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Wednesday, March 23, 2011

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Linux Foundation announces MeeGo Smart TV Working Group, Intel, Nokia and others sign on

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:03 AM PDT

The future of MeeGo may not look quite as bright as it once did, but there's plenty of folks still committed to it, and the Linux Foundation is now starting to place an increased emphasis on one area in particular: smart TVs. To that end, it's just announced the formation of the MeeGo Smart TV Working Group, and it's already signed up quite a few companies as members, including Intel, Nokia, Nokia Siemens, Sigma Designs and others. Not surprisingly, there's not much more than some generalities at the moment, but the working group has committed to meeting twice a year (the first meeting is next month), and it's promising to "begin defining software components providing platform standardization," while also encouraging "competitive differentiation within the TV market segment with tools such at Qt." Full press release is after the break.
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The Linux Foundation Announces MeeGo TV Working Group

MeeGo Smart TV Working Group Begins Its Work to Bring Open Framework and Innovation to Television Ecosystem

LONDON - IPTV World Forum - The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the growth of Linux, today announced the formation of the MeeGo™ Smart TV Working Group.

MeeGo is an open source Linux project targeting multiple segments including automotive systems, netbooks, tablets, TVs, and set-top boxes, among others, and uses Qt to enable cross-device applications. The Working Group is designed to help drive the evolution of MeeGo within the television ecosystem and provide an open framework for industry creativity and innovation.

Early Working Group participants include some of the most innovative thinkers in the Smart TV industry and represent leading service providers, system integrators, hardware platform manufacturers and solution providers that include: Amino Communications, Intel Corporation, JetHead Development, Locatel, MIPS Technologies, Nokia, Nokia Siemens Networks, Sigma Designs, Telecom Italia, Videon Central, and Ysten, among others.

Working Group members will define software components and a compliance program as well as focus on building an innovative and thriving ecosystem of developers and content providers with leading capabilities and tools.

"The Smart TV segment is growing fast, and with it comes both opportunity and complexity," said Ibrahim Haddad, Director of Technical Alliances at The Linux Foundation. "MeeGo is built from the ground up to address next-generation computing in multiple market segments like Smart TV and is intended to help advance Linux in this burgeoning market in the year ahead."

Smart TV allows consumers to access new entertainment choices with virtually unlimited content from the Internet and TV programming, a new world of TV applications and a browser to search and discover content. The transition to Smart TV will introduce dramatic changes to the television industry and will provide new programming, application and services opportunities to the entire ecosystem of service providers, content creators and distributors as well as to hardware and software developers. MeeGo Smart TV specifications are designed to provide an open framework to enable this community to drive these innovations to consumers.

The MeeGo Smart TV Working Group will begin defining software components providing platform standardization, while giving developers the ability to focus on competitive differentiation within the TV market segment with tools such at Qt. Members of the Working Group will submit code, which upon acceptance will be made available to the industry via MeeGo.com on a twice a year release cadence (Q1 and Q3). The first MeeGo Smart TV Working Group meeting will be held in April 2011. For more information, please visit http://www.meego.com.

Participating Companies Voice Support
Amino Communications
"We are delighted to be a founding member of the MeeGo Smart TV Working Group and look forward to sharing the experience of developing the technology that has underpinned the world's first deployments of smart TV-based services by a tier one operator," said Amino Communications Chief Executive Officer Andrew Burke. "MeeGo has proved to be a key element in enabling the rapid development and delivery of Smart TV related products that are perfectly aligned with today's fast-changing marketplace."

Intel Corporation
"Intel is working with leading OEMs and service providers to revolutionize the TV industry," said Keith Wehmeyer, general manager, IPTV Segment, Intel Digital Home Group, "MeeGo Smart TV will play a crucial role by providing a robust framework for new devices and services, and we're looking forward to helping provide high-performance processors needed for media-rich applications and user interfaces, as well as for cross-device integration."

JetHead Development
"MeeGo brings a powerful and diverse set of features to the Smart TV market," said Ben Payne, JetHead Development. "We are working with operators all over the world that are looking for a major step forward in what their middleware and applications can deliver. We believe that MeeGo Smart TV is well positioned to answer their needs."

Locatel
"Locatel has always been providing leading edge interactive TV solutions to the Hospitality market," said Antoine Trannoy, CTO, Locatel. "We are happy to contribute to the MeeGo Smart TV Working Group. We indeed strongly believe that it will shorten development cycles and allow us to bring more value to our customers."

MIPS Technologies
"Smart TVs and other connected products are fundamentally changing the consumer entertainment experience. As the leading provider of processor IP for the digital home, MIPS Technologies is looking forward to contributing to the MeeGo Smart TV Working Group to provide our customers with an appealing option for development of connected consumer entertainment products," said Art Swift, vice president of marketing and business development, MIPS Technologies.

Nokia
"Qt is a leading application and UI framework for a wide range of platforms, including smart set-top-boxes and TVs," said Dilip Kenchammana, head of Products, Home Media Segment, Nokia Qt Development Frameworks. "The MeeGo TV community project will deliver a world-class open-source Smart TV software platform, enabling developers, manufacturers and operators to create a differentiated, engaging end user experience that builds on the cross-platform power of Qt."

Nokia Siemens Networks
"Nokia Siemens Networks strongly supports a much more open environment within the IPTV industry and believes that real innovation is driven through open communities contributing to the market, enabling future proof solutions," said Brook Longdon, Head of Media and Entertainment, Nokia Siemens Networks. "The MeeGo project is the kind of platform that will help us innovate in this space as we press into the future."

Sigma Designs
"By working closely with partners, customers and others throughout the industry, we are able to provide robust solutions for the connected home," said Vikram Shrivastava of Sigma Designs. "We believe the MeeGo Smart TV Working Group will help lead the way in providing important innovations across platforms as content is distributed more broadly. Our deep culture of expertise will allow us to play a significant role in helping the evolution in content delivery continue."

Videon Central
"Videon is looking forward to collaborating on MeeGo Smart TV. By creating an open TV and set-top box framework, the MeeGo Smart TV Working Group will enable the rapid creation of next generation Smart TV solutions by easing the development and integration of multiple applications into a single platform environment," said Jim Condon, CTO, Videon Central, Inc.

Ysten
"Smart television with enhanced services is rapidly developing in the PRC," said Limin Hou, general manager, Ysten Technology. "MeeGo provides a well-defined ecosystem with the necessary flexibility for customization and extension for China."

About the MeeGo Project
The MeeGo project is an open source software platform for the next generation of computing devices. The MeeGo software platform is designed to give developers the broadest range of device segments to target for their applications, including netbooks and entry-level desktops, handheld computing and communications devices, in-vehicle infotainment devices, connected TVs, media phones and more -- all using a uniform set of APIs based on Qt. For consumers, MeeGo will offer innovative application experiences that they can take from device to device. The MeeGo project is hosted by the Linux Foundation. For more information on MeeGo, visit www.meego.com.

About The Linux Foundation
The Linux Foundation is a nonprofit consortium dedicated to fostering the growth of Linux. Founded in 2007, the organization sponsors the work of Linux creator Linus Torvalds and promotes, protects and advances the Linux operating system by marshaling the resources of its members and the open source development community. The Linux Foundation provides a neutral forum for collaboration and education by hosting Linux conferences, including LinuxCon, and generating original Linux research and content that advances the understanding of the Linux platform. Its web properties, including Linux.com, reach approximately two million people per month. The organization also provides extensive Linux training opportunities that feature the Linux kernel community's leading experts as instructors. Follow The Linux Foundation on Twitter.

Trademarks: The Linux Foundation, Linux Standard Base, MeeGo and Yocto Project are trademarks of The Linux Foundation. Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds. Moblin is a trademark of Intel.

BMW launches DriveNow, the 'premium' car sharing service with a Dell Streak on every dash (video)

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 10:42 AM PDT

BMW launches DriveNow, the 'premium' car sharing service with a Dell Streak on every dash (video)
If you liked the idea of the Car2go service we profiled a few weeks back, Smart fortwos available for rent by the minute with and some pretty fancy tracking apps to help you find them, but maybe you wanted to drive something a little bit bigger, BMW has you covered. Well, assuming "you" are German or at least living in Germany. The company has launched its own car sharing service it calls DriveNow. This one is billed as a "premium" -- though curiously none of the company's truly premium models will be offered. That said, the Minis and 1 Series autos that make up the initial fleet are hardly low-rent, and we'd be utterly shocked if the upcoming i3 didn't get added to the mix down the road too.

Usage details are still a little bit scarce, but we do know that each car will have a dash-mounted Dell Streak through which users will log in after unlocking the car doors with an RFID-equipped membership card or even a suitably endowed drivers license. Renting a car costs 29 cents per minute, up to €14.90 (about $21) per hour, and there will be 300 cars available at first starting in the Munich area. If you're not in Munich it's tough cookies for now, but BMW is hoping to have one million members worldwide by 2020. Maybe one of them will be you.

Kingston's Class 10 microSD family gets bigger, stays tiny

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 10:20 AM PDT

Kingston is putting an extra boost the smallest of its tiny memory cards. The popular provider of flash storage is upping its 4GB and 8GB microSDHC cards from Class 4 specifications (up to a 4 MB/s transfer rate) to a whopping Class 10 spec and all of its 10 MB/s goodness. The newly announced models join a 16GB version that has been available for several months. By completing the family tree of Class 10 cards, Kingston is offering faster all-round performance for file transfers on smartphones, quicker write times for microSD-wielding cameras and and basically a few seconds of your life back -- at lower prices than before, though you'll still be paying a premium compared to slower cards. Our microSDHC-accepting devices are itching to hop aboard this speedier train of data storage, and luckily we won't have to wait long. The two memory cards start shipping at the end of March and are being offered with an available Mobility Kit, which includes an SD adapter and a USB card reader. But, if you want a full-fat 32GB model, you'll have to wait for Q2 of 2011 like the rest of us. Pricing starts at $22 for a 4GB model up to $138 for the 16GB model -- check after the break for full breakdown of prices and more in the PR.
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Kingston Digital Extends the Speedy Class 10 microSDHC Family

* New Capacities Added for Memory-Hungry Devices
* Upcoming Mobility Kits Provide Adapter, Reader for microSDHC Card Versatility

CTIA WIRELESS 2011

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced it is shipping a 4GB and 8GB Class 10 microSDHC card, joining the previously released 16GB Class 10 card. Kingston® will add a 32GB capacity to the family in Q2. The Class 10 cards have a fast minimum data transfer rate of 10MB/s.

"Kingston's Class 10 microSDHC cards are compatible with many of the latest mobile phones including Android™ smartphones and BlackBerry® devices, hi-def cameras and the increasingly popular tablet PCs"

"Kingston's Class 10 microSDHC cards are compatible with many of the latest mobile phones including Android™ smartphones and BlackBerry® devices, hi-def cameras and the increasingly popular tablet PCs," said Mike Kuppinger, Flash card business manager, Kingston. "The Class 10 speed provides faster data transfer rates and the various capacities help satisfy storage needs for users with both light and heavy memory needs."

Kingston takes mobility and versatility a step further when it makes these cards part of the Mobility Kit, which includes an SD adapter and a USB card reader. The SD adapter allows users to capture continuous images or videos in digital cameras while the reader provides a simple and fast way to transfer data to a host PC. The Class 10 microSDHC cards will ship as part of the Mobility at the end of March.

In addition to the Class 10 cards, Kingston currently ships the microSDHC card in a Class 4 specification as both a standalone and part of the Mobility in capacities up to 32GB. The cards are backed by a lifetime warranty and 24/7 live technical support. For more information, please visit www.kingston.com.

Kingston microSDHC Class 10 Features and Specifications:

* Compliant: with the SD Card Association specification
* Versatile: when combined with the adapter, it can be used as a full-size SDHC card
* Compatible: with microSDHC host devices; not compatible with standard microSD-enabled device/readers
* File Format: FAT32
* Reliable: lifetime warranty
* Capacities*: 4GB, 8GB, 16GB
* Dimensions: 0.43" x 0.59" x 0.039" (11mm x 15mm x 1mm)
* Speed: Class 10 – 10 MB/s. minimum data transfer rate
* Operating Temperature: -13°F to 185°F (-25°C to 85°C)
* Storage Temperature: -40°F to 185° (-40°C to 85°C)
* Weight: .1 oz. (2.7g)

*Some of the listed capacity is used for formatting and other functions and thus is not available for data storage. For more information, please consult Kingston's Flash Memory Guide at Kingston.com/Flash_Memory_Guide.
Kingston Class 10 microSDHC Cards
Part Number Capacity and Features MSRP (U.S. only)
SDC10/16GB 16GB microSDHC Class 10 (card + SD Adapter) $ 139.00
SDC10/16GBSP 16GB microSDHC Class 10 (card only) $ 138.00
SDC10/8GB 8GB microSDHC Class 10 (card + SD Adapter) $ 38.00
SDC10/8GBSP 8GB microSDHC Class 10 (card only) $ 37.00
SDC10/4GB 4GB microSDHC Class 10 (card + SD Adapter) $ 23.00
SDC10/4GBSP 4GB microSDHC Class 10 (card only) $ 22.00

x-Ar exoskeleton arm keeps repetitive tasks from doing you harm (video)

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 09:59 AM PDT


The spring-loaded technology behind the Steadicam has just found another use -- the x-Ar exoskeleton arm, which attaches to your wrists to reduce or eliminate the feeling of weight. Just unveiled at the Applied Ergonomics Conference in Florida this week, the mechanism mounts to a chair or other stable object and loosely cuffs your arms, allowing for a fairly extraordinary range of motion while bearing "the weight of your arm and small objects." (Sledgehammer-wielding workers will probably be better served by one of these.) While manufacturer Equipois suggests that the arm will likely see use in factories, assembly lines and the like where workers are subject to repetitive stress, we can also think of a few bloggers who wouldn't mind taking a little strain off their wrists. PR after the break.
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The World's First Exoskeletal Arm Support System Debuts at the Applied Ergonomics Conference, Held in Orlando, Florida, March 21-24

Pioneered by Equipois Inc., Creator of the Award-Winning zeroG Arm, the x-Ar is Poised to Revolutionize Jobs Where People Work with Arms Outstretched

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Equipois Inc., designer and manufacturer of the zeroG® mechanical arm technology, debuted today the x-Ar™, the world's first exoskeletal arm support system for manual tasks, at the Applied Ergonomics Conference in Orlando, Florida. Designed to assist with a wide range of activities in industries where people work with their arms outstretched for long periods of time, the x-Ar simply attaches to a human's arm and becomes, in essence, a formidable mechanical arm, providing dynamic support throughout the user's range of motion, while significantly minimizing fatigue and discomfort.

"We believe that the human hand guided by the human brain is the most powerful and versatile tool ever created. The x-Ar enhances that tool, rather than trying to mimic or replace it, and should significantly impact the workplace across diverse industries."
"The x-Ar is the first technology that utilizes an exoskeleton to increase the human arm's stamina and strength," said Eric Golden, President and CEO of Equipois. "We believe that the human hand guided by the human brain is the most powerful and versatile tool ever created. The x-Ar enhances that tool, rather than trying to mimic or replace it, and should significantly impact the workplace across diverse industries."

Brian Hernandez, Environmental Health & Safety Manager for Ceradyne Corporation said, "We tested x-Ar as part of the pilot program. It is truly a unique technology. The x-Ar is a great tool to reduce stress and fatigue associated with work-related repetitive motion tasks involving the arms, wrists, shoulders, and neck. The use of x-Ar in these high exposure ergonomic areas could greatly improve and contribute to a reduction in work related sprains, strains, and other musculoskeletal disorders associated with work related repetitive motion injuries."

The x-Ar is a descendent of Equipois's successful zeroG mechanical arm technology, which holds tools and parts enabling operators to manipulate them as if weightless, but with practically unlimited freedom of motion. zeroG has been adopted as a best practice by some of the world's top manufacturing companies and has earned Equipois numerous honors, including being named "Most Innovative Company in North America" by 2010 International "Stevie" Awards. zeroG eliminates workplace injuries and boosts productivity, with an annual ROI up to 500%.

The technology driving both the zeroG and x-Ar product lines was invented by Garrett Brown, inventor of the Steadicam® camera stabilization system. The Steadicam revolutionized the movie and television industries by allowing camera operators to achieve shots never thought possible. Equipois believes that the x-Ar will change the way people work in a broad range of industries, from manufacturing to health care to bioresearch. The company also has versions under development to help disabled persons control their arms and legs, enabling them to perform basic life tasks.

To view the x-Ar in action visit, http://www.equipoisinc.com/products/xAr/.

ABOUT EQUIPOIS, INC.

Founded in 2006, Equipois designs and manufactures revolutionary dynamic exoskeletal technologies that support the musculoskeletal system while allowing full spatial and rotational freedom of motion. The company's patented zeroG® and x-Ar™ systems are designed to support a range of manufacturing, heavy industrial, bioresearch, medical, defense and other applications in order to increase productivity and safety. For more information, visit http://www.equipoisinc.com.

The Engadget Show with HP's Jon Rubinstein, this Friday!

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 09:37 AM PDT

Attention humans, just a friendly reminder that the Engadget Show is back this Friday, March 25th at 7:00pm with HP's Jon Rubinstein at The Times Center in New York City! Joshua Topolsky will be sitting down the former Palm CEO (current HP Senior VP) to get the inside scoop on everything from the TouchPad, new Pre 3, Veer, the state of WebOS, and much more! Trust us when we say that you won't want to miss it. What's more, our very own Joanna Stern will be demoing the Samsung 9 Series laptop, we'll have the Nintendo 3DS on stage for a live demo, and special guests Nilay Patel and Paul Miller will be joining the roundtable! We'll also have the usual slew of insane giveaways (someone will be walking away with a brand new HP Envy 14 notebook) and rocking chiptunes music from Minusbaby with visuals from The C-Men, as well as some more surprises! Remember, giveaways happen at the live show only, so make the trek and join us at The Times Center in person. Be sure to check out the ticketing policy below. If you're geographically incapable of joining us in New York City, just tune into the stream right here on Engadget.

The Engadget Show is sponsored by Sprint, and will take place at the Times Center, part of The New York Times Building in the heart of New York City at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues (see map after the break). Tickets are -- as always -- free to anyone who would like to attend, but seating is limited, and tickets will be first come, first served... so get there early! Here's the updated info on our new ticketing policy that you need to know:
  • There is no admission fee -- tickets are completely free
  • The event is all ages
  • Ticketing will begin at the Times Center at 2:00PM on Friday, March 25th, doors will open for seating at 6:15PM, and the show begins at 7:00PM
  • We now have assigned seating, so the first people to get their tickets -- and the Sprint text-to-win winners (see below) -- will get priority seating. This also means that once you get a ticket, your seat is guaranteed -- you won't have to get back in line to get a good seat.
  • Ticketing will continue until all tickets are given away
  • You cannot collect tickets for friends or family -- anyone who would like to come must be present to get a ticket
  • Seating capacity in the Times Center is about 340, and once we're full, we're full
  • The venue is located at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues in New York City (map after the break)
  • The show length is around an hour
If you're a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we'll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com.

Subscribe to the Show:

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Visualized: life's most basic patterns displayed as color-coded charts

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 09:14 AM PDT

You wake. You eat. You work. You read a few articles on Engadget. You sleep. You attempt to repeat. Life's not always quite so simple, but the mesmerizing image shown above does a great job of showcasing the patterns that seem to keep us all on track. This particular piece is entitled Sleep Patterns, crafted by one Laurie Frick, and was created by converting EEG traces into watercolor. There's plenty more where this came from in the source link below, but we'd caution you not to fall into some sort of eternal loop of checking back daily -- unless, of course, you're looking to disrupt your own patterns for the sake of art.

Chrome 11 goes beta with speech-to-text capabilities

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 08:52 AM PDT

Well, it looks like Google is unsurprisingly adding more than just a new logo to the latest version of its Chrome browser -- the just-released beta of Chrome 11 also now boasts speech-to-text capabilities. That comes in the form of support for the HTML5 speech input API, which web developers will be able to take advantage of to let folks simply talk to websites and have their speech magically transcribed to text. Also making a first appearance in the beta is support for GPU-accelerated 3D CSS, which will let developers apply all sorts of 3D effects to websites -- Blingee will never be the same, surely. Hit up the link below to try it out for yourself.

Chumby 8 set to ship on April 5th for $199; pre-orders open today

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 08:31 AM PDT

Remember that newfangled widget display we peeked back at CES? Looks as if Chumby Industries is good and ready to get official with a ship date and price, which means that your disposable income account is fixing to shrink by two Benjamins. The outfit has just revealed an April 5th ship date and a $199 retail price for its latest and greatest display, with that sum netting you an 8-inch (800 x 600) touchscreen, access to over 1,500 free apps and a multifaceted personality that handles digital photos and music, too. Have a peek at our earlier hands-on with the device if you're still curious, and if you're eager to get in line, the source link's the place to be if you need to secure a pre-order.
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Introducing the chumby8: the World's First Stand-Alone App Player Just Got Bigger and Better

Next gen chumby arrives April 5 for $199, pre-orders begin today

SAN DIEGO, March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- chumby industries today announced the release of the chumby8, the much-anticipated next generation chumby device. Officially launching on April 5, the chumby8 is priced at $199 and available today for pre-orders at chumby.com/store. With a sleek new design, an 8-inch LCD touchscreen, enhanced features, and over 1,500 free apps, the chumby8 delivers a personalized stream of your favorite apps in addition to serving as a digital photo frame and music player.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110323/LA70095)

"The chumby8 truly marks an evolution of the chumby device and software platform, creating a more personalized and user-friendly Internet streaming device that will complete any connected home or office," said Derrick Oien, CEO of chumby industries. "We've taken the time over the past year to listen to chumby fans and owners and incorporate their feedback into the new chumby8 and created a great multi-purpose connected device capable of tailoring to all."

New features of the chumby8 include:

* New, modern industrial design available in black and red. Customized skins available from Skinit
* 8-inch 800×600 touchscreen LCD
* Two USB ports, CF and SD slots make it possible to upload pictures, music and other personal media of your choosing turning your chumby8 into a personalized digital photo frame and music player
* New web browser support, allows you to access links within apps
* Revamped UI and streamlined navigation allows you to manage apps and channels directly from the device. The chumby8 comes preloaded with ready-to-play themed channels showcasing the best chumby apps in entertainment, news, humor, games, kids, sports and more
* Updates to share features make it easier to send photos, videos and apps to friends and family
* Robust Internet radio offers over 10,000 internet radio and podcast stations, including Napster, Pandora, SHOUTcast, iheartradio, Mediafly, New York Times and CBS, with more to come
* Full alarm system allows you to wake up to your favorite music stations and apps
* Task scheduler allows you to perform a routine task on your device like entering night mode at a certain time or playing music.
* Flash Lite 4 update to support AS3 coming soon

The chumby8 has access to over 1,500 free applications- ranging from music and social networking sites, news and entertainment gossip, to video clips and sports scores. Content is available from well-known media sites including: YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, MTV Networks, Groupon, People.com and many others. Users can monitor their social networks, view and share their photos from sites like Flickr and Photobucket, watch sports clips, play games, or choose from a multitude of clock applications to display on the touchscreen device.

About chumby industries

chumby industries, based in San Diego, California, is a software company that works with consumer electronics OEMs to bring a rich and personalized Internet experience to a multitude of connected products, ranging from devices as simple as clock radios to high-definition televisions. The open chumby platform enables developers to easily create Flash content for chumby-powered devices resulting in a constantly growing catalog of more than 1,500 applications. For more information visit chumby.com or follow us on twitter @chumby.

NeuroFocus makes first wireless EEG sensor headset, don't call it a thinking cap

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 08:13 AM PDT

It's well known that advertisers track our web-surfing habits to tailor the ads we see, but they'd prefer to know exactly what's going on inside of that brain of yours. NeuroFocus' aptly named Mynd, a full-brain wireless EEG sensor headset, serves as a stylish and easy way to record your thoughts whilst gazing at logos and lusting after products. In addition to neuromarketing applications, the European Tools for Brain-Computer Interaction consortium (TOBI) see it as a tool to help develop new technology for those with neurological disabilities. Sporting looks straight off the Game Grid, the Mynd is made of medical-grade EEG sensors to capture brain activity 2,000 times per second and a Bluetooth radio to shoot your thoughts to the smartphone, tablet, or PC of your choice. The wireless bit represents a huge upgrade over traditional EEG caps because it makes the headset's mind-reading powers available in shopping malls and living rooms instead of just hospitals. All so the sellers of things can know just how effective a spokesperson the ETrade baby really is. PR's after the break.
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NeuroFocus Announces World's First Wireless Full-Brain EEG Measurement Headset: Mynd™

Company's Breakthrough Technology Poised to Revolutionize the Future of Neuromarketing; Endorsed by Leading European Brain-Computer Interaction Consortium

NEW YORK, March 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- NeuroFocus unveiled the first dry, wireless headset designed to capture brainwave activity across the full brain today at the 75th Annual Advertising Research Foundation conference being held at the Marriott Marquis in New York. Developed over the last three years, Mynd™ combines medical-grade technology with mobility, leapfrogging current neurological testing methods. For the first time, market researchers will be able to capture the highest quality data on consumers' deep subconscious responses in real time wirelessly, revolutionizing mobile in-store market research and media consumption at home. NeuroFocus has also commenced building the world's first full-brain home panels in addition to its labs. The European Tools for Brain-Computer Interaction consortium (TOBI) will utilize Mynd as their core platform to develop practical, medical-grade technology that will improve the quality of life for people with neurological disabilities. NeuroFocus is offering the opportunity to demo Mynd at Booth #514 at the conference.

"While developing Mynd, we focused on achieving medical-grade scientific precision along with extraordinary ease of use and aesthetics. This neuromarketing breakthrough provides new opportunities for our clients to gain critical knowledge and insights into how consumers perceive their brands, products, packaging, in-store marketing, and advertising at the deep subconscious level in real time," said Dr. A. K. Pradeep, Chief Executive Officer of NeuroFocus. "We are also delighted that TOBI has embraced our approach by adopting our wireless headset for their research in patients with devastating neurological disorders such as spinal cord damage and stroke," continued Dr. Pradeep.

By gaining mobility without sacrificing medical-grade technology, the lightweight, sleekly-designed Mynd opens up new testing environments to consumers beyond the lab, such as the home, outdoor venues, movie theaters, shopping malls, and auditoriums with data being streamed to platforms, including the iPad, iPhone and other smart devices.

Product Highlights

Mynd has undergone rigorous development and testing procedures for three years. The standards set for the device to meet included performance levels as accurate and reliable as gel-based, wired EEG systems used in clinical settings for a host of neurological disorders, as well as high durability and serviceability.

Key highlights of Mynd include:

Full-brain coverage with dense-array EEG (electroencephalographic) sensors. Full-brain measurement is the universal neuroscientific standard applied in the world's premier laboratories and educational institutions.

Within seconds of slipping the user-friendly headset on, a consumer's brainwave activity is captured across the full cortex.

Wireless transmission of brainwave signals; capable of interfacing with any Bluetooth-enabled mobile communications device.

Dry "smart" electrodes (sensors), eliminating the use of gels and enhancing signal quality by introducing novel technological breakthroughs.

Enables first full-brain coverage home panels for market research.

Comfortable, lightweight, aesthetically pleasing modular design with easily-replaceable sensors.

"Mynd represents an authentic breakthrough in brainwave measurement technology and I am especially pleased that it will also be used to help people with neurological disabilities such as paralysis overcome some of their most difficult barriers. This is a truly compelling example where a technology developed for business-to-business applications like neuromarketing can add enormous value to other avenues of life," said Dr. Robert T. Knight, Director of the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at the University of California, Berkeley, and NeuroFocus' Chief Science Advisor, said.

NeuroFocus will be rolling out the Mynd headset throughout its neurological testing laboratories in the U.S., the UK/Europe, the Asia/Pacific region, Latin America, and the Middle East. The headset will also be deployed in the company's NeuroLabs, dedicated neurological testing facilities which NeuroFocus designs, builds, staffs, and operates for individual client companies.

Dr. Gerwin Schalk, Research Scientist, Wadsworth Center, Neural Injury & Repair, and developer of BCI 2000, the main technological platform used for brain-computer interaction worldwide for treatment of paralysis, cited the landmark aspect of Mynd: "This wireless dry electrode headset substantially reduces the cost and expertise necessary to access signals from the brain, which has profound implications for clinical and commercial applications of EEG technology."

NeuroFocus Methodology

NeuroFocus employs high-density arrays of medical grade EEG sensors to measure across the full brain. Each sensor captures brainwave activity at 2,000 times a second. The company also applies eye-tracking technology to identify the location of visual focus at the pixel level.

About NeuroFocus

The world's leading neuromarketing firm, NeuroFocus (http://neurofocus.com) brings advanced neuroscience knowledge and expertise to the worlds of branding, product development and packaging, in-store marketing, advertising, and entertainment. NeuroFocus clients include Fortune 100 companies across dozens of categories.
Headquartered in the U.S. and operating globally through offices and NeuroLabs in the UK and Europe, the Asia/Pacific region, Latin America, and the Middle East, the company leverages Nobel Prize caliber and Doctorate-level credentials in neuroscience and marketing from the University of California at Berkeley, MIT, Hebrew University, Harvard, Oxford, Columbia University, and other leading institutions, combined with executive business management and consulting expertise.

About TOBI

TOBI www.tobi-project.org is a major European initiative which will develop practical technology for brain-computer interface (BCI) that will improve the quality of life of disabled people and the effectiveness of rehabilitation.

ZTE gets tight with T-Mobile, launches Rocket 3.0 modem and 4G Mobile Hotspot for HSPA+

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 07:52 AM PDT

ZTE gets tight with T-Mobile, launches Rocket 3.0 modem and 4G Mobile Hotspot for HSPA+
T-Mobile's 42Mbps HSPA+ coverage is expanding and expanding, and ZTE is helping to bring it back down to earth. The company has launched two new wireless devices especially for the T-Mo's 42Mbps service, the first being the Rocket 3.0, a USB modem that's due this spring. The second is the simply titled 4G Mobile Hotspot, which beams out WiFi connectivity for up to five devices at one time. If you can't handle all that speed, ZTE also has the Jet 2.0 and Rocket 4G, both of which top out at 21Mbps. All should be available in the next few weeks, and all should help you get your bits on from anywhere.

Augmenting your 3DS reality just got a little simpler thanks to an Android app

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 07:31 AM PDT

Before we proceed any further, you owe it to yourself to check out our 3DS review or the video after the break in order to fully comprehend what Nintendo's augmented reality cards mean for 3DS gaming. We'll wait right here, take your time. Now that everyone's fully up to speed, an enterprising dev has put together an app that includes all of Ninty's add-in cards for its soon-to-be-launched handheld, allowing you to stash them on your Android smartphone and freeing up more pocket space for game cartridges and bubble gum. The descriptively titled 3DS AR Cards app costs nothing to own, though we're sure its maker will appreciate a note of thanks should you end up using it.

China, predictably, denies Google's accusations of Gmail tampering

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 07:14 AM PDT

On Monday, Google expressed its belief that its email users in China were experiencing "a government blockage carefully designed to look like the problem is with Gmail." Now, as is par for this thorny course, the Chinese state has come out with a terse rebuttal, saying simply that "this is an unacceptable accusation." The retort was, says the BBC, part of a regular news conference on Tuesday and it doesn't appear that any more time was spent on the subject. Which is odd since most people would tend to act to prevent something they see as unacceptable -- but then we suppose China already has a pretty long list of folks it'd like to shut up, Google's just gonna have to get in line and wait its turn. There's a good citizen.

Cricket ties up with LightSquared for LTE roaming agreement

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 06:53 AM PDT

Throwing a little caution to the wind over brewing GPS interference concerns, Cricket -- the CDMA budget carrier that specializes in contract-free plans -- has hooked up with LightSquared to deliver additional LTE service through a roaming agreement that'll supplement its own rollout "over the next few years. " All told, the moves should bring it up to technological speed with archrival MetroPCS, which deployed LTE last year (beating Verizon to market, actually) and currently has a pair of Samsung-sourced handsets on the market to take advantage of it. For LightSquared's part, this is exactly the type of deal they've been looking to ink: the company has expressed no interest in lighting up a retail-facing carrier of its own, instead offering wholesale LTE deals to other carriers -- like, say, Cricket -- who don't necessarily have the spectrum, the time, or the budget to roll out 4G in earnest. Follow the break for LightSquared's press release.

[Thanks, Mark]

Show full PR text
Cricket Enters into 4G Roaming Agreement with LightSquared

SAN DIEGO AND RESTON, Va. – March 22, 2011– Leap Wireless International, Inc. (NASDAQ: LEAP), a leading provider of innovative and value-driven wireless communications services, and LightSquared™, the nation's first wholesale-only integrated wireless broadband and satellite network company, today announced that they have entered into a long-term 4G roaming agreement. The new arrangement will allow Cricket, Leap's operating subsidiary, to supplement the LTE coverage that Cricket plans to deploy across its own networks over the next few years with LTE roaming services from LightSquared.

"Our business progress demonstrates how data services are increasingly important to our customers, as evidenced by our customers' significant uptake of smartphones and data-focused, higher-ARPU service plans," said Doug Hutcheson, Leap's President and CEO. "We intend to deploy our own LTE networks beginning this year to complement the existing nationwide 3G services we currently offer to customers. This new roaming arrangement will allow us to offer customers an even-greater 4G service area as LightSquared expands its own network. We believe that the broad coverage resulting from this business agreement will enhance our ability to offer compelling products and services and allow us to strengthen our retail relationships and distribution capabilities. It will also give us flexibility to access additional 4G capacity where needed as data-centric devices become more popular and require more and more bandwidth."

"Leap is a fantastic company and we're excited to do business with them," said Sanjiv Ahuja, chairman and CEO of LightSquared. "Cricket customers' appetite for wireless data is growing exponentially and in ways no one could have envisioned even a few years ago. By providing a wholesale-only nationwide 4G LTE network complemented by satellite coverage, LightSquared will help Leap meet its customers' demand for universal, affordable broadband connectivity. We are fully committed to delivering our roaming services on time and with the quality, speed, coverage and capacity required to support Leap's business needs."

Financial and other terms of the roaming agreement were not disclosed.

Alienware M11x R3 specs leaked, brings Sandy Bridge to your next LAN party?

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 06:29 AM PDT

Alienware's laptops first hopped on the Sandy Bridge bandwagon when the company's top-of-the-line M17x got Intel's second-gen Core processors, and now it appears the more budget-conscious M11x may get some Sandy Bridge love too. According to Dell News and more -- who correctly foretold the 3D screen on the M17x R3 before its January debut, among other things -- the littlest alien laptop is getting your choice of Core i5-2537M, Core i7-2617M, and Core i7-2657M chips ranging in speeds from 1.4GHz to 2.7GHz. Accompanying the new silicon is an optional 750GB HDD (up from 640GB) and an upgrade from 800MHz to speedy 1333MHz RAM. And, to keep you gaming wherever you please, the company will offer optional 3g, LTE, and WiMAX radios as well. Unfortunately, one minor detail didn't make it out -- how much will the extra goodies cost?

Firefox 4 clocks up 5 million downloads within first 24 hours, fails to beat Firefox 3 download record

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 05:57 AM PDT

We noted Firefox 3's spectacular eight million downloads in a day when discussing the recent launch of IE9, and that mark shall live on as a record for another day. Firefox 4 looks to have a had a thoroughly successful debut, going past the five million milestone within the first 24 hours of its release, but it hasn't quite been able to overshadow its predecessor. And before you go comparing its numbers to the latest Internet Explorer, do be cognizant that FF4 released on a wider set of platforms, rendering direct stat comparisons a little dicey. That's not stopping StatCounter, however, who notes that the latest Firefox already has a 1.95 percent share of the browser market, almost exactly double what IE9 can claim so far. Better get working on that XP compatibility, eh Microsoft?
Show full PR text
Firefox 4 Hits the Ground Running and Eclipses Internet Explorer 9 - StatCounter

BOSTON & DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mozilla Firefox 4, which was launched yesterday (Tuesday 22nd March), has already taken 1.95% of the worldwide Internet browser market according to StatCounter, the free website analytics company. The firm's research arm StatCounter Global Stats reports that on the first day of its release Firefox 4 scored higher globally than Microsoft's new Internet Explorer 9 which was launched more than a week ago.*

Although IE 9 has undoubtedly been hampered by its lack of compatibility with Windows XP.

Firefox 4 has really hit the ground running and has eclipsed the launch of IE 9," commented Aodhan Cullen, CEO, StatCounter. "Although IE 9 has undoubtedly been hampered by its lack of compatibility with Windows XP." By yesterday IE 9 had taken just 0.87% of the worldwide market.

When all versions of each browser are taken into account, Internet Explorer still leads the global market with 45% followed by Firefox with 30% and Chrome with 17%. In the US, IE (all versions combined) leads the market with 48% followed by Firefox on 26% and Chrome on 14%.

On a monthly basis, StatCounter figures show a steady decline in the IE global market share from 55% in February last year to 45% this year. In the same time frame Google's Chrome has risen steadily from 7% worldwide to 17%.

StatCounter recently reported that Firefox overtook Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) to become the number one browser in Europe for the first time in December 2010.

StatCounter Global Stats are based on aggregate data collected on a sample exceeding 15 billion page views per month (4 billion from the US) from the StatCounter network of more than three million websites.

StatCounter, which provides free website stats, publishes browser version stats via StatCounter Global Stats, a free online research tool. It also monitors other Internet market share battles including Social Media.

* IE 9 and Firefox 4 were both available for beta testing prior to their respective launch dates

Hacker nets two years in jail after pilfering £7 million in virtual poker chips

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 05:09 AM PDT

Crime, it just doesn't pay. Well, actually it does, to the tune of £53,612, but then you get caught and you have to work off that salary with two years at Her Majesty's pleasure. One Ashley Mitchell, an enterprising 29-year old from Devon, England, managed to break into Farmville maker Zynga's mainframe, hijack the identities of two of its staffers, and procure for himself a cool £7 million ($11.4m) in virtual poker chips. He then proceeded to sell about a third of them for the above sum, while consuming a big chunk of the rest in satisfying his own gambling habit. Ashley already had a history of digital malfeasance, having previously hacked into the systems of Torbay Council, his former employer, and is now on the receiving end of a two-year prison term for his current crime plus the activation of a 30-week suspended sentence. There's a warning in this tale of woe for us all, however -- Monsieur Mitchell piggybacked on his neighbors' unsecured WiFi networks in order to do his dastardly deeds. Slap a password on that router, won't you?

Tunebug readies the Rumble, adds speakerphone capabilities to its SurfaceSound speakers

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 04:39 AM PDT

Back at CES we took a look at Tunebug's Bluetooth Shake and Vibe speakers, which for those that need a quick refresher, turns any surface into a speaker with SurfaceSound technology. Well, now the company has landed here at CTIA Wireless with a more mobile focused product -- the Rumble. The package actually includes that aforementioned Shake (although, in this case it's being called the TuneRing), which is the triangular shaped part that turns any surface into an impromptu speaker, but the TunePad is really the key addition. That's the base part that you're peering at above, and not only does it provide a surface for the Shake, but it also now has a microphone to morph the package into a Bluetooth speakerphone. We got a look at the whole shebang on display here at the show, and while we couldn't get a handle on the sound quality in a room full of rowdy tech journalists, it did seem surprisingly loud. The $149 kit also comes with a 3.5mm to 3.5mm jack, USB to 3.5mm charging cable, and a helmet mount. Ironically, the Rumble isn't actually ready to rumble yet -- you'll have to wait for this summer, but hit the gallery below for some hands-on shots.
Tunebug Rumble hands-on

LG Optimus 3D reveals T-Mobile 3G frequencies in visit to FCC

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 03:57 AM PDT

If you're an AT&T subscriber, you'll know this handset as the Thrill 4G. And if you happen to be a T-Mobile devotee (yes, those are two distinct groups until the AT&T&T-Mo merger is complete), you'll soon get a chance to familiarize yourself with it too, as it has just slipped through the FCC with support for AWS 3G. Specifically, the FCC has cleared an LG 920 smartphone, which a helpful video from LG itself informs us is the Optimus 3D -- the dual-core OMAP 4-powered Android powerhouse that's at the root of this entire affair. It'll probably get its own, uniquely ghastly moniker if and when it's launched by T-Mobile, at which point every US carrier bar Verizon will have a 3D smartphone on its books. How long do you think that omission will last?

[Thanks, Christian]

Asus Eee PC 1015B and 1215B go on sale starting at $289

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 03:33 AM PDT

It seems like just yesterday -- okay, more like three weeks ago -- we went hands-on with Asus' latest additions to the Eee PC family, and now these Fusion-equipped netbooks are getting their very own price tags. The Eee PC 1015B and 1215B offer 10-inch and 12-inch displays starting at $289 and $379, respectively. For that price, you'll get 250GB of storage, 1GB of memory, VGA, USB, and HDMI ports, and 1080p output. They grow up so fast -- don't they? Check out the source links to make one of these babies your own.

[Thanks, Daniel]

Samsung Galaxy S II shows up in Ukraine, gets a loving preview (video)

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 02:59 AM PDT

Where would we be without prototypes, eh? One such pre-production unit, of Samsung's dual-core Galaxy S II, has escaped into the Russian Ukrainian wilderness, where it's been thankfully rescued from the cold by the guys over at gagadget. Apart from squaring it up against the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 -- which we can only surmise was the nearest available Android handset, it surely can't have been the best -- they also dig pretty deeply into the latest TouchWiz UI and dish up a thoroughgoing gallery of sample images from that 8 megapixel autofocus camera on the back. It's an enlightening read, once you've enrolled Google Translate's help, though the video after the break might not be too informative if English is your only language. Still, it's a great visual tour of some yummy hardware.

[Thanks, DarkDvr]

Verizon renews HTC Trophy offer for Microsoft employees

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 02:32 AM PDT

"Early 2011" is rapidly passing us by -- as, for that matter, is March -- but we still wouldn't rule out a Verizon Wireless launch of the HTC Trophy smartphone. You see, the carrier's seemingly still advertising the Windows Phone 7 device inside Microsoft itself, in a likely attempt to gather preorders before the device hits shelves. We can't say for sure when the phone will actually arrive, of course, but if we were the gambling type, we'd toss some horseshoes in the general direction of April Fools' and pray they find a mark.

NVIDIA's next flagship graphics card to be unveiled at 9AM on Thursday, bring your own popcorn

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 01:58 AM PDT

In NVIDIA's own words, this Thursday will bring us the company's "next generation, highest performance graphics card." If that has you thinking GeForce GTX 590, you're not alone. The dual-GPU solution was expected to arrive at the PAX East get-together this month but seemed to shyly dodge the limelight, though now there's no escaping its date with destiny. Just make sure to be up nice and early tomorrow, say around 9AM US Eastern Time, for the inevitable barrage of reviews. An unsatisfyingly brief teaser video, featuring Crysis 2 slyly running in the background, can be found after the break.

Update: Whoa, Nelly! Looks like it may end up being the GeForce GTX 590, as evidenced by these leaked images here.

[Thanks, Abdulmalik]

Mozilla Firefox 4 RC for Android and Maemo now up for grabs

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 01:27 AM PDT

If you're liking what Firefox 4 for mobile already offers in its previous beta builds, then you'll certainly want to check out its release candidate that went live on Monday -- just less than six months after the browser when beta. According to Mozilla, this new build provides a better overall user experience with faster scrolling and improved Firefox Sync, along with other goodies like Awesome Screen smart shortcuts, tabbed browsing, Firefox Add-ons, and Persona themes. Sounds a lot like its desktop sibling (which has a healthy 4.9 million downloads already), doesn't it? Head over to the source page for the Android and Maemo download links, or you can have a look at Mozilla's latest video after the break if you need some convincing.

EV milestone: Fisker rolls first Karma off the assembly line, aims to deliver 7,000 this year

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 12:51 AM PDT

Patience can bear such wonderful fruit, can't it? The electrified (and electrifying) Karma, which first graced the world with its presence back in 2008, has managed to negotiate the slalom course of funding and logistical issues that faces any new upstart company and can now boast its very first production unit. The Karma 1 above will be making its way out within a month (presumably after every nook, cranny and capacitor has been polished to perfection) and company spokesman Roger Ormisher says the plan is to ramp up very slowly and carefully, reaching "over 7,000 deliveries" by year's end. Considering the rate at which Leafs and Volts have been selling so far, that doesn't actually sound half bad.

Engineers create 3D microscope lens, see the tiny elephants in your ear

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 11:33 PM PDT

The ability to view tiny images in the third D has been made possible by Lei Li and Allen Yi of Ohio State University. The two have crafted a one-of-a-kind 3D lens that, unlike other three-dimensional microscopes that capture images by circling around the subject, sees teeny objects while stationary. Although the engineers crafted the lens on a precision cutting machine using a diamond blade themselves, they say it can be produced using traditional molding methods. At the size of a fingernail, the thermoplastic material, aka acrylic glass, was cut with 10 nanometer spacing (that's tiny) to ensure a flat plane. The top is surrounded by eight facets -- sort of like a gem stone, but not symmetric -- allowing the viewer to see 9 different angles at once. This should pave way for scientists to get better angles of microscopic objects, but they can always try using the 3DS and some DIY lens attachments, right?

Monirobo measures radiation following nuclear crisis at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi power plant

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 10:29 PM PDT

According to a report by a Japanese news agency, a radiation monitoring robot, aptly named Monirobo, is the first non-human responder to go on-site following the partial meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The machine, which was developed by Japan's Nuclear Safety Technology Centre to operate at lethal radiation levels, reportedly began work Friday, enlisting a 3D camera, radiation detector, and heat and humidity sensors to monitor the extent of the damage. A second Monirobo, used to collect samples and detect flammable gases, is expected to join its red counterpart soon -- both robots are operated by remote control from distances up to one kilometer away. They join the US Air Force's Global Hawk drone in unmanned surveillance of the crisis.

DARPA M3 program to make cheaper, more mobile robots for the US war machine

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 09:46 PM PDT

DARPA, that governmental black magic factory that gave us the flying Humvee and Hummingbird spybot, has unveiled its new Maximum Mobility and Manipulation Program (M3) program that plans to put us on the fast track to our robotic future. M3 aims to improve robotic research through four specialized development programs -- design tools, fabrication, control, and prototype demonstration -- that divvy up the work between commercial labs and universities. The program will not replace existing bionic projects, but some, like the Autonomous Robotic Manipulation (ARM) program, will be folded into the new scheme. DARPA anticipates that the plan will result in cheaper bots superior to those we have today, but not superior to man... we hope.

Japan's space agency considers using rockets with artificial intelligence

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 09:13 PM PDT

The keyword here is obviously "considers," but it looks like Japan's space agency, JAXA, is indeed seriously thinking about using artificial intelligence to improve their rocket launches. As JAXA scientist Yasuhiro Morita explains, as opposed to simply being "automatic" as rockets are today, an "artificially intelligent" rocket would be able to keep watch on its condition, determine the cause of any malfunction, and potentially even fix it itself. According to JAXA, that would not only make rocket launches more efficient, but more cost-effective as well given the reduced manpower needs. That's not the only new measure being explored to cut costs, though -- as Space.com reports, JAXA's new Epsilon launch vehicle is also being built using fewer, but more advanced components, which promises to let it be moved to the launch pad nearly fully assembled. It's currently set to launch sometime in 2013, although it's not yet clear how much it will actually be relying on AI if such a system is put in place.

Audi Connect signs contract with T-Mobile, surprised like the rest of us by the AT&T thing

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 08:45 PM PDT

Audi Connect signs contract with T-Mobile, surprised like the rest of us by the AT&T thing
T-Mobile subscribers at this point are preparing for what could be a new, blue overlord, and now you can count Audi among the ranks of those wondering what's next. Yesterday the company with the rings signed on with the company with the magenta to power its Audi Connect system on US cars. It'll launch first with the 2012 Audi A7, where it will provide the wireless data pipe through which the car's MMI infotainment system will pull down Google Earth imagery, Local Search POIs, Sirius Traffic information, and even act like a Quattro hotspot for folks in the back seat. Audi's not specified how much this service will cost, but "not free" sounds like a safe bet for now.

Show full PR text
Audi Names T-Mobile as the Wireless Carrier for Advanced Audi Connect Systems in the U.S.

Customers to Tap Voice-activated Google Earth™, Obtain Real-time Traffic, Fuel Price and Weather Information, and Access Mobile Wi-Fi HotSpot

Audi today announced that T-Mobile USA, Inc. will serve as the U.S. wireless carrier for its Audi Connect systems in the company's newest Audi luxury vehicle lines. Available with the arrival of the 2012 Audi A7 in April, the Audi Connect services include voice-activated Google Earth™, Google™ Local Search, and Sirius Traffic™ information combined with Google Earth™ imagery. In addition, Audi Connect allows users to obtain real-time news, weather, and fuel prices from other providers. Audi Connect is also able to turn the vehicle into a secure mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, allowing vehicle passengers to retrieve information on the Internet conveniently and securely.

Audi Connect services are enabled with an enhanced, ruggedized T-Mobile® SIM card connected to T-Mobile's robust network inserted into the advanced Audi MMI® Navigation Plus system. To facilitate easy activation, T-Mobile SIM cards will be included with the vehicle, allowing customers to simply sign up for a service plan at the time of vehicle sale or at any time during or after the six-month complimentary trial period.

Audi turned to T-Mobile as the wireless provider because of its reliable, nationwide network, leadership in the automotive telematics space, and strong customer satisfaction record.

"The launch of Audi Connect is part of a foundational strategy to help Audi lead with first-to-market, cutting-edge connected services," said Johan de Nysschen, President, Audi of America. "We're looking forward to a productivel relationship with T-Mobile USA as we give motorists and passengers the ability to access the most current information and enhance their enjoyment of their Audi vehicle."

"From our robust, nationwide network to our cutting-edge SIM technology, T-Mobile innovates so that customers can connect and access information from nearly anywhere," said John Horn, National Director of M2M at T-Mobile USA. "The Audi Connect service is a great example of how the vehicle ownership experience can be enhanced with wireless connectivity and we're thrilled to be a part of it."

For more details on the Audi Connect service, please visit audiusanews.com and search for "Audi Connect."

Availability
In addition to the 2012 Audi A7, Audi Connect will appear this summer in the 2012 Audi A8 line, the 2012 Audi A6 and the 2012 Audi Q7. Future Audi models, such as the Audi Q5 Hybrid, will also feature Audi Connect.

ABOUT AUDI
Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. During 2010 Audi was the top performing luxury brand in Europe, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Over the next few years, AUDI AG will invest nearly $16 billion on new products and technologies. Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicle and business issues.

About T-Mobile USA
Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG. By the end of the fourth quarter of 2010, approximately 130 million mobile customers were served by the mobile communication segments of the Deutsche Telekom group - 33.7 million by T-Mobile USA - all via GSM and UMTS, the world's most widely-used digital wireless standards. Today, T-Mobile operates America's largest 4G network, and is delivering a compelling 4G experience across a broad lineup of leading devices in more places than competing 4G services. T-Mobile USA's innovative wireless products and services empower and enable people to stay connected and productive while mobile. Multiple independent research studies continue to rank T-Mobile USA as a leader in customer care and customer satisfaction. For more information, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com. T-Mobile is a federally registered trademark of Deutsche Telekom AG. For further information on Deutsche Telekom, please visit www.telekom.de/investor-relations.

Amazon blocks Lendle e-book sharing service (update: it's back!)

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 08:13 PM PDT

Whether via public library or personal collection, e-books may be getting harder to borrow and loan out -- HarperCollins put the squeeze on government-funded rentals last week, and today Amazon has allegedly disabled e-book sharing startup Lendle with one fell stroke. Lendle allows readers to trade e-book rentals, in a fashion, by tapping Amazon's API to list books they agree to loan out, and in return, gain access to a Lendle database of books available to borrow from readers like themselves. The service allegedly fell under the auspices of Amazon's existing 14-day, one-time-only loaning policy, but that didn't stop Amazon from revoking Lendle's access to the API, effectively shutting the service down. According to the no-reply email Lendle received, the reason is that the service doesn't "serve the principal purpose of driving sales of products and services on the Amazon site." Perhaps there's some deeper reason behind the move, but that explanation certainly sounds pretty narrow-minded.

Update: Well that was quick -- Lendle is now reporting that Amazon has reinstated its API access under the condition that Lendle disables its Book Sync tool, which is a non-essential feature anyway. Great, just in time for bedtime stories on the west coast as well.

ComScore: Microsoft becomes second for online video in one month

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:57 PM PDT

Earlier this month, we got word that Bing had surpassed Yahoo! as the world's second most used search engine, and now Microsoft's solidifying its place as runner-up, coming in behind YouTube as the internet's number two provider of streaming video, with 48 million unique viewers in February. According to ComScore's latest ranking of online video providers, the software giant went from number seven to number two in just one month, bumping Yahoo! down to third place. Of course, YouTube is still way out in front, with over 140 million visitors, but given the speed with which it leaped ahead, we'd say Bing is doing something right. Check out more online video results after the break.

Toshiba Portege R830 priced, Core i3 model ready for pre-order at $899

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:36 PM PDT

We've never been shy about our love for Toshiba's lightweight magnesium laptops, so we're ecstatic to see that the Portege R830 is nearly here, bringing Intel's second-generation Core i3 and Core i5 processors to the 3.2 pound, 13.3-inch form factor. We spotted the R830 and siblings at MWC last month, but today you can lay down the cash, with nine Benjamins buying you the cheaper Core i3 variant, as well as two weeks to gleefully anticipate your newfound mobility before the notebook ships to your door. Alternatively, you could wait and drop an extra $30 for a 2.3GHz Core i5-2410M that can turbo up to 2.9GHz under load, but otherwise the units are identical inside and out -- you'll find a 1366 x 768 LED-backlit screen, 4GB of DDR3 memory, 640GB of storage, a DVD burner and integrated Intel graphics no matter which numbered door you open.

[Thanks, Essie S.]

Cricket teases CDMA-only Samsung Indulge, Huawei Ascend 2 at CTIA (hands-on)

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:19 PM PDT

Regional carrier Cricket surprised at CTIA today by showing off a couple new units that aren't out yet -- but they're in the pipeline for the second quarter, which the company points out is coming "very soon." First up is the Huawei Ascend 2, which -- you guessed it -- would be the follow-on to the original Ascend that the company launched last year. The display's still HVGA; WVGA obviously would've been nice, but Cricket is promising to launch it at the same sub-$150 price point as the first model and it's got a 5 megapixel camera around back (up from 3.2 before).

Next up, the Indulge is pretty much the same midrange QWERTY Android slider that already launched on MetroPCS, albeit with one big difference: this one has no LTE compatibility (Cricket has no live LTE network, after all). As with the Ascend 2, we would've preferred a WVGA display -- this one's just HVGA -- and the four physical buttons up front seem a bit out of style, but Cricket's still in a position where any new Android hardware is a very good thing. Look for it to launch for under $350 -- off contract, of course.
Samsung Indulge and Huawei Ascend 2 for Cricket hands-on

Netflix suffers temporary website outage today (fixed!), permanent Dexter outage this summer

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:03 PM PDT

The bad news is that our bulging tips box reports Netflix's website and Watch Instantly streaming service have been mostly inaccessible for the last couple of hours. Those lucky enough to have the page open from earlier may still have access, and devices based on older UIs are up and running while the newer HTML5 based frontends seem to be down for the count. The worse news is Crain's New York Business reported today that a new licensing deal with Showtime will not renew streaming access to older seasons of currently airing shows like Dexter and Californication when they expire this summer. Instead, their arrangement will cover shows that are off the air like The Tudors and Sleeper Cell.

Showtime has decided to hold the fresher stuff back for its TV Everywhere portals accessible by pay-TV subscribers despite Netflix's best efforts to pitch itself as a friend to the premium networks, which could also explain its plan to start offering original content of its own next year. Wide outages like this have been relatively rare and while we'll just keep an eye on @NetflixHelps until it's back up, there's no telling what other blank spaces we might find in our instant streaming queues in the future.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Update: Things appear to be back to normal as of 10:30 p.m. EST or so, there's no official word via Twitter yet but between the commenters below and the episode of Firefly we're watching, it's all good. Wait -- Not so fast, while PC streaming is a go, devices are still mostly locked out.

Per @NetflixHelps UPDATE: Streaming is back on the website. We're still working on getting streaming back to all devices. Thanks for your patience!

Update 2: From @NetflixHelps - RESOLVED: The website and devices are back up and running. Thanks again for your patience while we worked to get this fixed!

Flatbed scanner becomes multitouch panel in five-fingered DIY documentary (video)

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 06:30 PM PDT

Flatbed scanner becomes multitouch panel in five-fingered DIY documentary (video)
Few things do a better job at decimating desktop real estate than a bulky old flatbed scanner. Skinnier replacements are cheap these days, but what's one to do with the old ones? An enterprising hacker who goes by the handle Sprite_tm, the same bloke who brought us a knock-operated door, has managed to create a multitouch panel out of his. He extracted the single-line CCD and mounted that below the display. He then attached five LEDs above it to shine light down. When his finger touches the screen it casts a shadow on the CCD and, with a little (probably a lot) of custom software he's able to triangulate the position of the touch. The system even works with multiple fingers, though we're guessing should they overlap vertically the system might get a little finicky. Check out a demo below and then click on through the source link for one heck of a detailed how-to.

Eurotech's Zypad WL1500 wearable computer won't let you forget you're wearing a computer

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 06:07 PM PDT

Eurotech's Zypad series of wearable tablets may all look like props from mid-1990s sci-fi movies, but we can't help but admire them just a little bit for that very reason -- even if we wouldn't be caught dead wearing one. The latest is the "faster" and "lighter" Zypad WL1500, which packs a 3.5-inch QVGA display (resisitive, naturally), a Marvell PXA320 processor, a whopping 128MB of flash storage, and some 3G connectivity in addition to WiFi and Bluetooth -- not to mention Windows CE 6.0 for an OS. If you haven't figured it out by now, this one isn't exactly intended for consumer use, but Eurotech is still targeting a fairly broad audience of professional users, including folks in everything from law enforcement to transportation to medical fields. Look for it to be available in the second quarter of this year for a yet to be disclosed price.
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Eurotech Launches the Zypad WL1500 Wearable Computers

Next Generation Cloud-Enabled Zypad Wearable Computer Features Faster Processing and More Communication Options in a Lighter Design

COLUMBIA, Md., March 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Eurotech, a leading supplier of embedded technologies, products, and systems, announces today the launch of the Zypad WL1500 series of wearable computers. Following in the footsteps of the popular Zypad WL1000 and Zypad WL1100 products, the new Zypad WL1500 delivers the same low power and long battery life and now offers faster performance and more functionality. The Zypad WL1500 is a perfect fit for users who need instant access to information while still maintaining mobility, such as emergency search and rescue, medical, homeland security, law enforcement, logistics, maintenance and transportation professionals.

The Zypad WL1500 series allows the user to maintain connectivity through a full range of communications protocols such as WiFi, Bluetooth and cellular including 3G, CDMA and GPRS. There is also a user-accessible SIM card slot should the user need instant access to data. Built-in GPS tracking capability with an integrated antenna further enables communications capabilities.

Power conservation techniques allow the Zypad WL1500 to run for a typical eight-hour shift. A power monitor with a fuel gauge lets the user determine if and when a battery charge is required. At this point, the user could perform a hot swap of the battery without losing critical data or charge the unit through a USB port, ensuring continuity and reliability for a range of data-critical applications. Additional features include a Micro SD slot, 128 MB of SDRAM Flash memory and a twelve-key keyboard with built-in backlight for easy viewing.

The Zypad comes with a 3.5" TFT display at QVGA resolution with touchscreen and backlight controlled by an ambient light sensor. Also included are an integrated microphone, mono-audio speaker and audio-in capabilities. The Zypad WL1500 supports an optional integrated barcode scanner or the external ring-scanner that is available on previous models.

"Eurotech's newest Zypad wearable computer delivers the great look and feel of the Zypad family with extensive communications and I/O capabilities," says Pete Dombrowski, Director of Engineering at Eurotech Inc. "The cloud-ready Zypad WL1500 can be deployed in M2M applications where hands-free operations, reliable communications and high computing performance are required. With Eurotech's Zypad WL1500 wearable computer, individual users have instant access to data in the field and corporations can simultaneously access that vital information through the cloud in real-time."

The Zypad WL1500 series will be generally available in Q2 of 2011. It comes with Windows CE 6.0 support.

About Eurotech

Eurotech is a listed global company (ETH.MI) that integrates hardware, software, services and expertise to deliver embedded computing platforms and sub-systems to leading OEMs, system integrators and enterprise customers for successful and efficient deployment of their products and services. Drawing on concepts of minimalist computing, Eurotech lowers power draw, minimizes physical size and reduces coding complexity to bring sensors, embedded platforms, sub-systems, ready-to-use devices and high performance computers to market, specializing in healthcare, defense, transportation, industrial and energy segments. By combining domain expertise in wireless connectivity as well as communications protocols, Eurotech architects integrated solutions that simplify data capture, processing and transfer over unified communications networks. Our customers rely on us to simplify their access to state-of-art embedded technologies so they can focus on their core competencies. Learn more about Eurotech at www.eurotech.com.

All product or service names are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Eurotech

Cobra iRadar detection system for Android hands-on

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 05:46 PM PDT

We'd mentioned Cobra was porting the iRadar app to Android a while back and had a chance to actually have a peek at Showstoppers last night. Like its iPhone cousin, the iRadar system ships with a simple radar detector and an app for your set. Pricing is set at $129 for this kit and it is apparently shipping as of April 4th. So If you enjoy speeding and want a little help getting that done, the following video tour and gallery are for you.
Cobra iRadar detection system for Android hands-on

Chinon's Avi Stylix iPod / iPhone docking station packs 7-inch LCD, streams Netflix*

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 05:30 PM PDT

It doesn't scream quality (or maybe the legion of professional stock photographers were all on vacation last week), but the June-bound Avi Stylix does have something that the vast majority of me-too iPod / iPhone docking stations do not: an embedded 7-inch LCD. The usual suspects are also here, including a Dock Connector port, twin two-watt speakers, USB port, SD card slot and a bundled remote. The kicker is its ability to stream Netflix, but there's an obvious catch; you'll need an iPhone or iPod touch with a live internet connection in order to do so. There's no actual WiFi module built into the main unit, so you'll need to rely on your connected device to pull in the content. Still, for $99.99, it might not be a bad bet for your guest room. Or your office desk, since you know you aren't getting any actual work done.
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Chinon Stylix™ iPod/iPhone Docking Station Plays iTunes Audio and Video Files

LAKE ZURICH, IL, March 21, 2011 -- Chinon USA has merged fashion, entertainment and the latest audio-video technology in its new AVi Sytlix™ docking station for Apple iPhone and iPod.

Available in an array of colors to match your unique sense of style, the AVi Stylix is the ultimate Apple accessory. It features a 7-inch high-resolution LCD that delivers brilliant, high-resolution playback of videos stored on an iPod or iPhone. In addition, when docked to an iPhone or iPod Touch connected by Wi-Fi, the Avi Stylix will stream web videos from popular sites such as YouTube® or Netflix®. Because the screen is nearly three times the size of the iPhone's LCD, it greatly enhances the user experience and makes it easier to share the fun with friends.

The AVi Stylix sound system provides a rich, multi-dimensional audio, whether it is playing music from an iTunes® library or a dynamic movie soundtrack. Dual 2W stereo speakers output a generous range that will fill any size room. Best of all, this incredible sound comes within a small, portable package that is perfect for bedrooms, offices, dorm rooms, and any other limited space areas.

In addition to playing audio and video from an iPod or iPhone, the AVi Stylix has inputs for USB and SD cards to view movies, photos and videos, or to listen to music that is stored on either a card or thumb drive. SD cards can be directly removed from a digital camera and inserted into the AVi Stylix turning the unit into a high-end digital photo frame.

Operation could not be simpler. Just place an iPod or iPhone into the universal dock adapter, select an operation mode, and you're ready to rock - no additional cords or accessories required. An intuitive remote control provides control of an iPod or iPhone from across the room. Other features on the Stylix are a digital radio and an alarm clock.

The Chinon AVi Stylix will be available in June 2011 with an MSRP of $99.99. Chinon products are sold by several online retailers including overstock.com and bundlecity.com.

For more information, visit www.chinonusa.com.

Google brings check-ins to Google Latitude on iPhone, 30 languages to Places

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 05:16 PM PDT

Unsurprisingly, El Goog gifted the Android versions of Latitude and Places with these updates a few weeks back, but now the iOS loyalists are being brought into a similar circle. The search giant has just added check-ins to the iOS version of Google Latitude, with any iDevice using iOS 4 or higher being deemed compatible. In related news, the Applefied build of Google Places is now available in 30 languages, and there's an added 'Saved Places' feature for keeping tabs on your favorite spots. You can check your phone for updates, or if you haven't dug in yet, have a poke around in the App Store.

Apple TV 4.2.1 update puts kibosh on flickering screens

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 04:47 PM PDT

If you've been using an HDMI to DVI adapter to hook up your Apple TV, there's a chance you've been dealing with some annoying flickering on the boob tube since downloading the latest update to the device. Well, the end to your flashing screen woes is here: Apple's just let loose a followup that promises to fix the flickering. Update 4.2.1 also addresses audio issues and a glitch that puts the thing in a permanent slumber when it goes to sleep. So there you have it -- now you won't have to miss even a split second of your favorite episode of That's So Raven, even though we all know you have it committed to memory. Follow the source link to get your fix.
at 11:43 AM

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