Sponsoer by :

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Engadget News

Sponsored

Engadget News

YouTube and Google Movies rentals can be consumed on either platform

Posted: 10 May 2011 11:24 AM PDT

Remember those 3,000 movies from Universal, Sony and Warner Bros. that were added to YouTube yesterday? Turns out, that same library is also being pushed to Google's newly announced Movies service. We learned as much during the outfit's executive Q&A session following the keynote this morning, and furthermore anything purchased / rented via Google Movies will be available to consume via YouTube, and vice-versa. Not a bad gesture!

Google clarifies 18 month Android upgrade program, details far from solidified

Posted: 10 May 2011 11:12 AM PDT

We're camped out here at Google'e executive Q&A session, and Andy Rubin and co. are spitting out answers to questions from curious minds. While mentioned briefly in the outfit's keynote earlier, the structured upgrade program is obviously becoming a huge focal point here at the show. One of the major pain points for Android owners in the past (and even now, truthfully) is the inability to know if and when your particular handset will ever get an Android update. Epic 4G owners had a particularly hard go at it, but most everyone outside of Nexus One users have experienced something similar. Unfortunately, it seems as if our excitement may be a bit premature. While LG, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, AT&T, Vodafone, Sprint, Samsung, HTC and Verizon Wireless are technically onboard, all of this feels like it was decided upon at the 11th hour here in San Francisco. When pressed about how long it'd take updates to flow to phones after given the thumbs-up by Google itself, there's no hard news to report. In fact, the details there are still being hashed out.

To quote Google, "It's a logistics problem." We can only imagine. Trying to get every Android partner to follow a timeline for releases has to be a complete and utter nightmare, but the company seems certain that these stipulations won't cripple anyone's ability to innovate on their skins (or have too little time to make the needed changes).

We would've loved to hear a specific figure that we could start holding phone manufacturers to, but alas, it isn't to be. The only hard number thrown out today is 18 months. That's how long future hardware will be in the support cycle (at least, anyway), so you'll "soon" be able to count on your next Android device receiving all applicable updates for 1.5 years after purchase. As for phones that use custom skins, like Blur and Sense? Hard to say if that'll slow things down, and it's even harder to say if outfits like Dell will be joining this party at any time in the future. Though, to be fair, Andy Rubin clarified that there's an "open invitation" for anyone not listed to waltz on in. Naturally, we'll keep you abreast of any further developments from the show floor.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition (white) hands-on from Google I/O!

Posted: 10 May 2011 10:48 AM PDT

Google just announced that every attendee of I/O 2011 would be getting a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition, and being that we're here in both mind and body, we were able to get our paws around one just now. We're still looking for an unsaturated WiFi network to get things setup, but until the impressions roll in, we couldn't resist bringing you a first look at what's easily the most beautiful Galaxy Tab to date from a nerd's perspective. The 8.6mm frame is thinner than thin, and there's enough gloss on the front panel to chunk your mirror and just multi-task with this. The star of the show, of course, is the vanilla rear, bespeckled with Androids and oozing with geek love. Have a glance at the video below the break!
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition (white) hands-on at Google I/O!

Google gives away 5,000 Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets to devs at I/O

Posted: 10 May 2011 09:53 AM PDT

Hey, who said we'd only get software news at Google I/O? The Android maker just reminded us that Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet (the thin version) will be launching in a month's time, and to whet appetites, a white-backed version of the device was shown off on stage. It's described as a limited edition, potentially because it looks to be running stock Android without the TouchWiz UI layer on top, and will be given away to the gathered crowd of 5,000 conference attendees. They'll get it with Honeycomb 3.0 on board, but an update to 3.1 will be forthcoming over the next couple of weeks as well.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition

Google announces Android @ Home framework for home automation

Posted: 10 May 2011 09:44 AM PDT

Want more Android in your house? How about Android in your house. Google wants to think of "every appliance in your home" as a potential accessory for your phone. The opportunities are seemingly endless, the sort of thing we've seen in the Zigbee and Z-wave areas, but sadly this implementation doesn't actually seem to be using any of those standards. The team teased ideas like lights turning on and off based on calendar events, applications talking to washing machines, games automatically adjusting for mood lighting, and basically little green dudes taking care of all the menial duties in your house.

One amazing demo was a concept, Android-powered device hub called Tungsten. Using RFID embedded into CD cases the device was able to detect the CD and add it to your library. Another touch and it started automatically. Yeah, the use of CDs is a little quaint, but the potential is there for amazing things in the future. We're not sure exactly when these accessories will be launching, but the first are expected before the end of the year.
Android at Home

Google announces Android Open Accessory standard, Arduino-based ADK

Posted: 10 May 2011 09:40 AM PDT

Google's really not leaving any stone unturned at IO today -- it's now also announced a brand new Android Open Accessory standard, which promises to effectively be its own version of "Made for iPod." That means that any accessory designed using the API (which could even be something like an exercise bike) will be compatible with any Android phone or tablet -- running at least Android 2.3.4 or 3.1, that is. What's more, Google is also making a reference hardware design dubbed an "ADK" available to developers and, get this, it's based on Arduino. Right now, it only includes USB, but Bluetooth support is planned for the future -- developers can hit up the link below for the complete details on how to get started with it.
Android accessories

Google partners with OEMs and carriers to guarantee timely Android updates

Posted: 10 May 2011 09:35 AM PDT

We're here live at Google I/O, and the folks from Mountain View have just shared something rather sweet -- a coalition of manufacturers and carriers committed to making sure their Android devices receive the very latest updates. All four major US carriers (and Vodafone) as well as HTC, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, LG and Motorola are on board, and all will guarantee you timely upgrades to the latest version of Android for eighteen months after release, provided the hardware's capable. Now that's change we can believe in.

See our liveblog of Google's I/O 2011 keynote for the very latest.

Google Music Beta to stream 20,000 songs for free, official! (updated)

Posted: 10 May 2011 09:25 AM PDT

It's not quite official but there's little doubt that Google will launch its Google Music service at its big I/O event later today. While the Wall Street Journal couldn't get a Google spokesman to admit it, Peter Kafka over at All Things D got Jamie Rosenberg, Director of Android Product Management, to spill the details a bit early. Google's service will essentially mimic the music locker functionality of Amazon's Cloud service, albeit without the ability to sell songs direct to consumers. Ouch. Unfortunately, Google's plans to launch a more feature-complete service were derailed when discussions with the labels broke down. According to Rosenberg, "A couple of the major labels were less focused on the innovative vision that we put forward, and more interested in an unreasonable and unsustainable set of business terms." So, rather than putting the service on hold, Google will launch its music service with the ability to store up to 20,000 of your own uploaded songs for free which you can then stream over the web to your desktop or Android phone or tablet -- any device that supports Flash (don't worry iOS users, your time will come). Amazon's service, by comparison, offers just 5GB of free storage for about 1,200 songs stored at a mediocre bitrate. Google will also best Amazon with a feature that automatically creates playlists. Google expects to roll out the service to its US users within "weeks" with Music Beta invites going out later today to Verizon Xoom owners (others will be able to sign up at music.google.com). Keep it right here because we'll be bringing you the announcement live.

Update: And it's officially official, called "Music Beta by Google" at this point. There's a simple presentation with artists, albums, and easy playlist creation. You can manually create them, or there's a feature called "Instant Mix" that will make you a playlist based on any single song. It'll automagically pick 25 different tracks to build a "truly ingenious mix." You know, kind of like another, similarly intelligent service. All of this syncs to the cloud, which means no wires needed to download anything.

But, more importantly, songs can be cached locally. You can pick any song, album, or playlist to download onto storage, at an unknown quality. It's the same pinning idea that's in the new movies feature. That and more is demonstrated in the video below.

The service is launching in beta today, allowing 20,000 songs, and it'll be free -- "at least while it's in beta." Also, the updated music app is available now, which will work with any music on your phone and any phone running Android 2.2 or above. To get full-featured you can request a beta and get in line, but if you happen to be reading this from I/O you're in the beta. Congrats, you lucky bums!
Google Music

Android Market launches movie rentals, thousands of titles available to your PC, phone or tablet

Posted: 10 May 2011 09:20 AM PDT

Google just announced movie rentals in the Android Market at its I/O conference. Chris from the Android services team just hit the stage at Moscone and demonstrated renting movies on the Android Market from your phone, tablet or PC with a single click. "Pinning" mirrors the experience with apps and books, you can select it on your PC and download to the device in the background for offline viewing. Movies are live in the market right now, support on all Android 2.2 or higher devices is expected "in a couple of weeks" and tablets will get support bundled with their upgrade to Android 3.1. On the PC, it ties back to the recently expanded YouTube rental service with similar restrictions (30 days to watch, 24 hour window once you start watching) and pricing, and makes that per-movie VOD price a bit easier to swallow with its cross-platform support and we even spied a few HD selections for $4.99. Keep an eye on the liveblog for more information.
Android Market movie rentals

Google announces Ice Cream Sandwich for Q4 2011, for smartphones and tablets alike

Posted: 10 May 2011 09:14 AM PDT

"One OS that runs everywhere." There you have it, folks! Google intends to meld its Honeycomb tablet wares and Gingerbread smartphone software into one delicious Ice Cream Sandwich. Maybe that's why the "sandwich" bit is in the name? Either way, it'll be a universal OS that runs on everything from teeny tiny Android phones to 10-inch tablets and will intelligently adapt to each form factor with things like a resizable status bar. Some other fancy new additions are being demonstrated right now, including face-tracking and camera focus shifting based on voice recognition.
Android Ice Cream Sandwich


Developing... see our liveblog of Google's I/O 2011 keynote for the very latest.

Google TV getting Android 3.1 and Market this summer; Sony, Vizio, Samsung and Logitech onboard

Posted: 10 May 2011 09:13 AM PDT

As expected, Google just announced at I/O that the Google TV will be upgraded to Android 3.1 this summer (existing devices will get an OTA upgrade) with access to the Market coming "soon." According to Mike Cleron from the Android Development team, developers will be able to use the vanilla Honeycomb SDK to build apps for Google TV, and also announced hardware partners will include Samsung, Vizio, Logitech and Sony (as seen after the break) -- no word on previously mentioned possibles like Toshiba, Sharp or LG. There were also no details on a switch from Intel to ARM even though we heard whispers of that at CES, we'll check in to the keynote tomorrow to see if there's any more revealed on hardware changes for the platform. Check the liveblog for more info.


Google announces Android 3.1, available on Verizon Xoom today

Posted: 10 May 2011 09:01 AM PDT

Google has just announced Android 3.1, and it's rolling out to Verizon Xoom 3G customers today. It brings with it a range of improvements and refinements including resizeable widgets, and a new host mode that will let you import photos to your tablet directly from your digital camera, and take advantage of a "ridiculous" number of USB devices, even including Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 controllers. It also includes Google's new Movies app that will let you rent thousands of movies from the Android market, a new Books app, a new video editing app dubbed Movie Studio, and updated versions of most of Google's main apps, including a "faster" web browser with a new Quick Controls menu -- and to top things off, the OS will be hitting Google TV sometime "this summer" as well. Unfortunately, there's still no firm word on when it will hit non-Xoom 3G tablets, although Google did mention that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 that it's giving away to everyone at IO will be getting the update in the "next couple of weeks."

Android 3.1

Live from Google I/O 2011's opening keynote!

Posted: 10 May 2011 09:00 AM PDT


12:55PM And that's a wrap, folks! Pretty intense keynote for the opening day, and we're promised even more tomorrow. We'll be here bringing it to you live, of course!




12:53PM By the way, it's 8.6mm and 565g, and Honeycomb 3.1 will hit "over the next couple of weeks." That means that it should be live by the time it starts shipping to consumers, though there's no indication of a price.

12:52PM Google's pimping the Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition. 1GHz dual-core CPU, 32GB onboard, 1GB of RAM, and Android 3.0. It's launching in a month, and everyone here's getting one!


12:51PM Curiously enough, Google just mentioned Ice Cream Sandwich again without a version number. Hmm.

12:51PM Not surprisingly, Google's hoping for developers to take all of this to the next level, and by the smoke billowing out of the ears surrounding us, we're guessing the gears are already turning.

12:50PM An NFC-enabled CD touches a Tungsten speaker. From there, the entire album is loaded into one's Music Beta library, and with another tap, the album starts to play. Totally wild, but aren't CDs a technology that croaked in 1985? Let's try smartphone tapping!


12:49PM The whole framework will be completely open. Another Tungsten demo about to go down, with a clause that this is totally a prototype at the moment.


12:48PM Music Beta by Google is being used with these new interactive devices, and it's just more home automation. A tablet is being used to control which music goes to which speaker, for example.


12:47PM Next, Project Tungsten.

12:47PM LightingScience will start selling Android-compatible lights by the end of this year, but no pricing is being announced. A good start, but Google's going to need a heck of a lot more hardware support before this thing takes off. The home automation market is fractured enough as-is.



12:46PM Here's a crazy Quake demo -- as shots are fired, lamps on stage are flickering. Not quite total immersion, but close!

12:45PM Developers will have crazy options: an alarm clock app that slowly fades the lights up while cranking your home stereo. Game devs can use Android at Home to control an irrigation system for enabling "a real-world Farmville app," where your garden perishes if you do a poor job. Laughs all around.


12:44PM We're seeing a tablet control floor lamps, much like Z-Wave and Zigbee systems have been doing for years.

12:44PM Did Google just enter the home automation market?

12:44PM For appliances that can't connect to WiFi, Google's designed another protocol that'll work with anything electrical in your home -- dishwashers, thermostats, etc. Everything in your home is a potential connected device.


12:43PM Android at Home is the new vision, making your Android device the "center" of your life. Discover, connect and communication with devices in the home -- that's the goal.

12:43PM An "even larger type of accessory" is being teased. People are ducking and phoning their loved ones.

12:42PM The ADK is welcoming hardware designers into the Android ecosystem. No NDAs, no fees, good stuff.

12:42PM Here's a video of a far larger demo for the ADK. It's a monstrous Labyrinth board in a building, controlled by the reference hardware. accessories.android.com is the place to go if you're interested in starting development on this stuff. By the way, please start development on this stuff.

12:41PM Whoa, some seriously crazy stuff going down in the demo. A physical Labyrinth board is being controlled by a Xoom over USB. We'd love if the cords were cut from day one, but we'll take the progress.



12:40PM Today, Google's busting out a reference hardware design, based on an Arduino and it incorporates USB integration now, and Bluetooth in the future. It's being dubbed an "ADK."


12:39PM The Open Accessory API supports Android 2.4.3 and 3.1.





12:38PM CardioQuest app is being shown off, with an exercise bike being able to recognize that it's there. From there, the API has the bike control the game that's shown on the phone. This is totally wild -- the faster he goes, the more the game changes in real-time. Truly wild. We aren't super stoked on exercising, but the potential applications are incredible.



12:37PM We've got a fitness demo about to go down. And some dude just yanked his pants off and hopped on a treadmill. A strange amount of laud from the crowd.

12:36PM Android Open Accessory announced! Think "Made for iPod," but by Google.


12:36PM Between this and the desire for "one OS," it's glaringly obvious that Google's tackling fragmentation head-on. Huzzah.


12:35PM The keynote's moving on, but our head is still spinning here. And we're sure the heads of Epic 4G owners are as well.

12:35PM Those shown will be provided timely updates for at least 18 months provided the hardware can handle it. Whoa. WHOA!

12:34PM This is INSANE news. A crazy amount of partners are on board: LG, SE, Motorola, AT&T, Vodafone, Sprint, Samsung, HTC and Verizon Wireless.


12:34PM New guidelines! Man, this is going to be huge. Google's laying out a timeline for how long it'll take a device to get updated once a new build is let loose, as well as how long it'll be updated beyond that.

12:33PM Any device running Android 2.2+ can download the app today, and you can goof off with the settings while patiently awaiting your invite. Sounds fun. Or not.

12:32PM Everyone here at Google I/O's getting an invite, and otherwise, you can visit music.google.com to put your name on the list.


12:32PM Uh oh! "At least while it's in beta, the service is free." Not exactly the kind of closer we'd like to hear.

12:32PM Launching in beta "today," rolled out in stages, initially available via invites to US users. C'mon Google -- get international!

12:31PM A good point from Google: should you buy a new phone, anything you've created within Music Beta is instantly available as soon as you sign in. No cables, no syncing. But again, since it's all cloud-based, you'll need access to the world wide web.



12:31PM The same Make Available Offline feature that was shown for Movies is here as well. A phone demo showing it off on Froyo demonstrates a more compact UI, designed to handle smaller (smartphone) screens.


12:30PM In case you haven't gleaned it yet, this is all about cloud storage of music. It's effectively Dropbox, but tailored for music.

12:29PM Users of this "won't ever have to use a cable to add music again." Yeah, but you'll need an internet connection!




12:29PM This is Google's version of Genius, and unlike those "other smart playlist creation tools," El Goog's actually "listens" to your songs to make an even smarter mix. Them's fightin' words!

12:28PM Once you create a playlist, it's instantly available on phones, tablets, everything. Here comes a new feature: Instant Mix.

12:27PM There's a web interface -- ratings, play counts, playlists, it's all there. Recently played is, too. Playback is instant here in the demo, presumably sucking down tunes from the cloud.



12:27PM "Perhaps you heard a rumor or two." Hah! Here's a demo; available for Mac and PC. Talking up the playlist feature right now.


12:26PM Ha, no painful syncing. Zing, Apple!

12:26PM Paul Joyce is out to unveil (officially, anyway) Music Beta by Google.

12:25PM Now we're talking about "enjoying content you already own." Here comes Google Music!

12:25PM "Thousands" of movies are available, and if you visit market.android.com, the Movie rental experience is live now. The Movies app will be bundled in with the Honeycomb 3.1 update. For the phone? It'll hit Android 2.2+ devices "in a couple of weeks."


12:24PM Just so we're clear, purchased / rented movies can be watched on the web, on tablets, and on phones. Kudos!


12:24PM Ah, HD selections for $4.99, nice!

12:24PM Wow, definitely a slick interface. Clean and simple.


12:23PM In addition to playing back movies, rentals can be accomplished "directly within the tablet."

12:23PM He's talking situations where cloud access is unavailable. A new feature called "Pinning" can be automatically downloaded in the background, so when a user hops on a Gogo-less flight, for example, it's there for viewing. Hopefully your airport connection is solid!


12:22PM Demo time on the Xoom -- there's a new Movies application, and a movie that was just rented on the web now shows on the Xoom. It's unclear at this point if you could rent within the app, though.

12:21PM Android Market has a 30-day rental period. Once you start watching it, however, you have 24 hours to complete the viewing.


12:21PM Really insane -- the Android Market homepage now includes movies. The Movies section has its own portal, too. If you're even remotely familiar with Netflix, you'll be at home here.

12:20PM The same experience used to download e-books is coming to movies as well! Instant streaming is coming today to Android devices (waiting on version clarification). Prices start at $1.99.


12:20PM Chris from the Android Cloud Services Team is on stage to talk even more new features. Also, to explain where he gets his amazing hair cut.


12:18PM Here's a legit usage case: Virtual Camera Operator is viewing two individuals, and as one starts talking, the software shifts and pans over to him, and as the secondary individual starts talking, it shifts again. Shockingly smooth.




12:18PM A headtracking and OpenGL demo is tracking an employee's face and shifting an image based on his perspective, in real-time. The system can also detect where a user's head, nose and eyes are, allowing a makeover app to cause all sorts of facial distortion -- not since the days of Mario 64 have we seen anything such as this.

12:17PM Ice Cream Sandwich is about "depth and breadth." Demo time!


12:16PM Naturally, everything here will be open source. Huge applause for that one.

12:16PM That includes the holographic UI, richer widgets, "everything." Google's looking to invest heavily in the application framework, and while Mike isn't saying so, we're getting the impression that this is a move to battle against fragmentation.




12:15PM Mike Claron: "We want one OS that runs everywhere."

12:15PM Ice Cream Sandwich is Google's "most ambitious" release to date, and the key word here is "choice." This new OS will power tablets, convertible laptops, phones, etc.


12:14PM Sadly, it looks as if we'll have to wait until tomorrow for more on Google TV. But on the flipside, Android Ice Cream just got official... with a new logo! Er, what?

12:13PM Double whammy -- Google TV will "soon" be getting the Android Market, allowing devs to use the vanilla Honeycomb SDK to create Google TV apps. Look out, Apple TV!


12:13PM Oh, snap! Google TV is getting Android 3.1 "this summer!" Huge!


12:12PM With Android 3.1, devices can now be used as hosts. Import photos directly from your digital camera to your tablet, and a "ridiculous" amount of USB devices are now supported, including game controllers! An Xbox 360 gamepad is being used in a game demo with an Android app.


12:12PM That's a major update to Honeycomb -- Mike Cleron from the Android Engineering Team is talking up some of the new features. The scrolling Gmail widget is being used as an example; widgets are now customizable in terms of horizontal or vertical stretching. Existing widgets can be upgraded "with just a few lines of XML."



12:10PM Whoa, Android 3.1 hitting Verizon Xoom customers today!

12:09PM Two exiting new services coming today!

12:09PM Another big number: 200,000. This one applies to the amount of available apps in the Android Market today. We're also told that it took around two years to see one billion Android apps downloaded, and now, Google's seen 4.5 billion app installs to date. In fact, it only took 60 days to see the last billion downloaded.





12:07PM Currently, we've got 310 devices in 112 countries; at this point last year, Google was activating 100,000 devices a day, up to 300,000 by December of last year. Now, the outfit's seeing 400,000 device activations "every single day."


12:06PM That's a global figure, and Google's understandably elated about it. 36 OEMs, 215 carriers, and 450,000 Android developers are being applauded.


12:05PM Quick video on the insane growth of Android -- a leap from 500,000 activations to 100 million activations in 2011.


12:05PM Momentum. Mobile. More. That's the agenda, and out comes the T-Mobile G1 -- the very first Googlephone. We aren't quite sure the point here, but people are weeping around us. It's a little odd, to be frank.


12:04PM "Let's get this show started." Out comes Hugo Barra, Product Management Director for Android, to officially kick the keynote off.


12:03PM Google's talking up just how connected this year's Google I/O is, with 122 viewing parties (at last count) around the world. Things just got real crowded in here.

12:02PM Oh, snap! Vic just let an image say a thousand words -- got quite the rise from the crowd.


12:02PM Recapping some of the achievements over the years, noting that in 2008, the focus was on connectivity and the cloud. Some things never change, eh?


12:01PM Vic Gundotra just waltzed on stage, pretty proud that the company's holding its fourth Google I/O conference. The crowd seems even more proud.

11:59AM Okay, confirmed: it's bad. Painful, anyway.

11:56AM Trance is getting intense as we enter the five minute barrier. Can't determine if that's a good or a bad thing.
11:46AM Ze countdown, as they say, has begun. We're guessing we'll soon hear more on Google Music, but your guess is as good as ours as to what comes next. Our money's on Android-shaped M&Ms for the holiday season, though.
11:44AM And we're in! Pretty massive crowd outside, tons of green, and plenty of iPhone users cowering.
We're camped out on the corner of Howard and 3rd, but Google I/O 2011's opening keynote hasn't started quite yet. You're still in the right place, though -- bookmark this very page and return at the time listed below for blow-by-blow coverage as it happens.

06:00AM - Hawaii
09:00AM - Pacific
10:00AM - Mountain
11:00AM - Central
12:00PM - Eastern
05:00PM - London
06:00PM - Paris
08:00PM - Moscow
01:00AM - Perth (May 11th)
01:00AM - Shenzhen (May 11th)
02:00AM - Tokyo (May 11th)
04:00AM - Sydney (May 11th)

Google reaches 100 millionth Android activation, 400,000 Android devices activated daily

Posted: 10 May 2011 08:59 AM PDT

36 OEMs, 215 carriers, 450,000 Android developers all over the world, Google wants to say "thank you!" Android has recently crossed its 100 millionth activation milestone, and is also growing at its fastest pace yet: 400,000 devices activated each and every day. There are now 200,000 Android applications in the Market, which have accumulated a total of 4.5 billion installs, at a rate which Google actually says is accelerating. These figures have all been cited as a way to illustrate Google's mobile momentum, which is evidently not even thinking about slowing down.

PLAN emergency alert system going mobile in NYC and DC this year, nationwide in 2012

Posted: 10 May 2011 08:40 AM PDT


If you live in the U.S., you've probably seen those anger-inducing emergency alert system test messages that interrupt your favorite programming on a weekly basis. Most of us have never seen the system used in an actual emergency, but come later this year, cell phone users in New York and Washington will have similar alerts pushed to their mobile devices -- presumably without the annoying weekly tests. Known as PLAN (Personal Localized Alerting Network), the free service will reportedly only work with smartphones (we're guessing the GPS comes into play here) on AT&T&T, Sprint and Verizon. The secure messaging network will likely display messages as notifications, rather than texts, and will push to all compatible devices within an affected area based on the phone's physical location, not just its mobile number. Local, state and federal officials will send notifications in response to disasters and other public safety threats, presidential announcements, and Amber Alerts. In other words: it'll only be used for actual emergencies, so don't expect updates on the whereabouts of your favorite captive reptile.
Show full PR text
MAYOR BLOOMBERG, THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND WIRELESS PROVIDER EXECUTIVES UNVEIL NEW, FIRST-IN-THE-NATION EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SERVICE THAT WILL REACH MOBILE DEVICES LOCATED IN AFFECTED AREAS

No Opt-In Necessary, Any Enabled Mobile Device Located in the Affected Area at Time of Emergency Will Receive a Message

Free Messages Will Be Sent from Local Cellular Towers to Avoid User Traffic and Will Appear As Text Messages on Enabled Devices

Keeps Mayor's Ambitious 2005 Campaign Promise to Develop Text Alert System with Federal Official and Wireless Carriers

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg joined Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator W. Craig Fugate to announce the launch of a new emergency notification service that will send geographically targeted messages to any enabled mobile device in the area of an emergency, providing details of imminent threats and critical safety information. The service, known as PLAN – the Personal Localized Alerting Network – will issue emergency alerts to users located in the affected area at the time of the emergency, regardless of where the user lives or purchased his or her phone. Authorized government officials will send messages, which participating wireless providers then transmit using their cell towers, to enabled mobile devices in the targeted geographic area. The alerts will not be stalled by user congestion, which can happen with standard mobile voice and texting services. In 2005, Mayor Bloomberg pledged to work with the FCC, FEMA, and various cell phone carriers and manufacturers to build a viable system for wireless alerts and the City worked with FEMA's on the initial first pilot program. Mayor Bloomberg made the announcement at 2 World Financial Center overlooking the World Trade Center site and also was joined by New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly; New York City Fire Commissioner Salvatore J. Cassano; Office of Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph F. Bruno; NYPD Deputy Chief Charles Dowd, Communications Division; FDNY Chief of Communications Robert Boyce; and executives from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon.

"In both the public and private sectors, I've always believed in the need to harness technology in new ways, including ways that its designers hadn't anticipated," said Mayor Bloomberg. "The City's opt-in Notify NYC system is a great example of that: it alerts people to dangers and delays via email, text and phone, and it has become a national model of emergency communication. But given the kinds of threats made against New York City at the World Trade Center, Times Square, and other places popular with visitors and tourists, we'll be even safer when authorities can broadcast warnings to everyone in a geographic area regardless of where they came from or bought their phone. I want to congratulate FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate for this quantum leap forward in using technology to help keep people safe."

The service will be available in New York City by the end of 2011 and customers of participating carriers will be automatically signed up. When PLAN is operational, customers in an area affected by an emergency who have a PLAN-capable mobile device will receive an alert of ninety characters or less. Participating carriers are including PLAN chips in their new phones, and many recently purchased phones already have the chip and only will require a software upgrade. The geographic targeting feature means that a customer living in New York City would not receive a threat alert if they happen to be out of town when the alert is sent. Similarly, someone visiting New York City from out of town on that same day would receive the alert. Consumers will receive three types of alerts from PLAN: alerts issued by the President, alerts involving imminent threats to safety of life, and Amber Alerts. Participating carriers may allow subscribers to block all but Presidential alerts. A PLAN alert will be accompanied by a unique attention signal and vibration, which is particularly helpful to people with hearing or vision-related disabilities.

"Communications technology – and in particular mobile broadband – has the potential to revolutionize emergency response," said FCC Chairman Genachowski. "Our communications networks need to be reliable and resilient in times of emergency. The FCC is working with carriers to ensure that they are."

"Following the devastating tornadoes in the Southeast, we are witnessing yet again the critical role the public plays as part of our nation's emergency management team. Making sure that they get useful and life-saving information, quickly and easily, right on their mobile phones, will help more people get out of harm's way when a threat exists," said Administrator Fugate. "This new technology could become a lifeline for millions of Americans and is another tool that will strengthen our nation's resilience against all hazards."

"PLAN fills a gap in our preparedness by allowing us to get emergency alerts to anyone with a properly equipped cell-phone, not just those who subscribe to Notify NYC," said OEM Commissioner Bruno. "Despite this new cell broadcasting program, you should still sign up for Notify NYC. If there is an imminent threat to your safety we want to be able to reach you by every means possible, including email, land lines and messages broadcast through PLAN."

"When a catastrophe is the product of terrorism or other man-made evil, the NYPD's goal is to stop it before it happens," said Police Commissioner Kelly. "We prefer to be emergency preventers than emergency responders. But, obviously, we must be prepared to do both. This new alert system is a welcome addition to our arsenal of readiness."

"If we have a major Haz-Mat incident or other large-scale situation, this tool will help us make sure that people in the immediate vicinity of the incident have the information they need to stay safe and stay away from the area," said Fire Commissioner Cassano. "In many cases, it's just as important for the public to know what not to do, as it is to know what to do. These PLAN alerts will keep the public informed, and keep our members focused on the task at hand."

PLAN complements the existing Emergency Alert System, which is implemented by the FCC and FEMA at the federal level through broadcasters and other media service providers. Like the Emergency Alert System, PLAN is intended to keep up with new technologies that can keep Americans safer. This modern, integrated and complementary alert system provides significant public safety roles for broadcasters, cable service providers, wireless service providers and other service providers. In 2006, Congress passed the Warning, Alert and Response Network (WARN) Act, requiring carriers that choose to participate to activate PLAN technology by a deadline determined by the FCC, which is April 2012. Participants that will offer PLAN in New York City –at least two calendar quarters ahead of schedule – are AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Ninety percent of New Yorkers who have a PLAN-capable mobile device in these cities will be able to receive PLAN alerts by the end of 2011. PLAN is also called the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS).

Notify NYC launched citywide in May 2009 after a year-long pilot program, fulfilling a commitment made by Mayor Bloomberg in 2005. Residents in all five boroughs can register an e-mail address, text message account, or phone number for up to five zip codes to receive Notify NYC advisories about emergencies and special events. Registration is free via www.nyc.gov or by calling 311. Currently, more than 66,000 e-mail and telephone subscribers utilize Notify NYC, with another 17,000 people following Notify NYC on Twitter.

For more information on PLAN, visit the Federal Communications Commission website at www.fcc.gov or follow @FCC on Twitter.

DoubleTwist's latest trick is NFC-based MP3 sharing between Androids

Posted: 10 May 2011 08:37 AM PDT

After adding AirPlay to AppleTV support to its Android media player app over the weekend, DoubleTwist's followup is a page out of Microsoft's Zune squirting (R.I.P.) handbook as it has implemented the ability to share MP3s between two devices. Play the video above to get more details on how DoubleTap works (or just keep an eye on Google's I/O event where it will be on display) but basically you'll need two Android phones with NFC, then tap them together and watch the file sharing magic happen automagically over WiFi or Bluetooth. The new update went live in the Android Market overnight, now all you need to do is find someone else with a Nexus S, Galaxy S II or any of the other NFC-packing Android devices expected to arrive shortly.


Show full PR text
doubleTwist introduces proximity-based media sharing for devices in the home

San Francisco, CA – May 10th 2011

doubleTwist, the popular Android media platform with more than 1 million weekly active users, launched two new features for its Android app at Google I/O. This represents a major step forward in its mission to help users organize and enjoy their media across all of their devices – as seamlessly and intuitively as possible.

doubleTap enables spontaneous sharing and enjoying of media using NFC

With doubleTap anyone can transfer a video or song between two NFC-enabled devices, such as the Nexus S, simply by tapping them together (photo support is coming soon).

Start playing a song or video in doubleTwist on your Android and tap it against another device. The files will be seamlessly transferred between the two devices using Bluetooth or WiFi.
doubleTwist brings AirPlay to Android for the digital living room
With doubleTwist, an Android device becomes a broadcaster for the devices in your digital living room. Expanding upon its current ability to stream to the Xbox or PS3 with AirTwistTM, "Twist To" enables users to enjoy their music, photos and videos on even more devices.

Using Twist To anyone can stream music, videos or photos from an Android device to an Apple TV or DLNA-enabled TVs. Users can also stream music to their Sonos devices (currently a beta feature).

When doubleTwist recognizes a compatible device on the same WiFi network and you start playing a song or video on your Android, you can stream to that device with a simple tap.

About doubleTwist Player

Declared by Newsweek as the #1 Android app for 2011, doubleTwist Player is the best all-in-one music, radio and video app for Android. Over a million people every week sync and play their iTunes playlists, podcasts and videos on their Android phone or tablet using doubleTwist.

About doubleTwist:

doubleTwist was founded in Oslo, Norway, by Monique Farantzos and Jon Lech Johansen (aka DVD Jon) and is headquartered in San Francisco. doubleTwist is backed by several prominent venture capital firms and individual investors, including Index Ventures, Horizon Ventures, and NorthZone Ventures.

OCZ unveils Agility 3 and Solid 3 SSDs for thrifty speedsters

Posted: 10 May 2011 08:24 AM PDT

Now that OCZ has shifted its corporate focus away from the DRAM market, the company has begun deepening its lineup of solid state drives with two new additions: the Agility 3 and Solid 3. The pair of 2.5-inch SSDs, announced today, run on the SATA III 6Gbps interface (unlike their SATA II predecessors) and come strapped with a SandForce SF-2200 processor that allows for some pretty speedy performance. The Agility 3 boasts a maximum read rate of 525MBps, a write speed of 500MBps and can crank it up to 60,000 IOPS. The Solid 3 ain't no slouch, either, with a 500MBps read rate, 450MBps writing capabilities and a max IOPS of 20,000. Granted, they won't deliver quite the same punch as the Vertex 3 Pro, but they also won't cost you quite as much. On the high end of the price spectrum is the 240GB Agility 3, at $480, with the 60GB and 120GB versions priced at $135 and $240, respectively. The Solid 3, meanwhile, is available in both 60GB ($130) and 120GB ($230). Not exactly chump change, but still cheaper than OCZ's heavier hitters. Hit the source links for more details.

Atoms rumored to ditch Intel graphics for PowerVR

Posted: 10 May 2011 08:02 AM PDT

Cedarview w/ PowerVR graphics
When Intel wanted to take a serious stab at the tablet market it turned to PowerVR, the company already providing the graphical muscle for its embedded chips that power the Logitech Revue and other set top boxes. Now, the folks at VR-Zone claim that Intel will be adopting the company's tech across the Atom line and ditching its own integrated graphics for the upcoming Cedarview platform. Specifically, it's rumored that Chipzilla will stick the SGX545 (an upgraded version of the pixel pusher inside Samsung's Hummingbird platform and Apple's A5) in all Cedar Trail processors. The switch will bring support for DirectX 10.1 and OpenGL 3.2 to the low-power CPUs while improving HD video decoding. Sure, when the next-gen Atoms land the graphics chip it will already be almost two years old, but its low power and robust Android support make it a natural match for Honeycomb -- Intel's best bet for tablet success now that Nokia is distancing itself from Meego.

Senate committee hearing on mobile privacy now underway, watch live

Posted: 10 May 2011 07:39 AM PDT

You might want to put on a pot of coffee for this one, but the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on mobile privacy and locating tracking is now underway, and you can watch it live at your choice of the links below. The hearing is broadly titled "Protecting Mobile Privacy: Your Smartphones, Tablets, Cell Phones and Your Privacy" and, as the early going has already shown, it will be covering issues far beyond the recent privacy issues surrounding Apple and Google, although representatives from both companies will be on hand to answer the Senators' questions.

Update: You can read Google's full testimony to the committee on its Public Policy Blog. Its main argument is that location-based services provide "tremendous value to consumers," but that they can't work without the trust of users, which is why it has made location sharing on Android devices "strictly opt-in."

You can also read Apple's testimony here (PDF). In it, the company's Vice President of Software Technology, Bud Tribble, flatly reasserts that "Apple does not track users' locations -- Apple has never done so and has no plans to ever do so." He also insists that the location data Apple has collected is actually the location of cellphone towers and WiFi hotspots, not the users' location, and that it is being used for a crowd-sourced database as it has previously stated. As an independent expert also testifying pointed out, however, that data could still be used to pin down a location or trace a person's movements to as close as a few hundred feet or so -- assuming they aren't in a rural area with few WiFi hotspots and cellphone towers.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Lian Li PC-U6 Cowry case: an aluminum seashell to keep your PC looking stylish

Posted: 10 May 2011 07:21 AM PDT

It takes quite a bit to get us excited about desktop case designs these days, but Lian Li's voluptuous new PC-U6 Cowry would seem to qualify pretty easily. It's fashioned after a seashell, giving it an appearance that's remarkably fresh and novel for such a well developed market, but it's also functionally useful -- the deepest part of the case is exactly where graphics cards would be expected to reside, permitting it to accommodate a video card as long as 310mm. There are also two 120mm side-mounted fans, a red LED kit, room for a full-sized power supply, and tool-free mounts for three 3.5-inch and two 2.5-inch storage drives plus an external 5.25-inch ODD. All that goodness is encased in an aluminum body and coming at you later this month for $349. How could you possibly resist? Video of the Cowry follows after the break.
Lian Li PC-U6 Cowry case: an aluminum seashell to keep your PC looking stylish


Show full PR text
Special Edition PC-U6 Cowry Mid-Tower Chassis From Lian Li

A Piece of Art, Not Just A Box To House Components

10 May 2011, Keelung, Taiwan – Lian Li Industrial Co. Ltd, maker of high-end, all-aluminum computer chassis since 1983, today launches the all-new and extremely stylish special edition PC-U6 Cowry: an all-black, PC case with design characteristics of a seashell. This unique PC chassis provides users with a computer case that exhibits personality and craftsmanship while breaking free of simply being a box to house components. Inspired by nature, the Cowry appeals to a very specific niche. It is not meant to be hidden under a desk but instead incorporated into its surroundings as a part of decoration and reflection of taste. Until now, PC chassis with unique designs have been marketed towards gamers. With the Cowry an entirely new demographic will begin looking at how their computer case can act as an artistic expression.

The PC-U6 Cowry is extremely versatile with plenty of build space. Users can mount three 3.5" and two 2.5" internal HDDs. All of the HDD mounts are tool-less and come with anti-vibration thumb screws with rubber suspension. Externally, one 5.25" ODD tool-less mount is located at the top of the front-panel. Four, ventilated PCI slots are located on the back-panel with enough space to mount graphics cards as long as 310mm. Micro-ATX or Mini-ITX motherboards mount using thumb-screws within the PC-U6 Cowry as well as a standard ATX PS/2 power supply unit, that mounts at the base of the case right above ventilating holes protected by a washable air filter.

Lian Li's special edition Cowry is thermally-optimized as well. Two side-panel 120mm fans keep airflow constantly circulating to prevent heat buildup. Both fans are protected by washable air filters. A fan speed control-switch has been included as well, allowing users to adjust fan speeds as desired. To further aid airflow, designers have incorporated ventilation holes on the front and rear panels of the PC-U6 Cowry and both are protected by washable air filters. Two, rubber-ringed holes are also included for users to be able to easily mount a liquid cooling system.

This special edition PC case comes with two USB 3.0 ports, one e-SATA port, and HD audio ports; all are located at the base of the front-panel. Also included is one USB 3.0 to USB 2.0 converter. Lian Li has also included cable clamps and openings throughout the case to aid in the internal organization of users' computers. Sparing no expense, for users who wish to add some color to highlight the uniqueness of this case, a 530mm red LED kit is included and can be mounted easily.

The special edition, all-aluminum, PC-U6 weighs in at 4.5kg. Its dimensions are 219mm x 500mm x 410mm (W, H, D).

Traditional Durability

The essence of Lian Li is the craftsmanship of the engineering. Intrinsic to the workmanship and quality of Lian Li's products is their customization capabilities, which include a whole host of optional extras that can be added to an already feature rich product. For more details on features and extras available for the PC-U6, please go to the Lian Li website: www.Lian-Li.com

Security firm claims to have hacked Chrome's sandbox

Posted: 10 May 2011 07:02 AM PDT

It didn't manage to do it during the most recent Pwn2Own challenge, but VUPEN Security is now claiming that it has finally managed to hack Google's Chrome browser and crack its so-called "sandbox." According to the firm, the exploit relies on some newly discovered zero day vulnerabilities, works on all Windows operating systems (and only Windows, apparently), and could give malicious websites the ability to download code from a remote source and execute it on a user's computer -- the video after the break shows an example, in which the Windows Calculator application is downloaded and run automatically. For its part, Google says it has been unable to confirm the hack since VUPEN hasn't shared any details with it -- something the firm apparently doesn't plan to do, as it says it only shares its vulnerability research with its "government customers for defensive and offensive security."

T-Mobile leak divulges return of unlimited WiFi calls, may add Name ID and Voicemail-to-Text

Posted: 10 May 2011 06:31 AM PDT

What's shaping up to be an epic week in tech news may be about to become even more exciting for T-Mobile fans. Internal employee docs are giving out some serious vibes that the company is ready to push out three important features to many of its phones as early as tomorrow. The first one to put a smile on your face is unlimited WiFi calling, which should be available as a free add-on to the Even More, Even More Plus, and 4G Do More plans. We're glad to see the service come back as a freebie, much better than the $9.99 per month asking price when it was hotspot@home. As if that isn't good enough by itself, the other services getting prepped for tomorrow's lineup include Name ID -- a caller ID service that shows the name, number, city, and state of anyone not listed in your contacts -- and Voicemail-to-Text, a new enhancement to the existing Visual Voicemail service that transcribes the full message into text form on select devices. Keep in mind that while these docs certainly do look official, it's all mere speculation until we hear actual word from T-Mobile about these new programs. With that said, we've got screenshots above and below, so feel free to glean as many details as possible from them.

Panasonic launches semi-rugged Toughbook CF-53, with optional LTE and CircuLumin touchscreen (video)

Posted: 10 May 2011 06:00 AM PDT

Panasonic's been slimming down the ToughBook lineup as of late, but today it goes state-of-the-art -- today, the company's finely replacing the venerable Toughbook 52 with a 14-inch machine sporting Intel's new Sandy Bridge processors, a larger touchpad, and a USB 3.0 port. The Toughbook 53 is also smaller, lighter at 5.6 pounds, and doesn't sacrifice the company's reputation for taking a licking and ticking right through -- it passes eight MIL-STD-810G tests for durability, comes with the same shock-resistant removable hard drive cartridge and spill-resistant keyboard, and is priced at a (relatively) reasonable $1,599 for the Core i3 model with 2GB of RAM and a battery rated for six hours. You'll see that one appear in August of this year.

It's the optional extras that really make this new Toughbook, though, as the $1,899 version will include a 2.5GHz Core i5-2520M processor, 4GB of RAM, 7200RPM hard drive and a 10-hour Li-ion cell when it arrives in June, and in July your $2449 can add a backlit keyboard and a Panasonic CircuLumin polarized anti-glare touchscreen which can vary the brightness up to 800 nits for outdoor use. We didn't ask how much the optional car dock costs, but there's one of those too, and Panasonic will also be offering LTE modems for both Verizon and AT&T later this summer for on-the-go communication. You won't be chaining this one to a snowmobile, but the rig sounds pretty versatile -- all it'd need is a discrete GPU and a high-res screen to lure us away from our consumer-grade clamshells. Find a video walkthrough and PR after the break.


Show full PR text
PANASONIC INTRODUCES THE TOUGHBOOK® 53 – LIGHTER, MORE VERSATILE NEXT GENERATION SEMI-RUGGED NOTEBOOK

Powerful device includes 4G LTE wireless and other enhanced features designed to maximize productivity for mobile professionals

Secaucus, NJ, May 10, 2011 – Panasonic Solutions Company, provider of collaboration, information-sharing and decision-support solutions for government and commercial enterprises, today announced the Toughbook 53, a 14" High Definition LED display, semi-rugged notebook. Starting at only 5.6 pounds and delivering up to 10 hours of battery life, the Toughbook 53 provides mobile professionals, such as inspectors and claims adjusters, a highly reliable and versatile device that delivers high performance computing. The latest in the line of products that created the semi-rugged category, this new notebook is the first Toughbook device offering optional 4G LTE mobile broadband and a host of other features designed to improve productivity and maximize return on investment.

Desktop-Class Performance with Rugged Reliability
The Toughbook 53 is powered by a second generation Intel® i5 or i3 processor and maintains the ruggedness Panasonic's customers have appreciated with the current semi-rugged line. The Toughbook 53 is designed to survive 30" drops on six faces, features a spill-resistant keyboard and passes nine MIL-STD-810G tests. The Toughbook 53 is also the first Panasonic notebook to support a high definition LED display and offers an optional 2-800 nit sunlight-viewable Panasonic CircuLumin™ touchscreen plus an adjustable backlit emissive keyboard, making the Toughbook 53 the ideal candidate for use in any lighting condition. Panasonic has also increased the size of the touchpad by 25% while giving it multi touch with zoom and scroll capabilities. The Toughbook 53 also offers USB 3.0, VGA, HDMI and an SDXC slot for even greater flexibility.

"The next-generation Toughbook 53 was designed with a substantial amount of customer input and is the result of Panasonic's goal to offer the most functional and reliable devices for today's mobile workforce," said Kyp Walls, director of product management, Panasonic Solutions Company. "The Toughbook 53 is ideal for mobile professionals in industries such as insurance, construction and field service, where a standard commercial-grade laptop does not provide sufficient durability. Panasonic has added enhanced features to this new device providing added flexibility for professionals who spend a significant amount of time working from the road."

Embedded Wireless Connectivity
The Toughbook 53 offers a variety of embedded wireless technologies, including Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, optional Bluetooth® 2.1 and Gobi2000™ 3G mobile broadband technology from Qualcomm. The device is certified on the Sprint and Verizon Wireless 3G networks, allowing workers to stay connected at all times. The 53 is also the first member of the Toughbook family to offer embedded support for 4G LTE networks, with certifications coming later this year.


Integrated Options for Mission-Critical Computing
The Toughbook 53 also delivers an optional dual antenna pass-through for in-vehicle use in passenger cars and light-duty trucks, perfect for professionals whose vehicles regularly serve as mobile offices.

The Toughbook 53 also offers options for an integrated webcam, plus fingerprint and SmartCard readers for enhanced security. Enhanced connectivity includes options for FireWire, 56K modem or 2nd LAN port.

Panasonic Toughbook 53: Select Features and Specifications
  • Genuine Windows® 7 Professional (32-bit or 64-bit)
  • Intel® Core™ i5-2520M vPro™ Processor (2.5GHz)
  • Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz
  • Intel® Core™ i3-2310M Processor (2.1GHz)
  • 14.0" High Definition (720p) LED 1366x768 display
    • Optional touchscreen (i5 model only) with Panasonic CircuLumin™ technology (2 to 800nits, AR, AG and Circular Polarizer)
    • Concealed mode – turns off or dims screen, all LED lights and sound with touch of a button
  • 4-8GB RAM (i5 models) & 2-8GB (i3 model).
    • DDR3 -1333MHz
  • Oversized touchpad with multi touch support
  • 5.6 lbs. (i3 model), 5.8 lbs. (i5 model), 6.5 lbs. (touch model)
  • 11.1" (L) x 13.4" (W) x 1.8-2.2" (H)
  • Semi-rugged
    • MIL-STD-810G
    • Drop-resistant to 30" on 6 sides
    • Spill-resistant keyboard
    • Optional hard drive heater
    • Magnesium alloy case with handle
    • Shock-mounted flex-connect HDD with quick-release
    • Pre-installed replaceable screen film (touchscreen model)
  • Up to 10 hours battery life
    • Long Life Battery Pack (i5 CPU models)
  • Up to 6 hours battery life
    • Lightweight Battery Pack (i3 CPU model)
  • Trusted Platform Module (TPM) TCG v1.2 compliant*
  • Embedded Connectivity
    • Wi-Fi 802.11 a*/b/g/n
    • Bluetooth® v2.1 + EDR (Class 1)
    • Optional LTE 4G mobile broadband (Summer 2011)
    • Optional Gobi™2000 mobile broadband
  • 3-year limited warranty, parts and labor
  • Interfaces
    • Docking connector
    • External video (HDMI, VGA)
    • Headphones/speaker
    • Microphone/line-in
    • Serial
    • USB 3.0 x 1 , USB 2.0 x 3
    • SD card (SDXC)
    • PC card
    • ExpressCard
    • 10/100/1000 Ethernet
    • Optional 2nd 10/100 LAN or FireWire or Modem or Dual antenna pass-through
  • Optional integrated features
    • 1.3MP webcam and digital mic
    • Backlit emissive keyboard
    • SmartCard reader
    • Fingerprint reader
    • Hard drive heater
    • 128GB solid state drive (SSD)
*On i5 CPU models only
Pricing and Availability
The Panasonic Toughbook 53 is available in three configurations from authorized Panasonic resellers and distributors in the United States. The Toughbook 53 i5 model will ship in June at an estimated street price of $1,899; the touchscreen version will ship in July and is available at an estimated street price of $2,449. The Toughbook 53 i3 model will ship in August at $1,599.

The Toughbook 53 includes a standard three-year limited warranty.

Panasonic will continue to sell the 15.4" widescreen semi-rugged Toughbook 52 i5 Discrete for customers who require a larger screen and the video performance of a discrete (dedicated) graphics chip.

Toughbook 53 Images & Video
A video overview of the Toughbook 53 can be found on the Toughbook brand's YouTube channel; images of the Toughbook 53 can be found on the brand's Flickr page, and a post discussing the evolution of semi-rugged computing can be found on the brand's blog - Toughbloggers.com.

Follow the Toughbook Brand
The Panasonic Toughbook brand can be followed on various social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and via our blog on mobile technology, Toughbloggers.com.

For more information on the Toughbook 53 and other Toughbook mobile computers, go to www.toughbook.com.

About Panasonic Solutions Company
Panasonic Solutions Company empowers people whose jobs depend on reliable technology. The company delivers collaboration, information-sharing and decision-support solutions for customers in government, healthcare, education and a wide variety of commercial enterprises. Products and services within the company's portfolio include Panasonic Toughbook mobile computing solutions, projectors, professional displays (including both plasma and LCD), and HD and 3D video acquisition and production solutions. As a result of its commitment to R&D, manufacturing and quality control, Panasonic is known for the reliability and longevity of its products. Panasonic Solutions Company is a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, which is the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC).

All brand and company/product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective companies. All specifications are subject to change without notice. Information on Panasonic Solutions Company's full line of products can be obtained by calling 877-803-8492 or at www.panasonic.com/business-solutions.

Microsoft's acquisition of Skype for $8.5 billion becomes official

Posted: 10 May 2011 05:15 AM PDT

It was pretty much known about since last night, but Microsoft and Skype have now obliterated any lingering doubt in the matter: the Redmond-based software giant will acquire the internet telephony company for a cool $8.5 billion in cash. Xbox and Kinect support are explicitly mentioned in the announcement of this definitive agreement, as is Windows Phone integration -- both the gaming and mobile aspects being presumably key incentives for Microsoft to acquire Skype. Importantly, this purchase shouldn't affect Skypers outside of the Microsoft ecosystem, as Steve Ballmer's team promises to continue "to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms." Skype was first sold for a relative bargain at $2.5b to eBay in 2005, who in turn sold most of it off to Silver Lake in 2009 at an overall valuation of $2.75b, and now Redmond is concluding proceedings by tripling those earlier prices and offering Skype a permanent home. A new Microsoft Skype Division will now be opened up to accommodate the newcomers, with current Skype CEO Tony Bates becoming president of that operation and reporting directly to Ballmer. The deal is expected to close by the end of this year and you can read Microskype's full announcement after the break.

Update: Microsoft has just disclosed a couple more details about the deal. It was signed last night, May 9th, though the price was finalized on April 18th. You can follow a live stream of Steve Ballmer and Tony Bates' presentation right here.
Show full PR text
Microsoft to Acquire Skype

Combined companies will benefit consumers, businesses and increase market opportunity.

REDMOND, Wash., and LUXEMBOURG – May 10, 2011 – Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: "MSFT") and Skype Global S.à r.l today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Microsoft will acquire Skype, the leading Internet communications company, for $8.5 billion in cash from the investor group led by Silver Lake. The agreement has been approved by the boards of directors of both Microsoft and Skype.

The acquisition will increase the accessibility of real-time video and voice communications, bringing benefits to both consumers and enterprise users and generating significant new business and revenue opportunities. The combination will extend Skype's world-class brand and the reach of its networked platform, while enhancing Microsoft's existing portfolio of real-time communications products and services.

With 170 million connected users and over 207 billion minutes of voice and video conversations in 2010, Skype has been a pioneer in creating rich, meaningful connections among friends, families and business colleagues globally. Microsoft has a long-standing focus and investment in real-time communications across its various platforms, including Lync (which saw 30 percent revenue growth in Q3), Outlook, Messenger, Hotmail and Xbox LIVE.

Skype will support Microsoft devices like Xbox and Kinect, Windows Phone and a wide array of Windows devices, and Microsoft will connect Skype users with Lync, Outlook, Xbox Live and other communities. Microsoft will continue to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms.

"Skype is a phenomenal service that is loved by millions of people around the world," said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. "Together we will create the future of real-time communications so people can easily stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues anywhere in the world."

Skype will become a new business division within Microsoft, and Skype CEO Tony Bates will assume the title of president of the Microsoft Skype Division, reporting directly to Ballmer.

"Microsoft and Skype share the vision of bringing software innovation and products to our customers," said Tony Bates. "Together, we will be able to accelerate Skype's plans to extend our global community and introduce new ways for everyone to communicate and collaborate," Bates said.

"Tony Bates has a great track record as a leader and will strengthen the Microsoft management team. I'm looking forward to Skype's talented global workforce bringing its insights, ideas and experience to Microsoft," Ballmer said.

Speaking on behalf of the investor group that sold Skype to Microsoft, Egon Durban, managing director of Silver Lake, said: "We are thrilled with Skype's transformation during the period of our ownership and grateful for the extraordinary commitment of its management team and employees. We are excited about Skype's long-term future with Microsoft, as it is poised to become one of the world's most dynamic and comprehensive communications platforms."

Founded in 2003, Skype was acquired by eBay in September 2005, and then acquired by an investment group led by Silver Lake in November 2009. Skype has made impressive progress over the past 18 months under Silver Lake's leadership, increasing monthly calling minutes by 150 percent, developing new revenue streams and strategic partnerships, acquiring the intellectual property powering its peer-to-peer network, and recruiting an outstanding senior management team.

Other members of the selling investor group led by Silver Lake include eBay International AG, CPP Investment Board, Joltid Limited in partnership with Europlay Capital Advisors; and Andreessen Horowitz.

The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The parties hope to obtain all required regulatory clearances during the course of this calendar year.

About Skype
Skype is communications software whose purpose is to break down barriers to communication. With an Internet-connected device, families, friends and colleagues can get together for free with messaging, voice and video. At low cost, they can also call landlines or mobiles virtually anywhere in the world. Skype has recently introduced group video, allowing groups of more than two people to do things together whenever they're apart.

Founded in 2003 and based in Luxembourg. Skype can be downloaded onto computers, mobile phones and other connected devices for free.

Bee venom used to create ultra-sensitive explosives sensor

Posted: 10 May 2011 04:27 AM PDT

We knew that well-trained bees were capable of sniffing out dynamite and other explosives, but researchers at MIT have now come up with a slightly less militant way to use our winged friends as bomb detectors. A team of chemical engineers at the school recently developed a new, ultra-sensitive sensor that's sharp enough to detect even one molecule of TNT. Their special ingredient? Bee venom. Turns out, a bee's poison contains protein fragments called bombolitins, that react to explosive compounds. To create the detector, researchers applied these bombolitins to naturally fluorescent carbon nanotubes. Whenever an explosive molecule binds with the protein fragments, the interaction will alter the wavelength of the carbon cylinder's fluorescent light. The shift is too small for the naked eye to pick up on, but can be detected using specially designed microscopes. If it's ever developed for commercial use, the sensor could provide a more acute alternative to the spectrometry-based detectors used at most airport security checkpoints. At the moment, however, the technology isn't quite ready to be deployed on a widespread basis, so feel free to keep on living in fear. Full PR after the break.
Show full PR text
New sensor developed by MIT chemical engineers can detect tiny traces of explosives

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - MIT researchers have created a new detector so sensitive it can pick up a single molecule of an explosive such as TNT.

To create the sensors, chemical engineers led by Michael Strano coated carbon nanotubes - hollow, one-atom-thick cylinders made of pure carbon - with protein fragments normally found in bee venom. This is the first time those proteins have been shown to react to explosives, specifically a class known as nitro-aromatic compounds that includes TNT.

If developed into commercial devices, such sensors would be far more sensitive than existing explosives detectors - commonly used at airports, for example - which use spectrometry to analyze charged particles as they move through the air.

"Ion mobility spectrometers are widely deployed because they are inexpensive and very reliable. However, this next generation of nanosensors can improve upon this by having the ultimate detection limit, [detecting] single molecules of explosives at room temperature and atmospheric pressure," says Strano, the Charles (1951) and Hilda Roddey Career Development Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering.

A former graduate student in Strano's lab, Daniel Heller (now a Damon Runyon Fellow at MIT's David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research), is lead author of a paper describing the technology in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The paper appears online this week.

Strano has filed for a patent on the technology, which makes use of protein fragments called bombolitins. "Scientists have studied these peptides, but as far as we know, they've never been shown to have an affinity for and recognize explosive molecules in any way," he says.

In recent years, Strano's lab has developed carbon-nanotube sensors for a variety of molecules, including nitric oxide, hydrogen peroxide and toxic agents such as the nerve gas sarin. Such sensors take advantage of carbon nanotubes' natural fluorescence, by coupling them to a molecule that binds to a specific target. When the target is bound, the tubes' fluorescence brightens or dims.

The new explosives sensor works in a slightly different way. When the target binds to the bee-venom proteins coating the nanotubes, it shifts the fluorescent light's wavelength, instead of changing its intensity. The researchers built a new type of microscope to read the signal, which can't be seen with the naked eye. This type of sensor, the first of its kind, is easier to work with because it is not influenced by ambient light.

"For a fluorescent sensor, using the intensity of the fluorescent light to read the signal is more error-prone and noisier than measuring a wavelength," Strano says.

Each nanotube-peptide combination reacts differently to different nitro-aromatic compounds. By using several different nanotubes coated in different bombolitins, the researchers can identify a unique "fingerprint" for each explosive they might want to detect. The nanotubes can also sense the breakdown products of such explosives.

"Compounds such as TNT decompose in the environment, creating other molecule types, and those derivatives could also be identified with this type of sensor," Strano says. "Because molecules in the environment are constantly changing into other chemicals, we need sensor platforms that can detect the entire network and classes of chemicals, instead of just one type."

The researchers also showed that the nanotubes can detect two pesticides that are nitro-aromatic compounds as well, making them potentially useful as environmental sensors. The research was funded by the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies at MIT.

Philip Collins, a professor of physics at the University of California at Irvine, says the new approach is a novel extension of Strano's previous work on carbon-nanotube sensors. "It's nice what they've done - combined a couple of different things that are not sensitive to explosives, and shown that the combination is sensitive," says Collins, who was not involved in this research.

The technology has already drawn commercial and military interest, Strano says. For the sensor to become practical for widespread use, it would have to be coupled with a commercially available concentrator that would bring any molecules floating in the air in contact with the carbon nanotubes.

"It doesn't mean that we are ready to put these onto a subway and detect explosives immediately. But it does mean that now the sensor itself is no longer the bottleneck," Strano says. "If there's one molecule in a sample, and if you can get it to the sensor, you can now detect and quantify it."

Other researchers from MIT involved in the work include former postdocs Nitish Nair and Paul Barone; graduate students Jingqing Zhang, Ardemis Boghossian and Nigel Reuel; and undergraduates George Pratt '10 and current junior Adam Hansborough.

Scaled Composites and Northrop Grumman's new Firebird spy plane: pilot optional

Posted: 10 May 2011 03:43 AM PDT


Scaled Composites is best known for creating commercial spaceships for Sir Richard Branson, but it turns out the firm can construct more conventional flying machines, too. The company has joined forces with Northrop Grumman to build the Firebird, a flexible new plane that's a veritable surveillance Swiss Army knife. Part Predator UAV and part traditional aircraft, the Firebird can take to the skies with or without a human at the controls as it combs the earth for enemies of the state. What's more, the airframe's HD video and infrared cameras, radar, and communications gear in the fuselage are able to gather info simultaneously to find the bad guys, and those payloads are easily swapped for other equipment through a universal interface. It's scheduled to strut its intelligence-gathering stuff during a military exercise in a couple weeks, and if all goes according to plan, it'll become another terrorist tracking tool in the U.S. arsenal. Video of the brand new bird in action is after the break.


Show full PR text
Northrop Grumman Unveils Newest Intel Gathering Aircraft System

Allows Users to Operate Multiple Sensor Payloads Simultaneously
SAN DIEGO, May 9, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Military users will be able to get real-time high-definition video, view infrared imagery, use radar and even listen in on communications signals – all at the same time – using a new intelligence-gathering aircraft system unveiled today by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC).

Firebird offers a large internal payload bay and an ability to operate multiple intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) and communications payloads simultaneously through a universal interface. The system is designed to be flown as a manned or unmanned aircraft.

As lead for the Firebird program, Northrop Grumman developed the unmanned systems architecture, control and mission systems. The company chose Scaled Composites to design, build and test the aircraft – with first flight occurring just 12 months after the initial concept discussions.

"We've harnessed the innovative techniques of Northrop Grumman and Scaled Composites to deliver an unprecedented information-gathering capability," said Paul Meyer, vice president and general manager of advanced programs and technology for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. "Firebird addresses future budgetary constraints by combining the best of our piloted and unmanned ISR systems into a single solution ready for a variety of ISR missions."

Firebird's universal interface is similar to plugging a memory stick into a personal computer that is automatically recognized without needing to load additional software.

"Not only have we increased the number of ISR sensors working simultaneously in an aircraft of this size, but we can also incorporate various sensors that complement each other – greatly enhancing Firebird's information-gathering value for warfighters," said Rick Crooks, Northrop Grumman's Firebird program manager. "Firebird is an adaptable system that makes it highly affordable because of the number of different missions it can accomplish during a single flight. It's a real game changer."

From inception, Firebird was designed to be flown as a manned or unmanned aircraft and can be quickly modified for either option.

"Military users will also find it much easier to exploit intelligence data from Firebird because the information is put into a single tool that allows them to easily make decisions," said Crooks. "The internal payload bay also does away with the need to carry external pods to house sensor payloads that can cause drag and affect how long the aircraft can stay in the air."

Firebird is set for an operational demonstration in an optionally-piloted configuration from May 23 – June 3, 2011, during Empire Challenge 2011, a military exercise run by U.S. Joint Forces Command.

Internal emails reveal Google's desperation over Skyhook's Android deal with Motorola

Posted: 10 May 2011 02:45 AM PDT

While Skyhook's lawsuit against Google has been ongoing since September, we've yet to hear the latter's side of the story to fight back anti-competition claims. That's all changed now that a Massachusetts state court has published a collection of internal emails from Mountain View, shedding some light on the reasons behind Motorola's -- and apparently Samsung's as well -- abandonment of Skyhook's XPS location service on its Android phones. In particular, soon after the deal was announced in April 2010, an Android product manager became worried that such a deal would pull more manufacturers away from Google's Location Service, thus jeopardizing the company's ability to maintain and improve its location database through continued data collection. "That would be awful for Google," wrote the manager.

Fair enough, but here comes the juicy part of the story: in the following month, Google informed Motorola that it wasn't happy with the way Skyhook blends location data from WiFi, GPS, and cellular signal. Or in Google's words: this is data "contamination." Despite Motorola refuting such concern, a week later it informed Skyhook that Google had told Moto that its choice for a third-party location service "renders the device [Droid X] no longer Android Compatible." It's not exactly clear what this compatibility issue is, but it's believed to be the ultimate reason that forced Motorola -- being a close pal of Google -- to drop Skyhook's XPS in favor of Google's Location Service. If you're still not feeling sorry for Skyhook, then note that last month Google called this "a baseless complaint" and a "thinly veiled fishing expedition" for internal Google documents and emails. Funnily enough, one email quotes an Android manager saying it was obvious to phone manufacturers that "we are using compatibility as a club to make them do things we want." Question is: which direction will the club swing now that the two companies are battling it out in court?

Graphene-powered web could download 3-D movies in seconds, give MPAA nightmares

Posted: 10 May 2011 02:18 AM PDT

Graphene modulator
Graphene, is there anything it can't do? Researchers are already trying to put it in processors, fuel cells, and batteries -- now your internet connection might get ten-times faster thanks to the silicon successor. Researchers at UC Berkeley have created tiny, one-atom-thick modulators that could switch the data-carrying light on and off in a fiber-optic connection much faster than current technology. In addition to running at a higher frequency (the team believes it will scale up to 500GHz -- modern modulators run at about 1GHz) the smaller, 25-micron size means thinner cables could be used, reducing capacitance and further boosting speeds. Labs have already crossed the 100 terabit threshold and graphene could push that even higher, yet we're still stuck staring at a buffering screen every time we try to Netflix Degrassi.
Show full PR text
Graphene optical modulators could lead to ultrafast communications

Berkeley - Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have demonstrated a new technology for graphene that could break the current speed limits in digital communications.

The team of researchers, led by UC Berkeley engineering professor Xiang Zhang, built a tiny optical device that uses graphene, a one-atom-thick layer of crystallized carbon, to switch light on and off. This switching ability is the fundamental characteristic of a network modulator, which controls the speed at which data packets are transmitted. The faster the data pulses are sent out, the greater the volume of information that can be sent. Graphene-based modulators could soon allow consumers to stream full-length, high-definition, 3-D movies onto a smartphone in a matter of seconds, the researchers said.

"This is the world's smallest optical modulator, and the modulator in data communications is the heart of speed control," said Zhang, who directs a National Science Foundation (NSF) Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center at UC Berkeley. "Graphene enables us to make modulators that are incredibly compact and that potentially perform at speeds up to ten times faster than current technology allows. This new technology will significantly enhance our capabilities in ultrafast optical communication and computing."

In this latest work, described in the May 8 advanced online publication of the journal Nature, researchers were able to tune the graphene electrically to absorb light in wavelengths used in data communication. This advance adds yet another advantage to graphene, which has gained a reputation as a wonder material since 2004 when it was first extracted from graphite, the same element in pencil lead. That achievement earned University of Manchester scientists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov the Nobel Prize in Physics last year.

Zhang worked with fellow faculty member Feng Wang, an assistant professor of physics and head of the Ultrafast Nano-Optics Group at UC Berkeley. Both Zhang and Wang are faculty scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Materials Science Division.

"The impact of this technology will be far-reaching," said Wang. "In addition to high-speed operations, graphene-based modulators could lead to unconventional applications due to graphene's flexibility and ease in integration with different kinds of materials. Graphene can also be used to modulate new frequency ranges, such as mid-infrared light, that are widely used in molecular sensing."

Graphene is the thinnest, strongest crystalline material yet known. It can be stretched like rubber, and it has the added benefit of being an excellent conductor of heat and electricity. This last quality of graphene makes it a particularly attractive material for electronics.

"Graphene is compatible with silicon technology and is very cheap to make," said Ming Liu, post-doctoral researcher in Zhang's lab and co-lead author of the study. "Researchers in Korea last year have already produced 30-inch sheets of it. Moreover, very little graphene is required for use as a modulator. The graphite in a pencil can provide enough graphene to fabricate 1 billion optical modulators."

It is the behavior of photons and electrons in graphene that first caught the attention of the UC Berkeley researchers.

The researchers found that the energy of the electrons, referred to as its Fermi level, can be easily altered depending upon the voltage applied to the material. The graphene's Fermi level in turn determines if the light is absorbed or not.

When a sufficient negative voltage is applied, electrons are drawn out of the graphene and are no longer available to absorb photons. The light is "switched on" because the graphene becomes totally transparent as the photons pass through.

Graphene is also transparent at certain positive voltages because, in that situation, the electrons become packed so tightly that they cannot absorb the photons.

The researchers found a sweet spot in the middle where there is just enough voltage applied so the electrons can prevent the photons from passing, effectively switching the light "off."

"If graphene were a hallway, and electrons were people, you could say that, when the hall is empty, there's no one around to stop the photons," said Xiaobo Yin, co-lead author of the Nature paper and a research scientist in Zhang's lab. "In the other extreme, when the hall is too crowded, people can't move and are ineffective in blocking the photons. It's in between these two scenarios that the electrons are allowed to interact with and absorb the photons, and the graphene becomes opaque."

In their experiment, the researchers layered graphene on top of a silicon waveguide to fabricate optical modulators. The researchers were able to achieve a modulation speed of 1 gigahertz, but they noted that the speed could theoretically reach as high as 500 gigahertz for a single modulator.

While components based upon optics have many advantages over those that use electricity, including the ability to carry denser packets of data more quickly, attempts to create optical interconnects that fit neatly onto a computer chip have been hampered by the relatively large amount of space required in photonics.

Light waves are less agile in tight spaces than their electrical counterparts, the researchers noted, so photon-based applications have been primarily confined to large-scale devices, such as fiber optic lines.

"Electrons can easily make an L-shaped turn because the wavelengths in which they operate are small," said Zhang. "Light wavelengths are generally bigger, so they need more space to maneuver. It's like turning a long, stretch limo instead of a motorcycle around a corner. That's why optics require bulky mirrors to control their movements. Scaling down the optical device also makes it faster because the single atomic layer of graphene can significantly reduce the capacitance – the ability to hold an electric charge – which often hinders device speed."

Graphene-based modulators could overcome the space barrier of optical devices, the researchers said. They successfully shrunk a graphene-based optical modulator down to a relatively tiny 25 square microns, a size roughly 400 times smaller than a human hair. The footprint of a typical commercial modulator can be as large as a few square millimeters.

Even at such a small size, graphene packs a punch in bandwidth capability. Graphene can absorb a broad spectrum of light, ranging over thousands of nanometers from ultraviolet to infrared wavelengths. This allows graphene to carry more data than current state-of-the-art modulators, which operate at a bandwidth of up to 10 nanometers, the researchers said.

"Graphene-based modulators not only offer an increase in modulation speed, they can enable greater amounts of data packed into each pulse," said Zhang. "Instead of broadband, we will have 'extremeband.' What we see here and going forward with graphene-based modulators are tremendous improvements, not only in consumer electronics, but in any field that is now limited by data transmission speeds, including bioinformatics and weather forecasting. We hope to see industrial applications of this new device in the next few years."

###

Other UC Berkeley co-authors of this paper are graduate student Erick Ulin-Avila and post-doctoral researcher Thomas Zentgraf in Zhang's lab; and visiting scholar Baisong Geng and graduate student Long Ju in Wang's lab.

This work was supported through the Center for Scalable and Integrated Nano-Manufacturing (SINAM), an NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center. Funding from the Department of Energy's Basic Energy Science program at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory also helped support this research.

Powercolor expected to unveil double-barreled Radeon at Computex

Posted: 10 May 2011 01:19 AM PDT

An unnamed, undressed dual-GPU prototype of AMD's latest in southern-island graphics cards surfaced over the weekend. Flaunting twin Bart chips with 1,120 stream processors a pop, this card totals up at 2,240, with each GPU packing its own memory for a total of 2GB of GDDR5. Although PowerColor is staying tight lipped on specs and official name until Computex in June, two DVI ports, double mini DisplayPorts, and one HDMI-out paint obvious similarities to the existing Radeon HD 6870. One last notable difference? The unknown soldier is powered by two eight-pin PCIe connectors, as opposed to the HD 6870's six-pin variant. We're probably looking at the latest in the Radeon HD 6800 series, we'll know for sure in about a month.

Portal turret replica has real laser, insatiable bloodlust

Posted: 10 May 2011 12:22 AM PDT

You might not remember Ryan Palser by name, but you'll surely recall the good gent's homemade Fallout 3 plasma rifle. He has since stepped his game up to bigger and badder video game weapon replicas, and has just completed the construction of the first of his forthcoming army of Portal laser turrets. Thankfully, Ryan has been sporting enough to build the older version of these human eviscerators (not the upgraded Portal 2 turrets, phew!), giving us at least a small chance of survival -- provided we have the right gear, of course. See the laser-equipped, GLaDOS-approved, 38-inch tall turret next to its maker after the break, or hit up the source link for some gorgeous photos of its construction.

Advent's Vega tablet gets a little sweeter with the addition of Android 3.0 (video)

Posted: 09 May 2011 10:01 PM PDT

There's plenty of Android tablets out there, but you could certainly do a lot worse than the Advent Vega with its Tegra 2 innards and £199 ($326) asking price. You may take issue with its outdated OS, but thankfully a couple of hackers have replaced the Vega's antiquated Android 2.2 with a heaping helping of Honeycomb. It's currently an alpha release, so while widgets and apps are working well, camera capabilities, screen rotation, web-surfing on WiFi, and most everything else is currently off limits. There's still plenty of work to be done, but seeing Advent's slate running buttery smooth Android 3.0 with aplomb (even if unofficially) makes us think it's a better bargain than ever before. Check out how the Vega looks sporting its slick new threads in the video after the break.

Marines field test solar panels by day, watch Gomer Pyle by night

Posted: 09 May 2011 08:42 PM PDT


United States Marines are among the best-equipped soldiers on the planet, but more gadgets mean extra batteries to haul, adding dozens of pounds on extended missions. Troops in Afghanistan recently put that hot Middle Eastern sun to use, swapping spare batteries for placemat-size solar panels on a three-week patrol. Batts were replaced with extra bullets, so the soldiers didn't get off easy, but they were also able to reduce generator usage, making a significant dent in fuel consumption. It will be several years before all soldiers charge their radios, night vision goggles, and GPS devices using the sun, but the Marine Corps hopes to cut fuel use in half by 2025, so it's only a matter of time before solar-powered gadgets have a more permanent home on the battlefield. Sha-zam!

Microsoft close to buying Skype for more than $7 billion? (Update: announcement tomorrow)

Posted: 09 May 2011 07:14 PM PDT

Following rumors of Facebook and Google eyeing a deal to acquire Skype, we now have a new contender who is none other than the beast from Redmond, Microsoft. According to the Wall Street Journal's sources, Team Ballmer and the VoIP company are finalizing a negotiation that's worth more than a whopping $7 billion, and they could be making an announcement as soon as Tuesday. Given that this figure will be a new record for Microsoft in recent years, it's clear that Ballmer's very keen on securing this popular voice calling service for his own amusement -- perhaps Windows Phone will eventually come with integrated Skype features? Or maybe he just wants to slot in some ads between our calls? Only time will tell, and for the sake of Redmond, hopefully nothing turns sour between now and tomorrow.

Update: All Things D's Kara Swisher has confirmed that the two companies will be announcing their deal early tomorrow morning. Stay tuned!

Electric Land Rover makes it way easier to sneak up on cowardly lions

Posted: 09 May 2011 07:06 PM PDT

It's likely impossible to go on safari in Africa without having any environmental impact at all -- particularly on the ones where shooting things is involved -- but this is certainly a step in the right direction. Battery manufacturer Axeon has teamed up with Jaguar Land Rover South Africa to offer animal watchers / hunters a greener way to get around, outfitting the Defender 110 High Capacity Pick Up with a battery pack where the diesel engine usually goes. The new power source cuts out the car's emissions and silences the engine, making it easier to sneak up on wildlife. This concept vehicle (not Rover's first attempt to green things up) is debuting at the INDABA trade show this week in South Africa, so now would be the time to alert any antelope in your life.
Show full PR text
Quiet debut for electric Land Rover Defender

Axeon has worked closely with Jaguar Land Rover South Africa to produce an all-electric version of its iconic Defender model for use in game parks, minimising both environmental and noise pollution.

The battery system produced by Axeon, Europe's leading independent developer and manufacturer of lithium-ion battery systems, has been fitted to a Land Rover Defender 110 High Capacity Pick Up in place of the standard 2.4-litre diesel engine.

Unlike many electric vehicle battery packs that are positioned in the floor of the vehicle, the Axeon pack has been designed to fit into the vehicle's engine bay in order to maintain ground clearance and wading height for this unique vehicle.

The bespoke battery system also incorporates Axeon's proprietary Battery Management System (BMS), which monitors the battery state, measuring and controlling key operational parameters, thus ensuring safety – particularly important for an electric vehicle that may encounter harsh conditions.

The replacement of the engine means that the production vehicle's tailpipe carbon dioxide emissions of 295g/km have been reduced to zero and the electric Defender is also able to operate very quietly. In testing the range was shown to be capable of 3 times a typical game drive on a single charge.

The short development timescale of the battery was achieved by deploying Axeon's accumulated experience in the design and manufacture of lithium-ion battery systems, and by working actively with engineers from both Land Rover and their South African partner Barker Performance Products.

The electric Defender has been received well by experienced Land Rover drivers, including those from the official Land Rover Experience, and it has performed exceptionally well on the rigorous and gruelling Gerotek test facility. In testing, the vehicle has also been able to get closer to animals within the game park due to its much quieter operation.

Whilst the electric Defender has been designed specifically for the game park sector, there are numerous other potential applications for such a vehicle, where reducing environmental and/or noise emissions are a priority.

The electric Defender has been launched as a concept vehicle at INDABA, one of Africa's largest tourism events, held in Durban, South Africa, from 7th to 10th May 2011.

HP unveils Elite L2201x: super slim 22-inch monitor

Posted: 09 May 2011 06:47 PM PDT

During our Monday morning HP deluge, we managed to overlook this rather slender 22-inch monitor. Buried beneath a slew of other announcements in the outfit's latest press release is the Elite L2201x: an LED-backlit display, measuring just 0.4-inches thick. It offers a 1920 x 1080 display, 5000:1 contrast ratio, and a DisplayPort for hooking up. It may not be the slimmest screen we've ever come across, but we'd say it's a mighty fine looking monitor, and for $250, it's a relatively cheap date to boot. The Elite L2201x lands stateside June 1st.
HP Elite L2201x

Pioneer's AVIC-ZH09 GPS navigation systems take augmented reality on the road

Posted: 09 May 2011 06:11 PM PDT

While it may not be the first GPS navigation system we've seen sporting augmented reality, Pioneer's latest in-dash series may offer the first built-ins to bring AR to the open road. Using a windshield-mounted camera, the AVIC-VH09CS and AVIC-VH09 stream live footage to a 7-inch in-dash display, adding layers of pertinent information to real-time video. Among other things, the AR-capabilities provide visual cues that alert drivers to the changing of upcoming traffic lights and the exact distance of the next turn. Both systems sport a USB port, SD reader, CD and DVD drives, and Bluetooth. Pioneer will let them loose in Japan later this month for an as of yet undisclosed amount, but it looks like American drivers will just have to keep rolling with plain old reality for now.

Google I/O 2011 kicks off tomorrow, get your liveblog right here!

Posted: 09 May 2011 05:40 PM PDT

It's been quite a year for Google already, but in truth, things haven't even begun. The outfit's annual tech extravaganza kicks off in the morning at San Francisco's Moscone West, with an untitled Day 1 Keynote scheduled to boot things up at 9:00AM PT. As for what to expect? Things have been eerily quiet surrounding this year's event, but it wouldn't be a stretch to hear more about the rumored Google Music, Android's next step towards world domination, juicy details on the company's relationship with NFC, or where Chrome OS really sits. Might we see the mythical Nexus Two? Is Android 4.0 ready to shock the world? Will we be smacked around by a litany of location-based apps, all of which can happily be opted-out of? Feel free to toss your guesses in comments below, and be sure to have a bag of your favorite popping corn on tap come May 10th.

As always, we'll be live from the keynote floor bringing you up-to-the-second coverage, and you'd be doing yourself a solid by bookmarking our liveblog page right here. For reference, a handful of time zones are listed below -- we considered adding Easter Island, but we have yet to confirm whether or not the Moai forbid access to the internet.

06:00AM - Hawaii
09:00AM - Pacific
10:00AM - Mountain
11:00AM - Central
12:00PM - Eastern
05:00PM - London
06:00PM - Paris
08:00PM - Moscow
01:00AM - Perth (May 11th)
01:00AM - Shenzhen (May 11th)
02:00AM - Tokyo (May 11th)
04:00AM - Sydney (May 11th)

App review: TweetComb for Honeycomb tablets

Posted: 09 May 2011 05:00 PM PDT

TweetComb
Until now, Honeycomb users looking to get their social networking fix have had to rely on blown up smartphone apps that don't make particularly good use of the additional screen real estate. Then, the other day, an app called TweetComb arrived in the Android Market... and there was much rejoicing. Finally, Android tablets owners have a Twitter app that caters their needs and takes advantage of the OS's unique capabilities. But is the experience improved enough to warrant the $2.99 price of entry? Well, we plunked down the cash and fired up our Xoom to find out for you.

The big appeal of TweetComb is that it's multi-column which, if you ask us, is a must have feature for any tablet Twitter app. Upon first launch you're greeted with separate, scrollable lists for your timeline, mentions and direct messages, and you can add your own updates, favorites, up to three saved searches and three lists from the "customize dashboard" menu. In addition to being able to customize your dashboard from the menu in the upper right-hand corner you can also switch between multiple accounts, for those with split Twitter personalities. The app is pleasantly responsive while browsing through updates and quickly opens a pop-over browser window when you tap on a link. Refreshing feeds took a while, but for the most part we were pleased with the performance.

TweetComb Profile View

Tabs in the top left-hand corner allow you to quickly switch between the dashboard (where your feeds live), profile view, search and lists. By default, the profile tab displays your information, but a dedicated profile search button allows you to quickly pull up any account. Tapping on usernames will also open up the profile tab, while fingering hash tags launches a search.

While TweetComb has most of the features you could ask for in a tablet Twitter client it does suffer from some poor organizational choices. For instance adding searches or lists to the dashboard is a fairly convoluted affair that requires opening the respective tab, performing a search or selecting a list from a drop down menu and tapping save. Only then can you open up the "customize dashboard" dialog and add them to the primary view. Your accounts are also completely segregated from each other, with separate dashboards that can't display feeds from the others.


Those issues are merely minor annoyances though compared with the alerts -- or, more specifically, lack thereof. TweetComb will play a sound when new Tweets roll in, but only when the app is open, and there is no icon that pops up in the notification area to let you know when you have a new mention or message. So, while it may be fine for perusing your various followees it can't quite take over for the official Twitter app full time.

Tweetcomb is perfectly serviceable for actively keeping tabs on your Tweeple and even with their sometimes confusing implimentation we appreciate the multiple columns. It's not as feature packed and polished as Twitter for the iPad or as flashy as Flipboard, but for Honeycomb users addicted to 140-character missives it's the only game in town. For $2.99 though, we'd expect TweetComb to be our primary way of interacting with the social network, and without background notifications we're a little hesitant to embrace it. Besides, it's only a matter of time before Twitter strikes with their own Android tablet app -- and it's a safe bet it'll be free.

AIM integrates with Google Talk for cross-platform chatting, teenagers worldwide shrug

Posted: 09 May 2011 04:27 PM PDT

For eons two realms have been divided: AOL Instant Messenger and Google Talk. AIM debuted among America Online employees in 1995; Google Talk premiered just a decade later. By 2007 you could combine your buddy lists, but that required also logging in twice. Children wept; women gnashed their teeth and rent their garments. Men tried to remain stoic, but inside their hearts were breaking. But now our long global nightmare has come to an end, and as AOL says "in the next few days" users of both services will be able to chat without logging in twice. One login to rule them all is the promise, though there's little explanation of just how this will work -- presumably something involving hobbits. Hit the source link to catch a glimpse of our harmonious, united-chat future.

GRASP Lab quadrocopters learn to follow the leader and fly in formation

Posted: 09 May 2011 03:51 PM PDT


The University of Pennsylvania's GRASP Lab has already recklessly taught its autonomous quadrocopters to move in packs, fly through hoops and build things on their own, and it's now for some reason decided to teach them yet another trick they'll surely use against us one day. As you can see in the video above, the quadrocopters are now able to take cues from a leader and fly in formation. What's more, they can even continue with the formation if one loses communication and falls out of the pack, which the researchers note is key to the success of any swarm. Isn't that reassuring?
at 11:54 AM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

My Blog List