TVs mentioned here and higher end (7000, 5000 series) Blu-ray players include Smart TV features which means Net TV apps including catch-up TV where applicable, recording to USB, sharing from media from WiFi-connected devices and the ability to control the device with a Philips app on your iOS or Android phone. Check the press site for more details, model numbers and the like, but there's no word yet on pricing or availability. |
| ViewSonic's dual-booting Android / Windows 7 ViewPad 10 tablet now shipping Posted: 08 Mar 2011 07:24 AM PST It sure took 'em long enough, but ViewSonic's dual-booting ViewPad 10 has finally, really, actually made it to America. A few days after the iPad 2 most likely sucked any remaining wind out of its sails, mind you, but it's quite possible that the target market for an Android 1.6 + Windows 7 tablet couldn't care less about a similar one from Apple. If you'll recall, this one's rocking a 10.1-inch touchpanel (1024 x 600), 1.66GHz Atom CPU, 2GB of RAM, Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera and a version of Android we forgot about in 1994. You'll also find a microSD slot and a copy of Windows Home 7 Premium (with a 16GB SSD) or Windows 7 Professional (with a 32GB SSD). Still interested? Just wait until we tell you all about the $599 and $679 price tags, respectively. P.S. - Yeah, that's OS X shown running on the ViewPad 10 above. No, it won't actually do that in real life. Show full PR text ViewSonic Delivers the Best of Both Worlds With Immediate Availability of Its ViewPad® 10 Tablet
10.1" Dual-Boot Tablet Brings to Customers a New Level of Convenience
WALNUT, CA--(Marketwire - March 7, 2011) - ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of computing, consumer electronics and communications solutions, today announced North American availability of the ViewPad 10. Giving users a choice between Windows® 7 and Google Android™ within the same device, this 10.1" dual-boot tablet is ideal for maximizing business productivity alongside entertainment.
"The lines of professional and personal life are blurring, which creates a need for devices that are suited for both sides," said Adam Hanin, vice president of marketing for ViewSonic Americas. "The ViewPad 10 delivers just that by enabling users to merge business productivity with personal enjoyment anywhere, anytime. We are proud of our 10-year tablet history and are dedicated to further extending our tablet product portfolio to meet every individual need."
Packed with a high speed Intel® Atom™ 1.66GHz processor and integrated 2GB of memory, the ViewPad 10 is a powerhouse of mobile computing. Built with a 1024x600 panel with LED backlight technology partnered with capacitive multi-touch functionality, the device provides a crystal clear viewing experience, even when multitasking across several applications.
The ViewPad 10 enables consumers to take Windows on the road, allowing access to Flash-based content and programs like Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat, wherever they are. Plus social media applications like Facebook and Twitter, sharing photos and surfing the Web through Google's Android 1.6 platform are only a switch away, making this device the perfect companion for those looking to work, play and share on the go. Throw in the built-in Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and 1.3 megapixel built-in front camera, the ViewPad 10 is fully optimized to keep users connected.
To ensure the ViewPad 10 grows with each person's individual needs, the device offers expandable memory options via a micro SD card slot for up to 32GB of additional space. The dual-boot ViewPad 10 is now available -- with Android 1.6 and either Windows 7 Home Premium (with a 16GB SSD hard drive) or Windows 7 Professional (with a 32GB SSD hard drive) for respective ESPs of $599 and $679.
For more information on ViewSonic's products, please visit ViewSonic.com or follow ViewSonic on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. |
| Konect USB watch concept is awe-inspiring, hard to tell time on (video) Posted: 08 Mar 2011 07:02 AM PST We've seen some pretty interesting and insanely unique watches in our time, and just when we thought we'd seen it all, artist Olivier Demange whips up this timepiece concept -- dubbed Konect -- that packs a wide range of features and looks futuristic while doing so. Embedded in this Tron-esque gadget watch is a Bluetooth radio that'll act as a receiver -- yes, you can finally fulfill your lifelong dream of using your watch to communicate (only if you've strapped a paired BT headset to your skull). You'll also find proper controls for music playback, a button to answer and end calls, a removable USB stick, and well, a way to tell the time. Judging by the renders, we'd say finding out when it is might take more than a second or two, but you can be sure that we hope to see this thing on our wrists sometime. Check out the concept in video form below the fold -- and yes, we know, House! |
| Alaska's Iditarod sled dog race gains GPS, cellphones and live streaming Posted: 08 Mar 2011 06:41 AM PST We were actually pretty shocked at just how stellar the AT&T coverage was during a recent jaunt to Anchorage and Fairbanks, but we're guessing it'll take a satellite phone or two to make calls from the Alaskan wilderness. Whatever the case, the 2011 edition of the Iditarod is being hailed as the most technologically advanced ever, with mushers having "custom-made sleds with adjustable runners for varying snow conditions and, starting this year, GPS devices to check on their progress." Phones and live streaming arrangements will be keeping the world tuned in to the 1,150 mile race from Anchorage to Nome, and if fate has its way, the hot-natured, Red Stripe-drinking kid from Jamaica will take home the gold. C'mon -- who wouldn't want to see Cool Runnings 2: Dog Sled Edition? |
| Jolicloud renames operating system 'Joli OS,' promises new web and Android apps Posted: 08 Mar 2011 06:20 AM PST Well, it doesn't involve the company's Jolibook laptop, but it looks like some fairly big changes are indeed in store for Joliclould's upstart operating system. In addition to confirming that version 1.2 be released next week, the company has announced that it will be renaming the operating system "Joli OS" to avoid confusion with its online desktop, which will remain "Jolicloud." What's more, while that latter component is currently only available for Chrome, the company's announced that it will be adding support for Firefox 4, Safari 5 and the iPad (in an "experimental" HTML5 port), and it's even now announced plans for an Android app. Unfortunately, details on it are about as light as can be at the moment, with Jolicloud only saying that it's coming in the "future." More details and screenshots of version 1.2 are promised in the next few days, though. |
| Apple finds another AirPlay partner in Pioneer's VSX-1021 AV receiver Posted: 08 Mar 2011 05:59 AM PST You may have laughed off the assertion made by BridgeCo's VP of Sales and Marketing back at CES, but the man's looking downright prophetic now. Apple has just nailed down yet another major player in its efforts to take over the streaming media world with AirPlay, as Pioneer's VSX-1021 launched today as the first of eight AirPlay receivers the company has planned for 2011. It's a 7.1 channel affair that supports wireless playback of iTunes libraries so long as you fork over a few extra dollars for the AS-WL300 wireless LAN adapter. You'll also need an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or a Mac / PC with iTunes 10.1+, and the new AVR should show up immediately as an available AirPlay device. This particular one will sell for $549, and if you're looking to spring, you should also know about Air Jam and iControlAV2 -- two new (free) apps that turn iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 4.2 into sources for the aforesaid AVR. The latter actually enables full-on control of the receiver from an iOS device, while the former should do a fine job of handling the song selection during your next part. Hit up the source links for the nitty-gritty, and if you venture down beyond the break, you'll find overview videos for the device shown above as well as the Air Jam app. |
| Deutsche Telekom thinking of merging T-Mobile USA with Sprint? Posted: 08 Mar 2011 05:31 AM PST It ain't as crazy as you may think. If you'll recall, we actually heard last month that Deutsche Telekom was mulling the idea of spinning off T-Mobile USA from its portfolio, and now it looks as if one carrier in particular is interested. According to the inimitable "people with knowledge of the matter," Bloomberg Businessweek is reporting that Deutsche Telekom has gone ahead with talks to "sell its T-Mobile USA unit to Sprint in exchange for a major stake in the combined entity." Granted, there's no guarantees at this point that the two will actually reach a deal that sits well with both boards, and up until now, they haven't been able to come to terms with T-Mob's valuation. As the story goes, Deutsche Telekom has purportedly said that it could sell "all or part of the US business, and all options are open." Meanwhile, Sprint's remaining mum. A merger of these two would combine the number three and four players in America, but if that doesn't pan out, T-Mobile USA may end up buying wireless spectrum from Clearwire as an alternative. We're hearing that an outright sale of T-Mobile in the US is pretty much off of the table, but considering just how many backroom talks are apparently going on in both camps, we won't be surprised until they tell us to be. |
| Immersion releases SDK to put haptics in Android, helps smartphones move what their makers gave them Posted: 08 Mar 2011 05:30 AM PST About a month ago, we told you about Immersion's MOTIV dev platform to design Android apps with tactile feedback, and today its release has finally arrived. The SDK comes with predesigned haptic effects, sample code, and the ability to tweak the duration and intensity of the feedback -- allowing developers to perfectly tailor the amount of shake in your groove thang. Interested parties can hit up the source link for the SDK download and start indulging in the haptic dark arts immediately. Show full PR text Immersion Releases MOTIV™ SDK 1.0 for Android Developers
Immersion's MOTIV™ SDK provides developers with the tools to make apps rumble with tactile feedback
SAN JOSE, Calif., March 8, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Immersion Corporation (Nasdaq:IMMR), a leading developer and licensor of touch feedback technology, today announced the release of the MOTIV™ SDK 1.0, a tool kit for Android developers to integrate tactile feedback, or haptics, into their applications. The availability of the SDK completes the recent launch of Immersion's MOTIV Haptic Development Platform.
Available at http://developer.immersion.com/, the MOTIV SDK gives Android developers access to hundreds of pre-designed haptic effects, code samples and resources to easily incorporate tactile feedback into their applications. Features of the MOTIV SDK 1.0 include:
Enhanced User Experience
-Apps designed with tactile feedback are more engaging and fun, and are differentiated in a crowded marketplace
-Developers can use haptics to create a more customized and realistic experience by adding the sense of touch. Examples of haptics being incorporated into apps include:
-Feeling the strings of a guitar app vibrate as the user strums the strings
-A player of a first-person shooter game feels a distinct difference in the kickback of a bazooka, versus a pistol or a laser
-Building anticipation (and pressure) through a crescendo effect as haptics sensations increase while time runs out during a timed application
-Enjoying the feeling of success as a puzzle confirms a successful move with a satisfying "snap"
-Adding a tactile effect helps a player adjust aim and provides context to improve accuracy
Easy to Use
-Library of pre-designed haptic effects directly accessible from the API means developers simply choose which explosion best matches the action in a game or what recoil the user should feel when they shoot a weapon
-The MOTIV effect preview app available on the Android Market provides a quick way for developers to experience and test effects on any Android handset
-Sample code provides the resources to easily incorporate effects into code
Ubiquitous
-Not all handsets are created equal; they utilize different underlying actuator technology and control software to create haptic feedback. The highest quality haptic experiences are found in handsets with Immersion's TouchSense® embedded software, which is found in many of today's Android handsets. However the MOTIV SDK is not restricted to just these handsets. The MOTIV SDK automatically optimizes haptic effects across all Android handsets to reduce code fragmentation while still providing a high quality experience for all.
-The MOTIV SDK currently supports Android 2.1 and later and is designed to be forward compatible. We intend to extend support into future Android releases.
Supported
-The MOTIV API, forum, and reference documentation are available for questions and troubleshooting
- Immersion is committed to listening to the development community as we work to continuously improve our SDK.
"We believe that haptics has the potential to fundamentally change and enhance the mobile user experience," explains Rob Lacroix, VP of Engineering at Immersion. "The MOTIV SDK is designed to eliminate the complexities of integration and allows developers to focus on the creative process of designing compelling new touch experiences for users."
Demonstrations
Haptic feedback is always best experienced in person. Immersion will be demonstrating applications that utilize the MOTIV SDK and will be hosting a session on designing applications with haptics at the AnDevCon conference in San Francisco on Wednesday, March 9, 2011. If you're unable to experience MOTIV in person, download our MOTIV effect preview app or view our Virtual MOTIV Demonstrations.
To receive updates regarding our MOTIV Development Platform, please follow us on facebook, or join our mailing list MOTIVdev@immersion.com. |
| GumPack wearable vitals monitor: the new MedicAlert bracelet? Posted: 08 Mar 2011 05:03 AM PST  It may not have the charm or good looks of, say, the uBOT-5, but a new wearable vital signs monitor could cut back on doctor's visits for the chronically ill. Produced by a Kansas State University student, the GumPack -- known as such for its size -- is a multi-sensor monitoring device that fits in the palm of your hand and relays vital stats to your doctor via the internet. Along with a built-in camera and microphone for record keeping, as well as WiFi capabilities for connectivity, the battery-powered GumPack will sport various sensors, like a reflectance pulse oximeter or a two-thumb ECG. The monitor is still in the concept stage, and will likely not be available for mass-market distribution for years -- if ever -- but with technology like this in the works, the "I've fallen and I can't get up" lady might as well start looking for a new gig. |
| Next New Networks purchased by yesterday's old YouTube, more custom content on the way Posted: 08 Mar 2011 04:36 AM PST Tired of the unprofessional, poorly-lit, generally unfunny clips that get uploaded to YouTube by the thousands every day? How about some rather more professional looking but still potentially unfunny content? Welcome to YouTube Next. That's what Next Now Networks is calling its new focus, "supercharging content creator development on YouTube" after being bought by that company, which itself is still a fairly recent Google acquisition. The Next New Networks goal was to work with independent "talent" to develop their online following, helping them find "paths to revenue." Along the way that company found itself somewhere south of $50 million dollars, according to The New York Times, and has lost its CEO in the progress. What's next for the two? More YouTube superstars, naturally. |
| Opera Mobile Store launches, has lots of apps for lots of phones Posted: 08 Mar 2011 04:01 AM PST Amazon is set to be launching its own little Market for Android sometime this month, but Opera just flinched first, flipping the switch on the Opera Mobile Store. It's an online clearinghouse for apps available for "virtually any mobile platform and device" -- which right now covers Android, BlackBerry, Palm, Symbian, Windows Mobile, and good 'ol Java. (iOS is notably absent, but supposedly coming with links back to the App Store.) Apps are provided by Appia with the vast majority costing nothing. The vast majority are also junk, but such is the case in most app stores. It's online now, featured in the Speed Dial on the many and various mobile flavors of the Opera browser, meaning you're just a tap or two away from getting MySpace profile pics on all your contacts. It honestly doesn't get much more compelling than that. Show full PR text Opera launches the Opera Mobile Store, available in over 200 Countries
Oslo, Norway – March 8, 2011
Opera Software, the leading provider of mobile browsers around the world, today announced that the Opera Mobile Store is now open and available at mobilestore.opera.com. This storefront is a featured Speed Dial link in the Opera Mini and Opera Mobile browsers, which makes the storefront immediately accessible by more than 100 million people who use an Opera browser on their mobile phones. The Opera Mobile Store has been built and delivered through a strategic partnership with Appia, the leading provider of open application marketplace technology. The Opera Mobile Store offers both free and paid applications for virtually any mobile platform and device. The Opera Mobile Store is available to Opera users and users of other mobile browsers, on all popular mobile phone platforms in more than 200 countries. The Opera Mobile Store uses Appia's storefront commerce technology and leverages a wide catalog of applications for phones with Java, Symbian, BlackBerry and Android operating systems. The storefront experience is customized to each user's phone, providing a tailored catalog based on the phone's operating system, local language and currency.
"The launch of the Opera Mobile Store supports Opera's core belief in an open, cross-platform mobile Internet experience by providing Opera users with an integrated storefront of mobile applications," said Mahi de Silva, EVP, Consumer Mobile, Opera Software. "Our partnership with Appia delivers to all Opera Mobile and Opera Mini users easy access to a wide variety of great content, on any device, all over the world."
To support the Opera Mobile Store, Opera Software has also launched the Opera Publisher Portal, providing developers with an easy way to get their applications onto the Opera Mobile Store and in front of millions of Opera users every month. In its pre-launch state, the Opera Mobile Store attracted more than 15 million users in February, from 200 countries, achieving more than 700,000 downloads per day. These metrics establish the Opera Mobile Store as a top 10 mobile application store around the world.
"The Opera Mobile Store presents a remarkable opportunity for mobile application developers to distribute localized content through a single, far-reaching marketplace," said Jud Bowman, CEO of Appia. "Appia is thrilled to partner with Opera to deliver an incredible storefront of applications to Opera users and beyond."
About Appia
Appia is the world's largest open app marketplace and white label storefront platform, supporting all operating systems and handsets. Today, Appia powers app storefronts for more than 40 partners reaching more than 200 million mobile subscribers in 200 countries and counting. Customers include four of the world's top five handset manufacturers, three of the top four mobile operators in the US and three of the top ten mobile operators globally including Samsung, Opera, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon Wireless. The Appia Developer Program provides partners with a ready to launch catalog of over 140,000 paid and free apps from more than 30,000 global application developers. Appia is headquartered in Durham, NC with offices in Dallas, TX, and Munich, Germany. For more information, visit www.appia.com, or follow @Appia.
About Opera Software ASA
Opera Software ASA has redefined web browsing for PCs, mobile phones and other networked devices. Opera's cross-platform web-browser technology is renowned for its performance, standards compliance and small size, while giving users a faster, safer and more dynamic online experience. Opera Software is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with offices around the world. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA. Learn more about Opera at http://www.opera.com/. |
| Android's everywhere! Xtreamer PVR to serve up a heaping helping of Froyo in your home theater Posted: 08 Mar 2011 03:35 AM PST We got to check out Xtreamer's Prodigy media player and go hands-on with its Ultra HTPC at CeBIT last week, but it turns out that the company has another nifty device set to debut this year. After taking a peek at its 2011 product catalog, we discovered that the Xtreamer PVR is "comming soon" with a similarly sexy exterior and much of the same specs as the Prodigy, but packing a Sigma Designs SMP8656 chip for high-end 3D graphics, optional dual tuners, and Android 2.2. We sincerely hope that Xtreamer's prowess with Froyo far exceeds its aptitude for spelling -- we kid because we care. |
| JBL's On Air Wireless AirPlay speaker dock gets official, unavailable to purchase Posted: 08 Mar 2011 03:03 AM PST When we first peeked this AirPlay-enabled speaker dock, we were admittedly excited to see how things would turn out after it made rounds through the FCC. JBL just tossed up the splash page for the On Air Wireless speaker and we've gotta say -- it looks to be a promising means of streaming your jams. The system connects wirelessly to your AirPlay-enabled Mac and iOS device on 4.2 or later and packs a screen that'll display the track info of the song you're rocking out to. What's more, the rounded grill sports a dual alarm clock, FM radio, and a USB port for future firmware updates. As you might have surmised by now, the dock is not yet available for purchase and there's no word on price. If you're interested, though, be sure to hit the source link, sign up for more info and get ready to headbang this spring. |
| Optical tweezers manipulate microscopic objects using an iPad, raw brainpower (video) Posted: 08 Mar 2011 02:28 AM PST Okay, so maybe the whole brainpower thing is a distant second to the iPad itself, but still -- being a rocket scientist probably doesn't hurt when manipulating microscopic objects via a multitouch display. That's the kind of setup that students and boffins alike have going at England's University of Bristol, where iTweezers are being used to control a tiny rod about 300 nanometers wide, amongst other things. Essentially, the iPad is able to display what's under a microscope via a wireless display transfer, and then, touch points are converted into laser movements that are used to handle objects that are far smaller than those visible particles clogging up your left ear right now. All told, a user can select up to 11 different objects, and in theory, the iPad could enable scientists to do this remotely. Hey, we're all about new and improved ways to telework. Vid's below, kiddos. |
| Philips Fidelio SoundSphere WiFi speakers get AirPlayed Posted: 08 Mar 2011 01:56 AM PST Add one more to the list of manufacturers supporting Apple's AirPlay. Philips just announced its Fidelio SoundSphere speakers that support WiFi music streaming over Apple's new media sharing "standard" from your PC or Mac iTunes library or from any iOS device. Unfortunately, Philips isn't providing any useful detail about these speakers with free-floating tweeters and 360-degree sound. But hey, if you're the kind who buys speakers based on appearance alone, then the €799 (about $1,100 -- nearly twice as much as the Zeppelin Air) price tag for the speaker pair + dock should be no problem when they hit Europe sometime in May. Press release and bonus pic after the break.  Show full PR text New Philips Fidelio SoundSphere uses Wi-Fi and supports Apple's AirPlay®
Barcelona, Spain – Philips today unveils the merging of two of its most successful product lines, SoundSphere and Fidelio, in order to bring music lovers the ultimate, full-fidelity listening experience. Combining the impressive functionality of its docking speaker range Fidelio, the superior sound quality of the Philips SoundSphere technology and Apple's AirPlay®, the Philips Fidelio SoundSphere docking speakers delivers authentic sound – while your device simply stays in your hand.
With Airplay, the Philips Fidelio SoundSphere docking speakers give you both an amazing sound and hassle-free access to all your music from iTunes.
The Sound is in the Design
The amazing sound quality of the Philips Fidelio SoundSphere docking speaker lies in its design. The curved design of the separate speakers with their unique free-floating tweeters on top of both speakers mean Philips Fidelio SoundSphere delivers sound in all directions for a deeper and wider audio impression with minimized interferences.
The Sound is in the Air
The Philips Fidelio Soundsphere docking speaker utilizes Airplay1 to seamlessly play music over a home Wi-Fi network from iTunes on Mac and PC, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. With AirPlay, you enjoy all your music via the brilliant speakers of the Philips Fidelio SoundSphere without plugging in cables or even docking your device.
The Philips Fidelio SoundSphere docking speaker integrates perfectly with your iTunes, iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch and gives you an authentic sound experience everywhere in your home through a unique combination of technology, design and functionality. Philips Fidelio SoundSphere will be available from May 2011 with a recommended retail price of 799 EUR. |
| HTC seeks EVO View 4G trademark, all but confirming WiMAX tablet for Sprint Posted: 08 Mar 2011 01:32 AM PST Not that we were doubting the veracity of our tipster's info, but here's a nice fat slice of pseudo-official confirmation of what we were told a couple of days ago. HTC has laid claim to the trademark of "HTC EVO View 4G," confirming our indications that an EVO View tablet would be coming to Sprint's Now Network. That postulation is also supported by the fact that the EVO branding has only ever appeared in association with Sprint as well as some pretty compelling circumstantial evidence. There is an interesting new piece to the puzzle, however, in the 4G appendage to the device's name, which would imply that we're looking at our first WiMAX tablet -- something Sprint promised for this year and looks set to unveil at the upcoming CTIA 2011 trade show. Our expectation is that the EVO View 4G moniker will be attached to HTC's1.5GHz Flyer, a 7-inch Android Gingerbread slate with aspirations for Honeycomb glory in its near future. Only one way to be sure though, keep an eye on our CTIA coverage and we'll let you know as soon as the official bird chirps out the official word. |
| Microsoft goes on a hiring spree for new Xbox hardware devs, staffing up for next console push? Posted: 08 Mar 2011 12:50 AM PST Before you go leaping to any conclusions, do remember that Microsoft plans on keeping the Xbox 360 going until at least 2015 so we're not really talking imminent changes here. Nonetheless, the software giant has listed a plethora of new job openings, with the most interesting ones being at its Mountain View research campus, where a team responsible for "defining and delivering next generation console architectures" is looking for fresh blood. A graphics hardware architect is sought to ensure that the next Xbox strikes the optimal balance between the awesome and affordable, while a design verification engineer and a few others will be hired to test and help develop prototypes. This bolstering of numbers seems to indicate Microsoft is starting to ramp up research and development on its next-gen home entertainment linchpin, and while nothing's likely to emerge from those Mountain View labs in the short term, the mere sound of clanking tools and buzzing electrons is getting us excited already. |
| PlugShare app lets you share your plugs with other EV drivers Posted: 08 Mar 2011 12:22 AM PST Are you the sort that doesn't mind letting random people pull up in your driveway to recharge their electric vehicle? Then you might want to consider using the new PlugShare app for iOS devices that was just released today, which will let you broadcast your location and plug status to everyone passing by. Of course, there are also some privacy settings if you prefer to control things a bit more tightly, and the app also includes a complete database of public charging stations across the US if you'd rather not bother someone else at all when you're out on the road. What's more, while the app is iOS-only at the moment, the company promises that an Android version is "coming soon." Head on past the break for a quick demo video.
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| Sony's see-through Alpha DSLR gets the hands-on treatment, probably won't get a launch date Posted: 07 Mar 2011 11:49 PM PST We've been teasing you with images of this see-through beauty since Sony announced plans to bring its translucent mirror to the A77. Unfortunately, we've still yet to get our dirty paws on its hard shell, but we're happy to live vicariously through Pocket-lint's hands-on of Sony's clear-bodied Alpha camera. According to its post, the concept DSLR is based on a heretofore unidentified mid-range camera that touts an Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor and "fast continuous autofocus." The camera is slated for a late 2011 release, but chances are it won't come with that sweet transparent body. So soak it up while you can, because this could be the last you see of the crystalline casing -- hit the source link for even more eye candy. |
| Adobe Flash Player 10.3 enters beta before Q2 release on desktop, mobile to follow soon after that Posted: 07 Mar 2011 11:06 PM PST Adobe's Flash Player 10.2 is ( somewhat infamously) still absent from mobile devices, but the company is bravely promising that its brand new desktop beta of version 10.3 will be coming to both desktop and mobile devices "soon." Improvements in the latest iteration include some acoustic hocus pocus for better internet telephony, new video analytics APIs, privacy controls integrated into browser settings in Firefox 4 and IE8 (Chrome and Safari to follow), and native control panel integration with both Mac's System Preferences and Windows' Control Panel. Beta testing ends in Q2 2011 for the desktop and a mobile release should follow swiftly thereafter. As to when we'll finally be able to stop discussing which devices have or can run Flash, not even Adobe could provide us with a reliable roadmap for that. |
| Samsung HDD manages 1TB per platter, areal-density enthusiasts rejoice Posted: 07 Mar 2011 10:32 PM PST  Solid state drives are the geek storage of choice, what with their quiet nature, blazing fast speed, and stunning good looks. However, the limited capacity and sky-high price of SSDs keeps many of us buying traditional disk-based storage solutions -- which is just fine considering Samsung keeps finding ways to fit more bits and bytes on every drive. Last year, Sammy's EcoGreen F4EG squeezed 2TB onto a 3-platter drive (or 667GB per platter), and now the company's primed to release a new series of Spinpoint drives with even greater areal density at a time and price that remains TBD. Whenever they do get here, the new HDDs promise to deliver up to 1TB per platter spinning at 5,400RPM -- meaning 4TB desktop drives and a terabyte of storage (courtesy of two 500GB platters) in standard-sized laptop HDDs. The 3.5-inch version packs a 32MB cache and SATA 6Gbps compatibility, while the 2.5-inch variety has an 8MB cache and a 3 Gb/s SATA interface. Knowing all that, only one question remains: could areal-density enthusiasts be the new pixel-density enthusiasts? |
| Boeing's new unmanned X-37B launches into orbit, won't come home until it finds Major Tom Posted: 07 Mar 2011 10:01 PM PST Model X-37B might look familiar to you -- it was the name of an autonomous space vehicle that took flight just about a year ago, orbited for a whopping eight months, and then successfully returned to our planet all by itself. Now a new version of the X-37B has blasted off to hang outside of the atmosphere for a while. The spacecraft left Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 41 down in Florida and hurtled to a low-Earth orbit with help of a Atlas V rocket. Boeing isn't saying exactly what it's doing up there, but we suspect this spaceship knows which way to go. |
| HP's Omni Pro 110 all-in-one aims to please the business set Posted: 07 Mar 2011 09:27 PM PST  HP's been cranking out all-in-one's for quite a while now, but the company's latest offering -- the Omni Pro 110 -- attempts to be a real hit with the business crowd. Behind that 1600 x 900 20-inch anti-glare monitor comes your choice of Intel Pentium or Core 2 Duo processor, up to 4 gigs of RAM, an HDD ranging from 250GB to 1TB in capacity, and a built-in DVD burner with LightScribe functionality. It's also got a whopping six USB ports, six-in-one card reader, and built-in speakers present in that chin region at the bottom. HP's highlighting the Pro's ease of upgradability , and with a starting price of just $639, the sky's the limit. |
| Adobe outs experimental Flash-to-HTML5 conversion tool, calls it Wallaby Posted: 07 Mar 2011 08:55 PM PST Ah, if only we could flip a big happy switch and convert all the web's Flash content into (functional) HTML5 code. It's a dream shared by many and, funnily enough, the company pushing to make it a reality is none other than Adobe itself, the owner and proprietor of Flash. Its Labs research team has just released an experimental new dev tool, dubbed Wallaby, that's targeted at taking Flash-encoded artwork and animations and turning them into a more compatible mix of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Of course, the intent here is not some magnanimous move to free us from the shackles of Flash -- Adobe openly admits that the initial goal for the new tool will be to help convert animated banner ads so that they work on the iOS platform -- but hey, even bad tools can be used for good sometimes, right?
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| Warner Bros. starts renting movies via Facebook Posted: 07 Mar 2011 08:43 PM PST If you were looking for something more worthwhile to spend Facebook credits on than virtual trinkets for some game, Warner has an idea: all those movies you said you "liked." Starting today it is testing out a plan to rent movies right on their respective pages for 30 Facebook credits / $3 each. The first one on deck is The Dark Knight ( again?) which should be live later today, with more available to rent or purchase in the future. there's no word on resolution or other features, but at the price we're assuming SD only. Full details are in the press release after the break, but the rentals have the standard 48-hour VOD window and can be paused/resumed simply by logging back into Facebook. In its current state, we doubt Netflix, Amazon and the rest have anything to worry about as far as competition, but maybe Warner thinks it can snag a few bucks from simply making sure there's a buy button of some kind awaiting our various identities in as many places as possible. Show full PR text WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT BECOMES FIRST HOLLYWOOD STUDIO TO OFFER MOVIES DIRECTLY ON FACEBOOK®
MILLIONS OF WARNER BROS. FACEBOOK FANS CAN NOW RENT MOVIES USING FACEBOOK CREDITS AND STREAM WITHIN STUDIO'S MOVIE FAN PAGES
PROGRAM WILL EXPAND TO DIGITAL MOVIE PURCHASES IN THE NEAR FUTURE
BURBANK, CALIF., March 8, 2011 – Warner Bros. Digital Distribution (WBDD), a market leader in video-on-demand and electronic sell-through, today announced it will begin testing an offering of selected movies for purchase or rental through Warner Bros. Entertainment's Facebook movie Pages. Consumers will be able to use Facebook Credits to easily buy or rent a title, all while staying connected to Facebook.
Starting today, millions of fans who "Liked" Christopher Nolan's blockbuster film "The Dark Knight" can rent the title through its official Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/darkknight). Consumers simply click on the "rent" icon to apply their Facebook Credits, and within seconds they will begin enjoying the film. The cost per rental is 30 Facebook Credits or $3. This offering is presently available only to consumers in the United States. Additional titles will be made available for rental and purchase on a regular basis over the coming months.
"Facebook has become a daily destination for hundreds of millions of people," said Thomas Gewecke, President of Warner Bros. Digital Distribution. "Making our films available through Facebook is a natural extension of our digital distribution efforts. It gives consumers a simple, convenient way to access and enjoy our films through the world's largest social network."
Fans will have full control over the film while watching it through their Facebook account for up to 48 hours from purchase. They can choose to watch it in full screen, pause the movie, and resume playing it when they log back into Facebook. Consumers will also have full Facebook functionality including the ability to post comments on the movie, interact with friends and update their status.
"The Dark Knight"
The follow-up to "Batman Begins," Warner Bros. Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' "The Dark Knight" reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who reprises the role of "Batman/Bruce Wayne" in his continuing war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good. The triumvirate proves effective, but soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as The Joker, who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces Batman closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante.
The film also stars Michael Caine as "Alfred"; Heath Ledger as "The Joker"; Gary Oldman as "Jim Gordon"; Aaron Eckhart as "Harvey Dent"; Maggie Gyllenhaal as "Rachel Dawes"; and Morgan Freeman as "Lucius Fox." Nolan directed the film from a screenplay written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. The producers are Charles Roven, Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan.
Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.
About Warner Bros. Digital Distribution
Warner Bros. Digital Distribution (WBDD) oversees the electronic distribution of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group's content through Video-On-Demand, Pay-Per-View, Electronic Sell-Through and Subscription Video-On-Demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels. WBDD also distributes content through third party digital retailers and licensees. A worldwide industry leader since its inception, WBDD also manages the Studio's E-commerce sites that include WBShop.com and WarnerArchive.com. Twitter: @WBDigitalDist |
| AMD launches Radeon HD 6990 powerhouse for $699, maintains 'world's fastest' title Posted: 07 Mar 2011 08:02 PM PST If you're scoring at home, NVIDIA currently holds the lead in single-GPU graphics cards with its GeForce GTX 580, but ATI's dual-chip Radeon HD 5970 has been holding down the absolute speed crown for a good long while. Now, bearing the name of AMD Radeon HD 6990, its successor sidles up to the throne and demands attention as the fastest single expansion board you can plug into your shiny new motherboard. The 6990 boasts a massive 4GB of GDDR5, 3,072 Stream Processors, 64 ROPs, and an 830MHz core clock speed. A dual-BIOS switch will let you crank that clock up to 880MHz with a corresponding increase in voltage, but don't expect to see much overclocking headroom above that. Reviewers note, alongside their fawning assessment of the world's best performance, that the HD 6990 is a massively power-hungry card (375W TDP) and one that makes quite a bit of noise while going through its herculean tasks. That's in spite of a new vapor chamber cooling system that allegedly supports up to 450W of thermal output. If all this strikes you as a somewhat flawed execution, maybe you'll join us in hoping NVIDIA's imminently upcoming response, dubbed the GTX 590, will be able to offer a neater, more efficient assault on the extreme peaks of graphical performance. Read - HardOCP Read - AnandTech Read - Tech Report Read - PC Perspective Read - techPowerUp! Read - Hot Hardware Read - Hexus |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X220 and X220 convertible tablet official, 24 hours of battery life promised Posted: 07 Mar 2011 08:01 PM PST Come on, you knew this one was coming! Yep, that leaked Lenovo ThinkPad X220 with all its SSD and display options is now the real deal, and it's one heck of an ultraportable. Just as we saw from that spec sheet, the new 12.5-inch (up from the 12.1-inch X201) laptop is configurable with that 1366x768-resolution IPS display, your choice of standard voltage Sandy Bridge Core i3, i5, and i7 processors, and up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM. There are no discrete graphics options, but you can opt to configure this one with USB 3.0 and a selection SSDs, including Intel's 80GB and 160GB offerings. The 720p webcam, dual digital microphones for noise cancellation, and the new buttonless touchpad (aka ClickPad) come standard. However, the real story Lenovo's trying to tell here is in battery life -- with the nine-cell battery the system is rated for 15 hours of endurance, but snap on the $179 ThinkPad external pack and it shoots on up to 24 hours. Thought Lenovo was going to leave the X Series tablet out in the cold without a refresh? Of course not, the X220T also sips from that same fresh Sandy Bridge well, though it doesn't claim that same 24 hour battery life feat -- the four-pound convertible is rated for 16 hours of run time when paired with the external pack. Oh, and did we mention that the multitouch screen is now available with Gorilla Glass? The X220 and the X220T start at $899 and $1,199, respectively, but won't actually be available until April. That said, our Core i5-2520M X220 and its extended battery just arrived in our "lab" so stay tuned for a full review with lots of endurance testing. Until then, hit the break for the full PR and the gallery below from some images. Show full PR text New Lenovo ThinkPad Ultraportable Laptops Recharged, Reenergized and Renewed
Up to 24-hour battery life, smart PC technologies & sleek, usable design
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – March 8, 2011: Lenovo announced today the next generation of the best-selling ultraportable laptop of 20101 – the ThinkPad X220 laptop - and the X220 convertible Tablet PC. These PCs give mobile business professionals the full performance and usability found in larger laptops, but in a super ultraportable design. The PCs run up to 75 percent faster than ultraportable competitors that use low-powered CPUs2, feature smart PC technologies for incredibly long battery life up to 24 hours3 on the ThinkPad X220 and sport a clean, revamped design with hinge-based latching and a giant touchpad in a thinner laptop design. Additionally, they feature improved durability with wider drain-holes in the spill resistant keyboard and a 50% improvement in drop test performance4.
"Put simply, The ThinkPad X Series has everything a modern road warrior needs without compromises – low weight, long battery life and high performance," said Dilip Bhatia, vice president, ThinkPad Marketing, Lenovo. "We've refined the mobile computing experience to make it more productive and enjoyable with features like smart PC technologies and enhanced video and voice calling."
24 hour Battery Life for Around the Clock Computing
The ThinkPad X220 offers up to 15 hours battery life with a standard 9-cell battery. Battery life jumps up to 24-hours by adding the new ThinkPad external battery. The convertible tablet starts under four pounds with its standard 4-cell battery. When combined with a 6-cell battery and the external battery pack, the tablet can run for 16 hours continuously on one charge. Users charge the PCs on the external ThinkPad Battery when connected to the PC or separately. A battery charge indicator shows when the battery reaches a full charge.
Full-Performance Under Three Pounds
These speed-optimized PCs fit the same full-powered CPUs as bigger 14 and 15-inch laptops for full performance5, while similar weight competitors offer only low powered CPUs. Lenovo Enhanced Experience 2.0 primes the PCs for rapid boot, shut down and resume from sleep by tuning the BIOS and other hardware settings. With Intel™ HD integrated graphics the PCs perform twice as quickly in streaming video, editing photos and loading web pages. Additionally, USB 3.0 technology on select models transfers data lightning fast, up to 10 times that of USB 2.0.
Smart PC Technologies
Equipped with second generation Intel™ Core® i7 processors, applications run fast and make multi-tasking hassle-free. The PCs come with self-aware and adaptive technologies to ensure priority components receive power for the highest levels of performance and battery life. Intel™ Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 boosts processor speed during intensive tasks, and with Lenovo Turbo Boost+, the PCs can stay in Turbo Boost mode longer by keeping processor temperatures below certain thresholds. With reduced power to non-essential hardware, the laptops achieve up to 30 percent longer battery life while playing multimedia so users can watch DVDs, listen to MP3s or stream web content longer.
Loud and Clear Voice and Video Calling
The "no compromise" performance experience continues with technologies that solve everyday challenges. For example, they incorporate several technologies for excellent voice and video conferencing, such as private chat and conference call microphone modes, keyboard noise suppression technology and a dedicated LED-lit microphone mute key.
The PCs also keep corridor warriors connected longer with Lenovo's new Instant Resume function. This function maintains connections during sleep mode for up to 99 minutes, eliminating the need to login and reconnect between meetings. And tablet users don't have to worry about losing their pen with the new "never-lost-pen" technology. It notifies a person when he or she moves the tablet without the pen in the pen-holder.
ThinkPad Remodels with Clean, Sharp & Durable Design
The inside of the new PCs reveal a cleaner, sharper design over previous models. Both the ThinkPad X220 laptop and X220 Tablet feature a 12.5-inch HD screen and self-closing hinges that shut the PCs. This space-saving hinge design brings several key benefits: better antenna and speaker placement for stronger thoroughput, a 45 percent larger touchpad and a cleaner visual design. The larger, buttonless touchpad gives extra room for fingers to scroll, highlight and do multitouch gestures.
For students, mobile sales forces and other mobile professionals working outside, the multitouch tablet now adds a new rough and tough feature to its super bright, 300-nit screen with scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass. Already military specifications tested to meet extreme conditions, Gorilla Glass strengthens the screen so it can withstand scratches, scrapes and abuse from the field.
Ready for Business
The PCs are also business-ready: They're easy for IT administrators to use and manage thanks to their second generation Intel™ Core® and Core® vPro processors. Common ThinkPad docking stations and batteries also allow companies to swap hardware among employees to maximize their resources and minimize cost.
Pricing and Availability6
The ThinkPad X220 laptop and X220 Tablet will be available starting in April through business partners and www.lenovo.com. Prices for models start at approximately $899 and $1,199, respectively.
For the latest Lenovo news, subscribe to Lenovo RSS feeds or follow Lenovo on Twitter and Facebook.
About Lenovo
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is dedicated to building exceptionally engineered personal computers. Lenovo's business model is built on innovation, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction as well as a focus on investment in emerging markets. Formed by Lenovo Group's acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services worldwide. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information see www.lenovo.com.
1IDC Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, February, 2011
2Comparison of available CPUs for i5-2520M CPU (2.5 GHz) to i5-2537M (1.4 GHz). [e.g. Samsung Series 9 weighs 2.88 lbs w/ a 2.4GHz i5-2537M; or Dell Latitude 13 weighs 3.3 lbs w/ a 1.4GHz SU7300 CPU.
324 hours achieved with configuration including ULV CPU, 300nit 12.5"HD IPS display, 2.5" SSD, 1GB
4Lenovo internal testing.
5Memory, 93.6 Whr (9cell) Battery and ThinkPad Battery 19+ (Slim External Battery Pack)
6Prices do not include tax or shipping and are subject to change without notice and is tied to specific terms and conditions. Reseller prices may vary. Price does not include all advertised features. All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice. |
| Kinect hack turns Arduino-controlled delta robot into aggressive claw crane (video) Posted: 07 Mar 2011 07:02 PM PST Candy crane, teddy picker, claw machine, whatever you call it, this arcade mainstay was robbing children of their golden tokens long before we slid into our first pair of Hammer pants, but despite the changing face of the plush offerings within, the crane game's remained mostly the same. Now a team of students at the Bartlett School of Architecture have produced a Kinect hack that could change the way you drop that claw. The rather temperamental delta robot enlists the ever-hackable peripheral in combination with Processing and Arduino to mimic the movements of a user's arm. As you can tell by the video below, the delta hasn't quite figured out the subtleties of human gestures, but the robot's creators say they intend to implement "several autonomous behaviors" once all the kinks are worked out. Frankly, we'd pay our weight in tokens to see the crane game bite back at an unsuspecting whippersnapper. Video after the break. |
| Android Honeycomb's music app extracted, brings cloud sync and streaming to phones Posted: 07 Mar 2011 06:09 PM PST Those who are familiar with Android Honeycomb might have already come across its music player's cloud syncing feature, though previous attempts to port said app to phones hadn't been successful. Whatever it was that kept crashing the app back then, it seems to have fixed itself -- after xda-developers member WhiteWidows slapped the leaked app onto his rooted EVO 4G, the phone started to automagically sync his tunes to his Google account. The modder then swapped in an empty SD card, but he was still able to stream music straight from the cloud after checking the "Stream music" option in the app. Pretty neat, eh? That said, we do wonder if Google will be able to handle the exabytes worth of high-quality Justin Bieber and Spice Girl tracks. |
| Cisco's Umi and TelePresence video calling systems: now with work at home and home at work Posted: 07 Mar 2011 05:28 PM PST It was only a matter of time before Cisco's Umi and TelePresence services got together for some HD video calling synergy, and the company has finally enabled "full interoperability" between the two. Not only that, but the networking giant is also rolling out a free HD calling client called Umi Connect for PC and Mac (think SkypeHD) and a new Umi 720 system that works with slower broadband connections. The 720 will cost $399 upon its market arrival this summer, while the already available Umi 1080 gets a much-needed-yet-still-underwhelming hundred dollar price drop to $499. Service fees have also fallen from $275 to $99 a year and from $24.95 to $9.95 monthly for those who are commitment-averse. Maybe now you can persuade the bossman (or bosslady, as it were) to finally let you work from home -- though pants-free employment will undoubtedly remain off, or maybe just under, the table. PR's after the break. [Thanks, Adam] Show full PR text Cisco Connects Businesses to Consumers via Video; Announces Seamless Connectivity between Å«mi and Cisco TelePresence and Expansion of Consumer TelePresence Portfolio
SAN JOSE, Calif. – March 7, 2011 – Extending the company's success in telepresence, Cisco today announced that it is enabling businesses to connect with consumers via full interoperability between Cisco Å«miTM and the Cisco TelePresence portfolio for businesses. Cisco is also announcing an expansion of its Å«mi product line with a range of options, from free HD desktop video to high-quality immersive telepresence experiences on an HDTV.
Business Services in the Home
As video communications becomes pervasive, businesses and consumers are increasingly looking to augment in-person meetings and interactions with lifelike video experiences. With today's announcement, Å«mi users in the home will be able to connect with businesses over telepresence, paving the way for innovative new video services such as distance learning, tele-health, virtual professional services and community services.
Expanded Å«mi Product Line
Key to today's announcement is the extension of the Å«mi product line, making home telepresence experiences available to more consumers. Å«mi is a first-of-its-kind, easy-to-use consumer product that delivers a high-quality, immersive video calling experience that goes beyond just seeing the people you talk to. The expanded portfolio includes:
Cisco Å«mi Connect, a free HD calling client for PC and Macs (currently in trials);
Cisco Å«mi 720, a new product that delivers an immersive telepresence experience with lower broadband requirements, which will be available at $399;
Cisco Å«mi 1080, the original breakthrough telepresence offering for the home now available at a reduced price of $499.
The service fee for Cisco Å«mi 1080 and 720 is now $99.00 a year, or $9.95 a month. There is no service fee for Å«mi Connect for PC and Mac.
Å«mi 1080 and 720 include an HD camera, a console and a remote. Unlike video chat, Å«mi telepresence was specifically designed for the living room and group-to-group conversations, delivering a truly immersive and lifelike video experience that fits into every home, automatically adjusting to lighting conditions and background noise to provide the most natural communications experience possible. Both Å«mi 1080 and 720 products offer optical zoom and automatic pan and tilt to deliver close up and room size experiences.
Å«mi 1080 and 720 connect to any existing HD television and broadband internet connection to deliver a high-quality, HD video calling experience in the home. The new Cisco Å«mi 720 requires less bandwidth, 1.5 mbps upload and download speeds which are readily available across most of the U.S. Both versions of Cisco Å«mi intelligently adapt to the quality of the broadband in the home.
Sharing Video Experiences
In addition to its immersive and lifelike experience and incredible ease of use, Å«mi also offers HD recording and sharing on FaceBook, Flipshare and You Tube. In the case of a missed call consumers can leave video messages for one another. Both recorded videos and messages can be retrieved from a PC, Mac or smart phone. In addition, with Cisco Å«mi telepresence, users can also place and receive video calls from anyone with a computer (PC or Mac), webcam and Å«mi Connect or Google Video Chat.
"With today's announcement, Cisco is continuing to deliver innovative, market-leading video and telepresence solutions that enable consumers to connect and transact with businesses from the comfort of their home," said Marthin De Beer, senior vice president, TelePresence, Emerging Technologies & Consumer Business, Cisco. "By offering a range of video solutions – from high-end Cisco TelePresence for business to the free Cisco Å«mi Connect product, we are extending our leadership in telepresence and driving the pervasive use of HD video."
Å«mi for Service Providers
Today's announcement gives consumers, businesses and service providers the industry's widest choice of high-definition telepresence video communications options. Verizon will be launching Å«mi for its FiOS network this year. In addition, Å«mi is in field trials with service providers in Europe, Latin America and Asia.
Availability
Cisco Å«mi 1080 is now available for 499.00 at Best Buy Magnolia and at bestbuy.com; Cisco Å«mi 720 is scheduled to be available for $399.00 early this summer. Cisco Å«mi Connect is in beta trials and is scheduled to be available via free download this summer. |
| Nao robot gets a new charging station, Kinect / Wiimote controls Posted: 07 Mar 2011 04:46 PM PST Robots that are able to find a charger and plug themselves in may not be that unique anymore, but most of those chargers tend to leave the robot with little to do while it replenishes its batteries. Not so with this new charger developed by Aldebaran Robotics for its Nao robot, which basically consists of a retractable extension cord that leaves the robot free to continue interacting with its owner, or simply sit down and chill out as the case may be. What's more, while that comes from Aldebaran itself, we're also now starting to see some results out of the company's new developer program, and it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that one of the first standout projects involves Wiimote and Kinect controls. Head on past the break to see both it and the new charging station on video.
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| Editorial: Facebook, single identities, and the right to be anonymous Posted: 07 Mar 2011 04:02 PM PST  Here in the small but intense world of writing for tech blogs, trolling and spam are a daily nuisance. In fact, on a highly commented-upon blog such as Engadget, dealing with them (i.e., deleting comments, banning spammers, and responding to irrational people) can sometimes feel like a full-time job. I know this firsthand, as I have, possibly more than most of the other editors here over the past few years, made it one of my primary daily tasks (along with our three amazing interns). By engaging with our commenters, I've made a few friends. Mostly though, it's a thankless task, an unending, uphill battle for Engadget, which ranges between 10 and 20,000 comments per day. The low quality of many comments is largely caused by anonymity on the internet, and the fact that anyone can sign up for as many Disqus accounts as they wish. Sure, people can log in using Twitter or Facebook, and while the number of people who choose to do so has risen drastically, nearly half of our commenters still use the Disqus option, which is the most anonymous. I'd venture to guess that 100 percent of our spammers and trolls do so. It's a major headache, and one which we've spent an incredible amount of time combating and discussing, and occasionally, just giving up on. Late last week, a new solution came onto the scene, and in a very visible way: TechCrunch, another AOL property which has similar commenting problems (fanboys, trolls, you know: the fun types) threw the switch on Facebook's new and improved native commenting system. This essentially pulls all commenters into the Facebook architecture, meaning that most people will now be commenting with their real identity, and if, like me, you don't have a Facebook account, you can't comment there at all. It was unsurprisingly somewhat controversial, and TechCrunch themselves seem unsure of how the experiment will turn out. Several things, however, are clear: the trolls and spam were largely nuked in the time it took to throw the switch. Now, it should be said that I absolutely, 100 percent sympathize with their plight. While I'm not intimately familiar with their commenters of old, I've spent enough time reading them to recognize the same garbage there as we get on Engadget. So, when they did throw that Facebook-only switch, I was jealous. There have, since then, been some discussions (most notably by Technologizer and MG Siegler himself) about the seeming decline in the quality of some of the comments -- but I'm going to leave that aside for the moment, and talk about the larger issue in all of this that interests me far more. Technologizer's Jared Newman starts his comments out with this Zuckerberg gem of a quote from David Kirkpatrick's The Facebook Effect: "You have one identity. The days of you having a different image for your work friends or co-workers and for the other people you know are probably coming to an end pretty quickly ... Having two identities for yourself is an example of a lack of integrity." The sentiment was echoed by Robert Scoble over the weekend, who is a voracious lover of the 'one identity on the internet argument.' And to a certain extent, they're absolutely correct: if I have to be the Laura June that my step-mother (who was friends with me on Facebook, back when I had an account) knows when I'm commenting on Gawker, well, my behavior will be much different. In fact, I might not comment at all. The problem isn't that idea: it is of course, absolutely true. The problem is that very few people seem to be questioning whether or not that is, in fact, a good thing. Because... is it? Am I no longer entitled to some separation between who I am when I'm talking about technology rather than when I'm talking about my political beliefs, should I choose to separate those things? Is a teenager no longer entitled to explore and even comment on blogs about, say, homosexuality, without logging in to Facebook to do so? Does everybody need to know everything that I like? Do they even want to? If I was that exploring teenager, of course, and the whole world had flipped the Facebook switch, I could always just make a fake Facebook account, for sure. But it seems to me that this is a false necessity, where we force people to lie about who they are, rather than merely enabling them to choose not to disclose who they are to begin with. One of the greatest advancements the internet has brought us is the ability to connect (yes, anonymously sometimes), people of all types. Being a 15-year old girl who fears she might be pregnant is not the same thing today that it was in 1992. Being anything that deviates from the absolute norm, or requires privacy -- whether you're anorexic, or super into Cosplay, or you're looking for the perfect place to take your girlfriend out to dinner for Valentine's Day, or even just a little bullied book nerd who doesn't have any friends at school -- has been in many ways helped by the internet, where you can always find others who are just like you, and who remind you that you're not alone, or can make suggestions about things you might like. Yes, that means there is also a place for Nazis to congregate and for 4Chan to exist, and for trolls to make a mess all over our blogs, which are our businesses. But are we, as a society, in agreement with Zuckerberg, where having two identities necessarily means we have less integrity? For blogs and news sites like TechCrunch, which are businesses, the answer may be yes. After all, as businesses, we can choose to run them however we wish, and forcing people to be who they, in fact, are in real life may clean up the nagging annoyance of garbage comments that contribute nothing and waste everybody's time. We can, as a business, even choose to have no comments at all. My point here isn't really about comments on the internet, but the larger idea that "one identity" is the ultimate goal. Does my family know that I'm an ultra-left winger with the mouth of a truck driver? Yes, they do. But they don't need or care to be inundated with it 24 hours a day, and forcing me into one ecosystem every place I wander to online seems to be unnecessarily homogenizing, where the world of the internet is bound to become a more boring, less awesome place. Of course, I'm creating a false situation for myself: I haven't done anything much anonymously on the internet in a very long time. In that way, I have a lot in common with Scoble. But most people don't. Most people aren't in any way "public," and stripping that privacy, that sense of anonymity, away from every person without even the slightest discussion seems to me to be very short-sighted, and ultimately, even dangerous. So, for now, just because we're not forcing you to be the person your grandmother knits socks for when you comment on Engadget, please remember: we're all real people, somewhere, and deleting the 700 "you're paid by Apple" comments isn't fun for those real people. |
| Skeletonics exoskeleton stars in thrilling demonstration video Posted: 07 Mar 2011 03:34 PM PST This so-called Skeletonics exoskeleton may not have any motors or hydraulics like most of its powered counterparts, but that doesn't mean it isn't still plenty capable -- as a new, elaborately produced video amply demonstrates. We won't spoil it all for you, but lets just say things pick up when the guitar licks start, and there's definitely someone running for their life before the end. See for yourself after the break.
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| SNAK Facebook keyboard features custom hotkeys for all your trolling, poking, and cyber-stalking needs Posted: 07 Mar 2011 02:59 PM PST  Sometimes you have to keep tweaking a concept until you have a winner. Do you really think that Robert Amato, CEO and founder of Social Keyboards, quit when his dedicated Classmates.com keyboard flopped? No, he went on to re-tweak the design for OK Cupid and even MySpace with the aptly titled Social Keyboard Applied to Networking and Kegs (S.K.A.N.K.) before hatching his latest plan, the Social Network Access Keyboard -- or S.N.A.K. Essentially a Multimedia Keyboard from Dynex with custom drivers and decals, this bad boy features nineteen Facebook-friendly hotkeys that take you to your inbox, events, photos, and more with the mere push of a button. And when you sign out? The hotkeys become disabled, so no one can maliciously (or hilariously) update your profile behind your back. This device is compatible with XP, Vista, and Windows 7. Yours now for $30! And yes, we were lying about the OK Cupid, Classmates.com, and MySpace keyboards -- although we sort of wish we weren't. Hit the source link to get rolling. |
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