Sponsoer by :

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Engadget News

Sponsored

Engadget News

Next-next-gen Atom will be a system on a chip called 'Silvermont,' pack 3D transistors?

Posted: 12 May 2011 11:01 AM PDT

Last week, we were treated to an earful about Intel's plans for its future chips -- most notably, that it's committing to 3D transistors across the board. Well, that trickle of information hasn't run dry just yet -- today's tidbit gives us a peek not into the next-generation of Atom, but the one already in the works to come after that. The new processor, codenamed "Silvermont," will be a system-on-a-chip and is reportedly slated to ship sometime in 2013. CNET also cites unnamed sources who claim that it will be designed specifically to take advantage of Intel's 22nm technology and 3D transistors. As it stands, though, they boost the cost of wafers by two to three percent, so here's hoping that premium comes down before the netbooks of the future hit the market -- if we have netbooks in the future.

Sprint / Google Voice integration now available for discounted accounts, still AWOL in sunny Puerto Rico

Posted: 12 May 2011 10:44 AM PDT


We've been keeping a close eye on Sprint's Google Voice integration since its troubled release last month, and Sprint has confirmed that many more of you are now able to activate the feature. Previously, individual customers with discounted accounts were being grouped with corporate and government enterprise customers, but it appears that the issue has been resolved (though corporate and government accounts are still unable to activate). However, Sprint confirmed that readers in Puerto Rico remain unable to activate regardless of their account status, and was unable to provide as estimate as to when integration will be available there. That said, Google has been incredibly proactive in getting these issues resolved from day one, despite clearly having their hands full this week. It looks like Google and Sprint have managed to work out some of the major kinks, but let us know in the comments if you're running into any other problems.

Verizon sends out OTA update for the HTC Thunderbolt, lacks fix for LTE

Posted: 12 May 2011 10:09 AM PDT

At long last, Verizon's finally giving us that OTA firmware update for the Thunderbolt we caught wind of a few weeks back. Owners of the flagship device can grab it now through a manual download, and the good news is that it's meant to fix some connectivity issues. Bad news is it's just for 3G. The new code is also meant to stabilize data-dependent apps, speed up GPS updates for Google Maps and VZ Navigator, and fix a few minor messaging glitches. We're glad the wait is over, but would it have killed them to fix LTE too?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

TomTom sends HD Traffic update to all Live models, extends Traffic Manifesto to US (video)

Posted: 12 May 2011 09:51 AM PDT


TomTom CEO Harold Goddijn announced at a NYC event last night that the company's HD Traffic service, previously only included with the Go 2535 M Live, would be available on all U.S. Live models, including the Go 740 Live and XL 340 Live. Traffic updates will be one component of the subscription-based Live, which will also see a 50 percent price drop, to $60 per year. This is all part of TomTom's grand Traffic Manifesto, which aims to cut traffic by five percent overall. Achieving this rather lofty goal in the U.S. would require 10 percent of the country's drivers to be using Live, which transmits real-time traffic data using a dedicated AT&T SIM. The company says drivers using the service themselves can expect to see travel times reduced by up to 15 percent. Our commute often involves a pajama-clad hike from the bed to the desk, so if you're currently a subscriber who drives to work, let us know if Traffic is making a dent in your travels.



Show full PR text
TomTom HD Traffic Service Now Available on All LIVE Models in the U.S.

May 12 2011

More TomTom Drivers Gain Access to the Most Accurate, Comprehensive and Up-to-Date Traffic Information Available

Concord, MA, May 12, 2011 – TomTom, the world's leading provider of location and navigation products and services, announced today the company is expanding its TomTom HD Traffic service to all LIVE models available in the United States. Until now, TomTom HD Traffic was only available on the recently released GO 2535 M LIVE. TomTom HD Traffic enables drivers get to their destination faster and is the most accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date traffic solution available today.

Now, owners of the popular GO 740 LIVE and XL 340 LIVE, as well as the newly released GO 2535 M LIVE, will not only have access to LIVE Services - including Local Search, Fuel Prices, and Weather Forecasts – but they will also have access to the award-winning TomTom HD Traffic*. Additionally, TomTom announced that the new annual subscription fee for LIVE Services will be offered at the new price of $59.95 per year, previously offered at $119.95.

"We are thrilled to expand availability of TomTom HD Traffic to more drivers in the U.S.," said Tim Roper, President, TomTom, Inc. "Drivers using TomTom HD Traffic will typically experience travel times reduced by up to 15%, helping them get to their destinations faster and be more relaxed along the way."

TomTom HD Traffic provides the most accurate traffic solution by reporting and capturing more actual traffic jams than ever before to help drivers avoid delays. Only TomTom HD Traffic will recognize traffic conditions for both major and secondary roads within the U.S. road network to help re-route drivers clear of traffic. Additionally, with real-time traffic updates every two minutes, TomTom HD Traffic will help reroute drivers around traffic more quickly and get them to their destination faster.

Expanding the availability of TomTom HD Traffic is one of the commitments that TomTom has outlined in its Traffic Manifesto, which is the company's mission to reduce traffic congestion for everyone. Drivers using TomTom HD Traffic are helping to reduce traffic congestion for themselves and every driver around them.

The expanded service is available immediately to current and new LIVE Services subscribers. For more information about TomTom's Traffic Manifesto, visit www.tomtom.com/trafficmanifesto.

Bang & Olufsen's 85-inch 3DTV comes to North America for $1,000 per inch

Posted: 12 May 2011 09:24 AM PDT

Because the current lineup of 3D capable HDTVs just aren't exclusive enough, Bang & Olufsen has expanded its lineup with the BeoVision 4-85 plasma which will be available to North American buyers next month for a mere $85,000. While we prefer to save our riches for for even rarer sets like Panasonic's 152-incher, the BeoVision system does include the triangular BeoLab 10 center channel speaker and a motorized stand that lowers it when you're not watching. Either way, we won't tell you how to spend your (presumably ill-gotten) ducats beyond pointing out the specs in the press release below, but those interested in staying one step ahead of the Joneses should remember a refreshed version of the 103-inch edition with 3D will be available this summer as well.

Show full PR text
Bang & Olufsen Unveils First 3D TV in North America

Incorporating an elegant 85 inch plasma screen with state-of-the-art audio and video performance, magical moving mechanics and intelligent home integration

NEW YORK and ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., May 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Bang & Olufsen, the leading provider of high end home theaters and custom multi-room music systems – proudly announces the arrival of its first 3D TV, the all new BeoVision 4-85 inch plasma screen. BeoVision 4-85 is revolutionary as it provides the best picture experience of any plasma screen on the market with its 'Full HD' picture, razor sharp details, rich-lifelike colors and smooth movement of objects on the screen. Additionally, it features a patented Bang & Olufsen Automatic Color Management technology which counters the effects of age, as it delivers exceptional picture quality, ensuring the same high level of performance year after year.

"BeoVision 4-85 is designed to give our customers the ultimate TV experience," states Dave Zapfel, Product Manager of Bang & Olufsen America, Inc. "It encompasses a wide selection of picture improvement technologies such as anti-reflection coating that reduces annoying reflections from the screen and automatic picture control which adjusts the light output of BeoVision 4-85 to adapt to varying room lighting conditions for optimum viewing day or night."

Spectacular sound

Its dedicated center loudspeaker, the BeoLab 10, utilizes the patented Bang & Olufsen Acoustic Lens Technology, which disperses sound at a 180 degree angle throughout an entire area, resulting in an unmatched sound experience to accompany the high quality picture performance of the BeoVision 4-85. Additionally, BeoLab 10 spreads the sound equally and horizontally from the center channel, allowing the viewers to get all the nuances from the film dialogue, regardless of where they are sitting in the room.

Elegant giant

The new 85-inch member of the BeoVision 4 family is offered with a unique stand that elevates the screen at the touch of a button (either on our new Beo6 or standard Beo4 remote control). When the TV is turned on, the screen will elegantly elevate itself to the optimal viewing position, and the seamlessly integrated BeoLab 10 center loudspeaker will emerge underneath the screen. At the same time, the screen will turn and tilt according to the user's preferences via the dedicated Beo4 or Beo6 remote. When switched off again, the impressive screen moves down towards the floor in a powerful, sturdy fashion and is parked only inches above the floor, making it look less prominent in the room when not in use.

"Placed on a motorized stand, BeoVision 4 represents a whole new and unique approach to the placement of a giant flat screen TV," states Dave Zapfel. "Bang & Olufsen is among the few companies that are able to deliver a TV screen of this size, and we are the only ones who can offer a stand that will actually lift the screen off the floor, and then turn and tilt it to your preferred viewing position with the touch of a button."

The size of the carefully crafted 85" screen with its high-grade aluminum frame is impressive, but it becomes even more impressive when the screen starts to move. The movements of the screen and speaker are accelerated and decelerated in the process to underline the muscular progress, and the initial lift of the screen is timed with the start up time of the BeoSystem 3 picture and surround sound engine. The hallmark electronic curtains are then pulled aside while the BeoLab 10 center loudspeaker is moving forward into position.

Center of intelligent home

This new TV concept is the cornerstone in the intelligent home as it is a fantastic hub for combining audio and video experiences with other home automation systems. To many customers home automation is becoming more and more interesting, and due to increasingly sophisticated interfaces, Bang & Olufsen customers can actually control and operate all their A/V and home automation equipment from the programmable Beo6 remote control all over the house. Control of light settings plus access to security systems, ventilation, curtains, pool cover, burglar alarm etc. are only some of the countless possibilities.

Due to the extensive flexibility of BeoVision 4-85", its built-in competencies and high-end performance, the customer gets a unique Bang & Olufsen solution that can be customized according to individual preferences by the professional Bang & Olufsen showroom. Additionally, Bang & Olufsen's specialized retail distribution, consisting of more than 50 strategically placed showrooms across the United States, are among the best trained and highly skilled technical experts in the nation. Given this advanced level of service and training, each and every B&O showroom is fully outfitted to accommodate the logistics and sales competencies required to handle a TV screen of this size and price point, uncharacteristic of any big-box audio/video retailer.

"BeoVision 4–85 offers a best-in-class audio and video experience, extreme ease of use and magical mechanical elements – while heightening the design impact of any room in any home", states Zean Nielsen, President of Bang & Olufsen America, Inc. "We believe the BeoVision 4–85 inch will attract dedicated Bang & Olufsen customers who are seeking the ultimate home cinema experience – for both 3D and every day 2D viewing preferences."

BeoVision 4-85 inch is available in June 2011 and retails at $85,000. (Inclusive of the uniquely engineered floor stand, BeoLab 10 center channel speaker and a dedicated Bang & Olufsen remote control). BeoVision 4-85 is also available as a screen-only solution, where the screen is mounted on a wall bracket at a lower price point. A sister 3D - 103 inch version will also be available for purchase this summer. Pricing and further product details will be announced at a later date.

Bang & Olufsen was founded in Struer, Denmark, in 1925 by Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen, two innovative, young engineers devoted to high quality audio reproduction. Since then, the brand has become an icon of performance and design excellence through its long-standing craftsmanship tradition and the strongest possible commitment to high-tech research and development.

Still at the forefront of domestic technology, Bang & Olufsen has extended its comprehensive experience with integrated audio and video solutions for the home to other areas such as the hospitality and automotive industries in recent years. Consequently, its current product range epitomizes seamless media experiences in the home as well as in the car and on the move.

For more information on Bang & Olufsen, please visit www.bang-olufsen.com.

SOURCE Bang & Olufsen

Google I/O 2011 recap: Chromebooks, Music Beta, Movies and more

Posted: 12 May 2011 09:01 AM PDT

And that, as they say, is a wrap. We've departed a shockingly sunny San Francisco, but not without a huge helping of Google news to mull over on the long ride home. In typical Goog fashion, the outfit served up a double-dose of keynotes this year, both of which seemed to delight both developers and media alike. Sure, no new superphones used the show as a launching pad, but plenty of other nuggets were unearthed. From the reveal of Music Beta to the official introduction of the world's first commercial Chromebooks, the 2011 edition of Google I/O packed plenty of punch. If you missed even a second of our continuous coverage, we've got you covered -- the best of the best is recapped below. We'll see you next year, I/O... you bring the tiramisu, we'll bring the Ice Cream Sandwich.

Keynotes / liveblogs:
Day 1: Music Beta, Android 3.1, Ice Cream Sandwich, Open Accessory, ADK
Day 2: Chrome, Angry Birds, Chrome OS, Chromebooks

Editorials / previews:
Google Music Beta walkthrough: what it is and how it works (video)
Editorial: Engadget on Google Music and Movies for Android
Google Music Beta versus the titans of the streaming music space: a chart
Editorial: Google clarifies Chromebook subscriptions, might have just changed the industry

Hands-ons:
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition (white) hands-on from Google I/O!
Samsung Series 5 Chrome OS laptop hands-on at Google I/O
Fossil Meta Watch wrists-on at Google I/O (video)
Hasbro's experimental Nexus-powered robot toy hands-on at Google I/O (video)
Lighting Science demos Android @ Home bulbs, promises dead-simple home automation (hands-on)
Google's Arduino-based ADK powers robots, home gardens and giant Labyrinth (video)
LifeFitness exercise bike interfaces with Nexus S, makes fitness marginally enjoyable (video)
iRobot Ava mobile robotics platform hands-on at Google I/O (video)
Groupme's group messaging app demoed at Google I/O, complete with data / location (video)

Head on past the break for more!

Major Google product / software announcements:
Google announces Android 3.1
Google TV getting Android 3.1 and Market this summer
Google Ice Cream Sandwich coming in Q4 2011 to smartphones and tablets alike
Android Market launches movie rentals, thousands of titles available to your PC, phone or tablet
Google Music Beta to stream 20,000 songs for free
Google partners with OEMs and carriers to guarantee timely Android updates
Google announces Android Open Accessory standard, Arduino-based ADK
Google announces Android@Home framework for home automation
Google clarifies 18 month Android upgrade program, details far from solidified
Google unveils Acer Chromebook: $349, 11.6-inches with 6.5-hour battery
Official: Samsung reveals Chrome OS laptop -- the Series 5
Google teases Samsung-built Chromebox, desktop version of Chrome OS

The rest:
Google reaches 100 millionth Android activation, 400,000 Android devices activated daily
Google gives away 5,000 Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets to devs at I/O
Google makes Chrome Web Store available worldwide, adds in-app purchases and flat five percent fee
Angry Birds gets a web version, coming to Chrome Web Store
Google adding Netflix, Hulu support, offline Gmail, Calendar and Docs to Chrome OS this summer, prices hardware at $20 per month
Google announces new ways to discover apps on Android Market, more tools for developers
Google TV shows off new Honeycomb UI, plans for Market, SDK; opens up remote app source code
Google: 'no plans' for Chrome OS on tablets, any other form factors

Mirasol display gets lighting solution for reading alone at parties, bars

Posted: 12 May 2011 08:36 AM PDT

How do you solve a problem like lighting a Mirasol display? Sure, the technology provides something of a comprise between traditional E Ink displays and tablet LCDs, with full video and color, low power consumption, and the ability to be viewed in bright sunlight, but it still has some decided drawbacks: like a lack of backlighting. Qualcomm showed off a simple and elegant solution at this week's CES on the Hill, essentially embedding a book light into the device, lighting it from the front -- it's not the first time we've seen an e-reader arrive at this answer, but still, sometimes the easiest solutions are the best. The prototype shown off in DC this week had buttons on the rear for adjusting brightness, though according to The Digital Reader, Qualcomm will also be showing off a device with an ambient light sensor in the near future. The technology should be on store shelves this fall -- no word whether the device is capable of yelling at you for "ruining your eyes" by reading in the dark.

Pivot Power strip starts shipping, folks who ordered a year ago rejoice

Posted: 12 May 2011 08:07 AM PDT

Don't you hate it when you preorder something and it doesn't show up for, like, a year? We know of at least 960 early adopters who can feel your pain. The Pivot Power strip, which lets you rearrange six outlets to plug in adapters of any size, went on sale in June of last year for $23 a pop. But, because the community-driven website Quirky is selling it, the ordering process wasn't as simple as paying and waiting for it to show up on your doorstep: the company would only ship them when 960 people "committed" to buying them -- not unlike how a certain number of people are needed to activate a Groupon deal. Well, the company quickly met its goal, the strip is at last shipping, and Jake Zien, the inventor (that's that giddy fellow up there) couldn't be more pleased. When we first reported on the Pivot Power strip's availability, more than half of those pre-sale slots had already been filled so we're not sure just what took so long. Since then, Zien & Co. have been spending their time seeing the thing through the manufacturing process. In any case, if you missed the boat the first time, it looks like there might still be additional units up for sale.

[Thanks, Dan L. and Zo]
Pivot Power strip

Scarpar off-road powerboard coming December 2011, just in time to replace Santa's sleigh

Posted: 12 May 2011 07:26 AM PDT

It's been a little over two years since we first came across Scarpar's all-terrain powerboard, and now it's just about ready to hit the streets, or mountains, or whatever. The Australian startup is currently accepting reservations for its surprisingly powerful electric skateboards -- now in two flavors. Scarpar's Model X comes equipped with two 1.5-kilowatt DC Motors and tops out at 28MPH, while the Model S offers two 750-watt motors and hits 18MPH. You can reserve one now for $500 or $600, depending on how much power you want under your feet, but be prepared to shell out either $2,800 or $3,800 when it's finally time to buy. Scarpar expects the things to ship sometime in December, so don't go making any summer vacation plans for you and your new off-roader just yet.

[Thanks, Alex]

Zynga crowns Lady Gaga as FarmVille's newest cash cow

Posted: 12 May 2011 07:13 AM PDT

What better way to market a game that isn't really a game than with an artist who isn't really an artist? Such was the rationale, apparently, behind Zynga's recent decision to partner with Lady Gaga, the freshly anointed face of FarmVille. As of May 17th, FarmVille users will be able to take a much-needed break from wasting their lives and visit GagaVille -- a neighboring but equally fake farm full of unicorns, crystals and terrible life decisions. There, visitors will be able to listen to unreleased tracks from Gaga's forthcoming album, Born This Way, which they can also download for "free," once they've dropped $25 of their parents' hard-earned cash on a Zynga gift card. The campaign will mercifully come to an end on May 26th, but not before Diet Madonna extends her corporate leviathan to every corner of Zynga's gaming universe, including Words With Friends, Mafia Wars and anything else your pre-teen cousin spends far too much time playing. Gaga will win. Zynga will win. The human race, on balance, will lose. If you haven't slit your wrists yet, the PR after the break should do the trick.
Show full PR text
Zynga Goes Gaga! Lady Gaga and Zynga Team Up to Celebrate New Album "Born This Way"

FarmVille Players Get Exclusive First Listen to "Born This Way" Songs in Newly Created GagaVille Farm, Provided in Partnership with Clear Channel's iHeartRadio

Partnership Also Includes Zynga Game Cards with Free Album, Words With Friends "Words with Gaga" Contest, and Limited Edition Virtual Items in RewardVille

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lady Gaga and Zynga today announced a partnership to launch the mega-artist's new album "Born this Way." Launching May 17, the first-of-its-kind program gives "little monsters" throughout the world a first listen to exclusive un-released songs from the upcoming when they visit GagaVille, a uniquely designed neighboring farm in FarmVille (There will be unicorns and crystals. Enough said.). The full album also comes bundled as a free download with the purchase of a special Zynga $25 game card, available exclusively at Best Buy.

The program reaches across Zynga games and across platforms. Words With Friends, the popular mobile social game available iPhone, iPad, as well as Android devices, will feature a daily "Words with Gaga" contest, giving players a chance to win Gaga prizes including tickets to an upcoming concert and a signed copy of "Born This Way." Zynga is also rewarding players with limited edition Lady Gaga virtual items on RewardVille.com for them to enjoy across the Zynga games they love to play.

"I want to celebrate and share 'Born This Way' with my little monsters in a special way that's never been done before," said Lady Gaga. "Zynga has created a magical place in FarmVille where my fans can come play, and be the first to listen to the album."

"We're focused on creating cool new ways to entertain and surprise our players," said Owen Van Natta, Zynga's executive vice president of business. "Our partnership with Lady Gaga offers many new experiences: Exclusive access to music in-game, a mobile contest, a free album bundled with Zynga game card purchases and limited edition virtual items across ten Zynga games. We want to thank Lady Gaga for working with us on this truly great surprise."

The program runs May 17 through May 26. Elements of the program include:

GagaVille in FarmVille, Exclusive Access to Music: Visit neighboring in-game farm – "GagaVille" – inspired by Lady Gaga's unique style, featuring colorful crystals, magical unicorns, sheep on motorcycles, and if we can cram it in, some leather and glitter. Get exclusive access to un-released songs from "Born This Way" every day from May 17 through May 19 by completing quests and unlocking Clear Channel's iHeartRadio player – that's three never-before-heard songs. On May 20th, be the first to listen to a selection of songs from "Born This Way" before the album drops on May 23.

Special $25 Zynga Game Cards, Win a Day "On the set with Gaga": Available exclusively through Best Buy (US and Canada) on May 15 through June 11, these $25 Zynga game cards come with a free download of "Born This Way" the full album plus exclusive bonus tracks. Redeem the game card on Zynga.com for album download code (effective May 23), get an exclusive Lady Gaga unicorn for FarmVille, and a chance to win a day "On the Set with Gaga." As part of this sweepstakes, seven lucky players who redeem eligible game cards will win a day on the set of Lady Gaga's next music video shoot wherever it may be – whether Cairo, Cleveland, or anywhere in between. InComm is the exclusive prepaid provider of Zynga game cards.

Words With Friends "Words with Gaga" Contest: Zynga and Lady Gaga will reveal a new word each day that relates to the artist or her new album. For example: UNICORN may or may not be a word of the day. We're not telling. Play the special Gaga word of the day for your chance to win Lady Gaga prizes, including a signed album and concert tickets to see Lady Gaga perform. Winners will be selected at random each day of the contest. US only.

Lady Gaga Virtual Items on RewardVille and beyond: For the first time ever, Zynga is partnering with an artist to offer exclusive virtual items across 10 games. Log onto RewardVille.com to redeem zCoins for limited edition virtual items inspired by Lady Gaga for the Zynga games you love to play, including: CityVille, FrontierVille, FarmVille, Mafia Wars, Zynga Poker, Café World, Treasure Isle, YoVille, PetVille, and Vampire Wars. Starting on May 17th, Lady Gaga will announce codes that unlock exclusive Lady Gaga-inspired limited edition virtual items on 148 Clear Channel stations.

This is the second time Zynga and Lady Gaga have teamed up. In March 2011, the two entertainment icons teamed up to raise more than $3 million for Japan relief efforts.

World's first GLONASS-enabled tablet unveiled in Russia, plays nice with GPS

Posted: 12 May 2011 06:44 AM PDT

After rolling out the world's first GLONASS-enabled smartphone, Russia is thinking bigger -- it's tablet time. This 7-inch Froyo-powered panel runs on a 800MHz processor, and sports 512MB of RAM, a 3.2 megapixel camera, and support for both GPS and GLONASS navigation. Russian provider Skylink hopes this new Android tablet, called the Xpad, will set a trend for future navigation devices -- utilizing data from both satellite positioning systems for increased accuracy in urban environments. The future of enhanced navigation hits (Russian) shelves for 14,000 Rubles in Q4 2011; that's about 500 greenbacks, if you were wondering.

[Thanks, Yakov!]

iRobot Ava mobile robotics platform hands-on at Google I/O (video)

Posted: 12 May 2011 06:13 AM PDT

If you're under the impression that robots were all over Google I/O this year, you'd be right -- after all, it's a only small leap from robot to Android. Yesterday we got some hands-on time with iRobot's Ava mobile robotics platform and came away rather entertained. Ava is an autonomous robot that's equipped with and array of sensors (two Kinnect-like 2D / 3D cameras, a scanning laser, ultrasonic transducers, and contact bumpers), driven by omnidirectional wheels, and controlled by its own Intel Core-based computer. The base hosts batteries, motors, as well as electronics and supports a telescopic mast that carries a pod containing touch ribbons, speakers, and a microphone. On top of this pod you'll find a "head" that can tilt / pivot and basically acts as the dock for any Android tablet. Ava is able to navigate a mapped-out space on its own while avoiding obstacles and people along the way -- going as far as to "blush" via RGB LEDs in the base if it accidentally bumps into anything or anyone. This autonomous behavior allows the robot to be controlled by simply setting waypoints and letting the onboard computer do all the hard work of coordinating sensors and motors to get it there safely. Google and iRobot have worked together and created APIs that allow Android developers to write apps -- from telepresence to roaming testimonials -- that control Ava wirelessly from the docked tablet. Both partners are hoping this will spearhead the development of unique new projects which combine the power of robotics and Android devices. There's no word on pricing or availability at this point, which comes as no surprise given that these machines are still very much prototypes. We'll leave you to look at our gallery below and watch the robotic ballet in our hands-on video after the break.
iRobot AVA scoots around at Google I/O 2011

Is Comcast blocking the Pirate Bay? (updated: it isn't just Comcast)

Posted: 12 May 2011 05:59 AM PDT

Is Comcast blocking the Pirate Bay?
We've received numerous reports this morning from users indicating that good 'ol Comcast is at it again. Word on the web is that Comcast ISP subscribers are unable to access torrent site the Pirate Bay, a situation that we've been able to confirm internally. That said, we're not entirely sure it's Comcast's fault. Pings and DNS lookups seem to be resolved correctly, but users are unable to get to the site. Additionally, we're seeing reports that users on other ISPs and in other parts of the world are also having issues connecting, making us wonder if some other piece of rope further toward the topmast has come unraveled. What say you?

Update: Comcast just got back to us reaffirming that it is not the cause of this issue. "We're not blocking PirateBay and reports online indicate users from several ISPs around the world are affected." As we originally mentioned we're seeing those reports too, and many of you in the poll below are showing this isn't necessarily a Comcast-specific thing. So the question remains: what kind of a thing is it?

Can you get to the Pirate Bay?



[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Nintendo launching 3DS eShop on June 7, sharing some E3 love with everyone

Posted: 12 May 2011 05:29 AM PDT

Nintendo launching 3DS eShop in US on June 7th, sharing some E3 love with everyone
We know where we're going to be on June 7th: surfing across the sea of concrete better known as Los Angeles, looking at lots of games and wishing we'd packed more comfortable shoes. That's E3 time and, while you very well may be at home living vicariously, thanks to Nintendo you'll be able to get a bit of what's happening out there right in your handheld over here -- if you bought a 3DS. On June 7th Nintendo will release its long-promised update, which will finally bring the ability to download titles directly to the system through the eShop. The Japanese update will be launching a day earlier and is said to feature Virtual Console emulation as well as a 3D movie player, giving us hope that the promised Netflix support will be there for us. What else will we be hoping for at E3? Probably a foot massage. Any takers?

Update: Nintendo has now also officially announced that the update will hit Europe on June 7th, bringing with it eShop access and a web browser.

[Thanks, Jan]

Facebook admits hiring PR firm to smear Google

Posted: 12 May 2011 04:33 AM PDT

It seems like the ongoing rivalry between Facebook and Google has taken a turn for the subversive. Last night, a spokesman for the social network confirmed to the Daily Beast that Facebook paid a top PR firm to spread anti-Google stories across the media and to encourage various outlets to examine allegations that the Mountain View company was violating user privacy. The PR firm, Burson-Marsteller, even offered to help blogger Chris Soghoian write a critical op-ed piece about Social Circle -- a service that allows Gmail users to access information on so-called "secondary connections," or friends of their friends. Social Circle, in fact, seems to have been at the epicenter of Facebook's smear campaign. In a pitch to journalists, Burson described the tool in borderline apocalyptic terms:

"The American people must be made aware of the now immediate intrusions into their deeply personal lives Google is cataloging and broadcasting every minute of every day-without their permission."

Soghoian thought that Burson's representatives were "making a mountain out of a molehill," so he decided to prod them about which company they might be working for. When Burson refused to spill the beans, Soghoian went public and published all of the e-mails sent between him and the firm. USA Today picked up on the story, before concluding that any claims of a smear campaign were unfounded. The Daily Beast's Dan Lyons, however, apparently forced Facebook's hand after confronting the company with "evidence" of its involvement. A Facebook spokesman said the social network hired Burson to do its Nixonian dirty work for two primary reasons: it genuinely believes that Google is violating consumer privacy and it also suspects that its rival "may be improperly using data they have scraped about Facebook users." In other words, their actions were motivated by both "altruistic" and self-serving agendas, though we'd be willing to bet that the latter slightly outweighed the former. Google, meanwhile, has yet to comment on the story, saying that it still needs more time to wrap its head around everything -- which might just be the most appropriate "no comment" we've ever heard.

Pioneer's Discussion Table gets a thumping $37,000 price tag, taken for a spin (video)

Posted: 12 May 2011 04:12 AM PDT

We thought the latest version of Microsoft's Surface was pricey at $7,600, but it's cheapo IKEA compared to Pioneer's WWS-DT101 Discussion Table. We just reported that this beast is due to hit the Japanese market in July, but now we discover you might need as much as ¥3million (around $37,000) plus van hire before you can cart it away. Acknowledged, it has a bigger screen and better all-round specs than Microsoft's SUR40, and it looks pretty damn responsive judging from the video after the break. But it's still an unlikely amount to spend on a piece of furniture that can't even play Dungeons and Dragons.

Contour+ helmet cam goes official, bringing 1080p video with wider viewing angle

Posted: 12 May 2011 03:36 AM PDT

Remember that Contour Plus helmet cam teased by a cheeky cyclist last month? Well, this is it, though it turns out the name's actually written as Contour+. Like the ContourGPS, this new imager captures 1080p video at 30fps, and also packs built-in GPS plus Bluetooth v2.1 -- the latter's for the wireless viewfinder app on iOS and, eventually, Android. The difference between these two cameras? Well, ignoring the colors and the extra 3mm in length, the Contour+ does indeed come with a mini HDMI-out port alongside the microSD slot on the back. Better yet, you'll also find an HDMI cable in the box to get you going. And of course, let's not forget the new super-wide lens (still rotatable) that does 170 degrees for 960p and 720p recording, or 125 degrees for 1080p. Both modes best the camera's predecessor, though the trade-off is the lack of dual-alignment lasers. If this isn't a problem for you, then feel free to shell out $499.99 when it launches on May 18th.

Update: We have PR after the break.

[Thanks, Daniel H.]

Show full PR text
TAKE STORYTELLING TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH NEW CONTOUR+ HANDS-FREE VIDEO CAMERA – AVAILABLE TODAY

Contour's Latest Innovation Adds Richness to Stories with Progression in Video, Location, Audio, and Streaming

SEATTLE, Wash. – May 12, 2011 – Contour, Inc. (http://www.contour.com),a market leader in hands-free video cameras, today announced Contour+, Contour's first camera for the broadcast and pro-sumer markets. The Contour+ marks the next progression in hands-free video and represents the company's continued focus on leading the market's innovation. The Contour+ is now available at Contour.com and retail partners for $499.

"Nowhere on Earth is off limits to filmmakers and other visual storytellers, but there are plenty of places standard pro cameras can't go," said Marc Barros, Contour CEO. "Contour+ delivers high-quality video, audio, location data and streaming capabilities anywhere there's a story to tell. Today, anyone can be a documentarian or filmmaker, and we've created the most affordable way to give pro-sumers, broadcast and filmmakers everything they need to tell incredibly rich stories from right within the action."

The hands-free and wireless technology that has established Contour's technical leadership in the market is augmented with progressions in the lens, first-ever features in the hands-free market, and more to create a new era in the technical side of storytelling. The camera's powerful and unique combination of technical features has piqued the interest of industry tastemakers including Film Producer and Freeride Entertainment Director, Derek Westerlund.

"Hands-free is a big revolution in the camera space, but we haven't had anything that was progressive enough to use on professional shoots until now," said Westerlund. "The Contour+ allows me to capture great POV shots and will help bring the movie's story to life. The Contour+ is the new standard for next generation, high-quality, hands-free cameras."

Greg Tracy, a renowned stunt driver and filmmaker who has worked on feature films such as "Bourne Ultimatum," "Wanted," and "The Town," looks forward to using the new Contour+ on his upcoming professional shoots. "When I'm shooting action, I love to put the audience in the middle of it and experience it first-hand. With the Contour+, I'll be able to do this like never before." said Tracy. "With its professional-grade lens, connectivity options and size, the Contour+ is the perfect tool for my demanding production work, and it won't break the bank."

How Contour+ Delivers
The next progression in hands-free cameras lets explorers:
• Expand Field of Vision: A six-element glass lens delivers 1080p video quality, an adjustable white balance to dial-in details and a 170-degree field of view to clearly integrate peripherals and backdrops in each shot
• Deliver Live Action: Streaming video via HDMI and an external transmitter broadcasts the action in real-time
• Stay Connected Better than any POV Camera: Built-in Bluetooth connects to a mobile phone, creating a wireless viewfinder to check the angle; a HDMI port allows instant replay on a laptop or widescreen direct from the included microSD card
• Capture Crisp Audio: The first external 2.5mm microphone jack on any hands-free camera helps distinguish featured audio from ambient noise
• Benefit from Contour's Signature Elements: Three resolutions, four frame rates and a five-megapixel still mode are available to customize the shot; an internal interactive GPS receiver tracks speed, location, and elevation at four frames per second

Shipping today from Contour.com, the Contour+ is also available from Amazon.com; B&H Photo, Video, and Pro-Audio; Gear Co-Op, Paragon, and Samy's Camera.

Contour's complete collection of high quality, easy-to-use cameras, including the ContourGPS and ContourHD, provide a variety of solutions to fit every adventurer's need. The company helps people further share their stories with its free apps and online community.

Cisco Cius on AT&T: crystal clear corporate communication coming this fall

Posted: 12 May 2011 02:53 AM PDT

Cisco's Cius hopped on Big Red's bandwagon a few months back, and now it's bringing its high-def corporate communications skills to AT&T. And not only will Ma Bell be selling the seven-inch slate, its AT&T Foundry division will make business-friendly apps for the device. Don't go bugging the bossman for one just yet, however, as the Cius won't be riding AT&T's waves of 4G HSPA+ until this fall. PR's after the break.
Show full PR text
Highly Intuitive Tablet Helps AT&T Business Customers Mobilize for Increased Efficiency


DALLAS, May 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T* announced today plans to offer the Cisco Cius™ to its business customers. The Cisco Cius is an ultra-portable mobile tablet that enables access to essential business applications for virtually anywhere, anytime collaboration. Cisco expects the Cius to be available for AT&T's HSPA+ network in the fall of 2011.

"We are mobilizing the day to day activities of our business and government customers, helping them act quicker for maximum agility and profitability," said Shawn Conroy, vice president of voice, collaboration and unified communications services, AT&T Business Solutions. "The Cisco Cius further extends our leading portfolio of enterprise mobility devices, and this is the latest example of our commitment to helping organizations of all sizes increase business velocity."

The Cisco Cius, which can be used with AT&T's world class network and strong portfolio of unified communication services and applications, is specifically designed to meet business enterprise needs. It empowers businesses with the critical communications, computing, and collaboration capabilities that they need to be productive whether employees are in the office or working remotely. These capabilities include access to key business applications, including interoperable HD video communications, conferencing, presence, instant messaging, and desktop virtualization, among others.

Through AT&T Foundry innovation centers, AT&T and Cisco are jointly collaborating with 3rd party developers to create innovative and intuitive business applications for the Cisco Cius. The developers' program provides invited developers with a unique opportunity to bring new mobile business applications to market. The program aims to accelerate the velocity of apps development to enhance the experience of AT&T Cius customers. The AT&T Foundry initiative facilitates innovation through a diverse, collaborative community supported by a network of strategic technology companies.

Sporting a 7-inch, high-resolution, multi-capacitive touch screen, the Cisco Cius is ultra-lightweight, portable, and easily fits into a suit pocket or small bag. In the office, the Cisco Cius rests in an optional High Definition media station in support of wired connectivity for a full desktop experience. On the go, the tablet supports 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and mobile broadband networks, including AT&T's HSPA+ network. Users can send e-mails, message, and browse the Web, as well as create, edit, share, and store content locally on the device or centrally in the cloud. Voice and video calls are supported in wired environments.

Because the Cisco Cius can deliver a rich and mobile computing, communications, and collaboration experience, businesses can consolidate the number of devices employees need. Additionally, access to business applications on the Cisco Cius can be open or controlled, depending on the business organization's preference.

"Business professionals today demand mobile devices that combine communication, collaboration, and a powerful computing solution," said Steve Slattery, vice president and general manager, IP Communications business unit, Cisco. "The Cisco Cius united with AT&T's world-class network helps provide just the interaction and information they need to fundamentally change how employees go about their work."

Cisco Cius features include:
- Operating System: Android OS
- Apps: AT&T, Cisco and Android apps
- Flash Support: Yes
- Multitasking: Yes
- Screen: 7-inch, multi-touch widescreen color display
- Screen Resolution: 1024 x 600
- Camera: Dual front and rear facing cameras
- Ports: micro-USB (tablet); - standard USB (HD media station)
- Navigation: GPS
- Storage: 32 GB internal flash
- Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G/4G
- Dimensions: 8.85 x 5.5 x 0.59 in. (225 x 140 x 15 mm)
- Weight: 1.15lbs (0.52kg)

Samsung Galaxy S II overclocked to 1.5GHz, used to obliterate benchmarks (video)

Posted: 12 May 2011 01:57 AM PDT

What do you do after you've bought the most powerful smartphone to yet grace the Android universe? Some timid folks would urge you to just enjoy it, but if you're like us, you'll probably want to know just how high that dual-core Exynos 4210 birdie could fly. The processor inside the Galaxy S II started off life at 1GHz, then got sped up by Samsung to 1.2GHz just before release, and has now been taken all the way to 1.5GHz thanks to coolbho3000 over on the xda-developers forum. He's been nice enough to provide the source code and instructions necessary to reproduce this stable overclock on your Galaxy S II, but don't rush off just yet -- there's video of the GSII romping through Quadrant and Linpack after the break.

[Thanks, Mike and Sam]

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 ups the interchangeable lens ante with fancy new touchscreen

Posted: 12 May 2011 01:00 AM PDT

Right on schedule, Panasonic's gone and made its thinly-veiled Lumix DMC-G3 Micro Four Thirds shooter official. The camera succeeds the G2 with a a 16 megapixel sensor, support for 1080p AVCHD video recording with stereo audio, 4fps burst shooting at full resolution, and an articulating, 3-inch touchscreen that supplants some of the dials adorning the last-gen model. In addition to poking around menus, you can touch that display to focus on your subject, and slide your finger to tweak exposure, white balance, and depth of field -- all in all, not unlike how you might interact with a smartphone camera. And, at 11.8 ounces, the aluminum-clad body weighs about ten percent less than its predecessor. Look for it in June for $700 in brown, red, and white -- in addition to your garden-variety black. In the market for something more compact? Panny also trotted out the Lumix-FH7, a 16 megapixel point-and-shoot with 4x optical zoom and 720p movie recording. Oodles of photos below with a press release after the break.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7
Show full PR text
PANASONIC INTRODUCES COMPANY'S SMALLEST AND LIGHTEST DIGITAL INTERCHANGEABLE LENS CAMERA WITH A VIEWFINDER,*1 COMPLETE WITH EASY-TO-USE FEATURES AND HD VIDEO
The New Panasonic LUMIX G3 Features Large Touch Screen LCD for Intuitive Touch Control and Technologies Enhancing Imaging Quality
SECAUCUS, NJ (May 12, 2011) – Panasonic today announces a new addition to the LUMIX G Series of Compact Systems Cameras (CSC), the LUMIX DMC-G3, the company's smallest and lightest digital interchangeable lens camera with a viewfinder to date*1. This new class of CSC offers a lighter weight and smaller size not seen in traditional DSLRs, thus providing greater portability and creative control. The LUMIX G3 features a new 16.0-megapixel sensor that produces rich, true-to-life, high quality images, plus 1920 x 1080 full-High Definition (HD) video recording capability with stereo sound in AVCHD. The Panasonic LUMIX G3 is the ideal hybrid, offering superb still and video capabilities with easy-to-use features so users at any level can create professional-quality images.

"With the LUMIX G3, Panasonic offers an extremely light compact system camera that is easy to use, thanks to a touch-control LCD, yet still maintains powerful and creative features to appease the more advanced photographer," said Darin Pepple, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "With new features that enhance photo and video quality, the LUMIX G3 offers exceptional image quality that a photographer at any level would be excited about using to capture their experiences."

For the camera traditionalist, the LUMIX G3 provides a traditional DSLR-like experience with an external Mode dial for quick access to common modes like Program, Shutter and Aperture Priority, Manual. Additional dial settings include two Custom Modes, Scene Modes and a Creative Control Mode. The LUMIX G3 provides a dedicated video button that can be used to switch to video capture quickly without changing modes. Like most traditional DSLRs, the LUMIX G3 provides a built-in flash and hotshoe for connecting optional LUMIX flashes. For many, a traditional eyelevel viewfinder is still a must have, so the LUMIX G3 meets this demand with an eye-level electronic viewfinder that projects a high resolution 1.44m-dot image with 100% field of view (800x600, 0.7x magnification). In addition, color breakup has been improved when compared to the LUMIX G2.

To enhance operability and ensure it's user-friendly, the LUMIX G3 features touch-control shooting, which lets photographers focus on the subject by simply touching it on the large, 3-inch high-resolution LCD touch screen. Once locked on the subject by a touch, the LUMIX G3 tracks the subject, even if it moves, with Auto Focus (AF) tracking. In addition to its 23 Area Auto Focusing Points, the LUMIX G3 features new Pinpoint AF. Pinpoint AF allows extremely precise near–pixel-level focus point setting at the touch of a finger. For example, unlike DSLRs that limit the number of fixed hardware focus points, Panasonic's Pinpoint AF can be set by touch control to very fine points anywhere on the LCD. With a new Precision Contrast LightSpeed AF system, the LUMIX G3 is extremely fast, measuring approximately 0.1 second (14-140mm ~0.1 sec. 14-42mm ~0.18 sec., 45-200mm ~0.15 sec.). The LightSpeed AF feature is achieved by reducing the detection time for focusing by doubling the Live MOS Sensor drives speed from 60 fps to 120 fps. Manual control over focus is available in the LUMIX G3 and has been greatly improved when compared to its predecessor, the LUMIX DMC-G2. When magnification is first enabled at 4x by simply touching the subject on the LCD, that subject is enlarged in a small window allowing you to keep the rest of the image in view as a framing reference. Beyond 4x, that small window fills the monitor so even more control over focus fine-tuning can be achieved. This handy feature is available from both the MF Assist (Manual Focus) and AF + MF focus modes.

The Intelligent LCD has a bright 1,440,000-dot equivalent resolution and rotates 180° to the side and tilts 270° up and down offering approximately 100% of field of view, making it easy to operate and shoot at different angles. In addition, the touch-enabled-screen operation excels not only for shooting but also for playing back images with outstanding visibility. Users can scroll through hundreds of images on the screen, simply by thumbing through the thumbnails. Or, to play back images one-by-one, the user drags the image across the screen as though flipping a page in a book.

The LUMIX G3's newly developed 16.0-megapixel Live MOS sensor, combined with the powerful Venus Engine FHD image processor, contribute to the high-quality photo and video images. The processor also provides selective noise reduction to create a more naturally-balanced curve without deterioration of the image. In the LUMIX G3, noise is significantly suppressed by more than 66%. Notably in shooting at high ISO settings, S/N value is improved by approximately 200% compared with the conventional 12.1-megapixel sensor. The sensor performance improves by 6db at ISO 3200 and max. 9db at ISO 6400.

For added ease of use, the LUMIX G3 features Panasonic's iA2 and new iA Plus modes, which are enabled automatically once the iA button is pressed. Panasonic's iA features, such as Intelligent Resolution, MEGA O.I.S. (included in several lenses), Intelligent ISO Control, and Intelligent Scene Selector are available when shooting still images. However, Panasonic's new iA Plus mode adds greater flexibility with real-time visual feedback between automatic and manual shooting features:
• Touch-screen-slider-enabled background defocusing.
• Touch-enabled exposure control compensation.
• Touch-screen-slider-enabled white balance. A desired color balance result under difficult lighting can now be achieved visually from the LCD with a touch-enabled slider icon.

The LUMIX G3 offers rapid burst shooting control at various rates and resolutions. Image capture at full-resolution (16-megapixel) is possible at up to 4 frames per second with its mechanical shutter enabled, or an even faster 20 frames per second using the electronic shutter feature at a reduced resolution of 4 megapixels.

With an array of creative features, the LUMIX G3 offers users the opportunity to express their creativity with settings like Creative Control mode, which allows for images to be taken with popular visual effects that previously required software post processing. Effects include: Retro, High Key, Sepia and High Dynamic. The conventional film mode has evolved with a new effect control, Photo Style, which has Standard, Vivid, Natural, Monochrome, Scenery, Portrait presets that allow finer adjustment of contrast, sharpness, saturation and noise reduction by each.

As with many interchangeable lens cameras, dust on the sensor reduces image clarity. To eliminate this potential, the LUMIX G3 uses a Dust Reduction System that uses a supersonic wave filter in front of the Live MOS sensor. Vibrating vertically around 50,000 times per second, the filter repels dust and other particles effectively.

The LUMIX G3 utilizes the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) System mount, offering greater size and weight reduction in the lens without compromising performance and clarity. The LUMIX MFT System offers a selection of 11 high-performance fixed focal length and variable aperture G Vario zooms, including a highly-versatile 3D lens capable of capturing both 2D and 3D images at the same time. There are lens adaptors available for mounting older Leica M and Leica R lenses, including prior LUMIX full Four Thirds lenses. An innovative 14-140mm HD G Vario lens provides the best of video and still-image shooting with a long 10x range and near silent high-speed focusing. When connected to the LUMIX G3, ultra-fast focusing and auto subject track AF can be achieved. Many LUMIX MFT lenses come with MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization) built-in. This feature helps prevent blurring from shaky hands. Working together with this is the camera's intelligent ISO Control, which reduces motions blur by adjusting the ISO sensitivity if the subject moves, helping to ensure sharp images.

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-G3, made of aluminum, will be available in a variety of attractive colors, including black, red, white and brown, starting in June 2011. Suggested retail price of the LUMIX G3 with the 14-42mm Zoom Lens Kit will be $699.99. For more information about the Panasonic LUMIX G Series of compact system cameras, please visit www.panasonic.com/lumix.

VIA QuadCore processor combines low-cost and low-power with 'adaptive overclocking'

Posted: 12 May 2011 12:40 AM PDT

Computex is coming up fast and with it we're expecting a slew of new gear. The event will also mark the first public showing of VIA's new x86 quad-core processors aptly named, QuadCore (pictured above center next to a Nano X2). The new procs are manufactured using 40nm processes and combine four Isaiah cores on two dies resulting in a Thermal Design Power of 27.5 watts. That low TDP allows VIA to make the nebulous claim that its first QuadCore L4700 processor is 21 percent more energy efficient than its nearest competitor while offering "awesome" multitasking and multimedia playback performance. Initially available at 1.2+GHz, the 64-bit native processor features adaptive overclocking (think Intel Turbo Boost) for dynamic clock adjustments up to 1.46GHz, a 4MB L2 cache, and 1333MHz front-side bus. Oh, and the QuadCores will be pin-to-pin compatible with VIA Eden, C7, Nano E-Series, and Eden X2 processors when they begin shipping in bulk in Q3. We'll bring you more on these supposed low-cost procs when we see them demoed first hand in Taipei starting May 31st. Until then, click through for the full press release or hit up the more coverage links below for an in-depth preview.
Show full PR text
VIA Announces New VIA QuadCore Processor

World's lowest power quad core x86 processor sets the new baseline standard for the next generation of mainstream PCs and notebooks

Taipei, Taiwan, 12 May, 2011 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the launch of the VIA QuadCore processor, the lowest power quad core processor on the market today.

Featuring a highly optimized, energy-efficient multi-core architecture, the VIA QuadCore processor delivers awesome multi-threaded performance across the board for multi-tasking, multimedia playback, productivity and internet browsing in a low power envelope. The distributed performance of the VIA QuadCore also makes it ideal for making the most of multi-display environments.

With a TDP (Thermal Design Power) of only 27.5 watts, the 1.2+ GHz VIA QuadCore processor is 21% more energy efficient than the nearest competitor and ideal for a wide range of desktop PC, notebook, small form factor PC, all-in-one PC, and mini-server system design applications.

"As a result of the rapid proliferation of high definition multimedia content and increasingly demanding multithreaded applications, a four core processor is the new baseline for today's mainstream PC user," said Epan Wu, Head of Processor Platforms, VIA Technologies, Inc. "The VIA QuadCore processor meets that need with the industry's most power efficient architecture."

VIA QuadCore Processor
VIA QuadCore processors combine four 'Isaiah' cores on two dies, offering enhanced multi-tasking and superb multimedia performance on a low power budget.

Initially available at a speed of 1.2+GHz, VIA QuadCore processors are natively 64-bit compatible and come with a host of additional performance features including Adaptive Overclocking, 4MB L2 cache, and the 1333MHz V4 Bus. TDP is 27.5 watts.

Other advanced features include VIA VT virtualization, a technology that allows legacy software and applications to be used in virtual scenarios without impacting on performance, and VIA PadLock with the Advanced Cryptography Engine which delivers the world's fastest AES encryption. This hardware-based security feature offers data encryption on the fly, an essential tool in content protection and system security.

VIA QuadCore processors are manufactured using the latest 40nm process, and feature a VIA NanoBGA2 package of 21mm x 21mm with a die size of 11mm x 6mm.

They are also fully pin-to-pin compatible with VIA Eden, VIA C7 and VIA Nano E-Series, and VIA Eden X2 processors.


Product Highlights
l Power-efficient architecture
l High-performance superscalar processing
l Out-of-order x86 architecture
l Efficient floating point unit (2 clock SP multiplies)
l Advanced multi-core processing
l Native support for 64-bit operating systems
l Hardware virtualization support
l Advanced power and thermal management
l AES hardware security features
l Secure Hash Algorithm: SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512
l Pin-to-pin compatibility with VIA processor range

VIA QuadCore processors will be on display at the VIA booth at Computex (Taipei International Convention Center, Room 201D) from May 31st to June 4th, and will begin volume shipments in Q3 2011.

Google and iRobot team up to put Android apps on Ava telepresence bot

Posted: 12 May 2011 12:10 AM PDT

iRobot Ave at Google I/O
Remember that Ava telepresence bot that we were gaga over at CES? Well Google has decided to lend iRobot a hand in getting the tablet-topped automaton rolling with some Android apps. The two companies have teamed up to create Ava specific programs that can be run from an Android slate perched on the extending neck of this silicon-brained companion. Apparently any 'ol tablet will do, so you'll still be able to play Angry Birds, but where's the fun in that? The exciting stuff will be apps that can communicate with the robot and pass it directions, meaning we need to figure out what our new, mechanical best friends should do for us. We've already got plenty of options for killing and beer serving -- how about one that folds our laundry? Oh, wait. Well, we'll think of something. While we ponder you check out Ava's cameo at Google I/O and the PR after the break.

Show full PR text
iRobot running Android applications to power its Ava™ mobile robotics platform

BEDFORD, Mass. – May 11, 2011 – iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT) announced
that it has teamed with Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) to create Android
applications for the iRobot Ava™ mobile robotics platform. These
applications are being demonstrated at the Google I/O Developer
Conference in San Francisco, Calif.

"Ava is the first app-ready robot," said Colin Angle, chairman and CEO
of iRobot. "By tapping into an almost limitless supply of
Android-based apps, Ava is poised to revolutionize how people
communicate and deliver information through remote presence and other
means. With the right ideas, Ava can also revolutionize how people
live both at home and in the workplace."

iRobot Ava is a breakthrough mobile robotics platform developed to
help robot designers, application developers and market innovation
specialists expedite the pursuit of practical, affordable mobile
robotic solutions. It is designed to work with a pad-based interface.

"We've been working with the Ava platform for the past several months
and are impressed with its capabilities," said Andy Rubin, SVP of
Mobile at Google. "We have seen incredible contributions from app
developers for Android devices over the past few years. Robotic
technologies like Ava represent an exciting next step for this
community."

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.3.3 Gingerbread update begins international rollout

Posted: 11 May 2011 11:20 PM PDT

Look, we know all this Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich talk can get you down original Galaxy Tab owners. Unfortunately, that's the risk of being an early adopter. Now chin up, Samsung has just started dribbling out the Gingerbread 2.3.3 update to Italian Tab owners. The update, when it arrives in your location, will be available in Kies as firmware/baseband version P1000XXJQ1/P1000XXJPZ. Those less patient can always jump into the forums of course, and take their chances with a manual download and install. We won't tell.

[Thanks, Greg]

Samsung's 64Gb toggle DDR 2.0 NAND flash memory with 400Mbps transfer rate hits production

Posted: 11 May 2011 10:49 PM PDT

Get ready for it speed freaks, Samsung's toggle Double Data Rate 2.0 MLC NAND chips are now in production -- an industry first. The 64 gigabit flash chips manufactured using 20nm processes boast an impressive 400Mbps transfer rate. That makes these toggle DDR 2.0 chips about three times faster than toggle DDR 1.0 (a 133Mbps interface) or ten times faster than the 40Mbps SDR NAND flash in widespread use today. Look for 'em in future teardowns of tablets, SSDs, and smartphones.
Show full PR text
Samsung Offers Industry's First 64-gigabit MLC NAND Flash, Using Toggle DDR 2.0 interface

SEOUL--(Korea Newswire) May 12, 2011 -- Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, today announced that it has started the industry's first production of a high-performance toggle DDR 2.0 multi-level-cell (MLC) memory chip. The new NAND flash chip features a 64 gigabit (Gb) density, made possible by using an advanced 20 nanometer (nm) class* process technology. The chip is designed to support the high-performance requirements of mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and solid state drives (SSDs).

Equipped with a toggle DDR (Double Data Rate) 2.0 interface, the new 64Gb MLC chip can transmit data at a bandwidth of up to 400 megabit per second (Mbps). This provides a 10-fold increase over the 40Mbps Single Data Rate (SDR) NAND flash memory in widespread use today, and a three-fold boost over 133Mbps toggle DDR 1.0, 32Gb NAND flash memory, which Samsung was first to produce in 2009.

"With this 20nm-class, 64Gb, toggle DDR 2.0 NAND, Samsung is leading the market, which is evolving to fourth-generation smartphones and SATA 6Gbps SSDs," said Wanhoon Hong, executive vice president, memory sales & marketing, Samsung Electronics. "We will continue to aggressively develop the world's most advanced toggle DDR NAND flash solutions with higher performance and density, since we see them as vital to enabling a greater diversity of services for mobile phone users worldwide."

The high-speed 400Mbps bandwidth of toggle DDR 2.0 is expected to better support the ongoing shift toward advanced interfaces, as more mobile and consumer electronics devices requiring added performance and higher densities adopt new interfaces such as USB 3.0 and SATA 6.0Gbps,

Further, the new 64Gb MLC NAND chip offers an approximate 50-percent increase in productivity over 20nm-class 32Gb MLC NAND chips with a toggle DDR 1.0 interface (which Samsung started producing in April last year) and more than doubles the productivity of 30nm-class 32Gb MLC NAND.

According to IHS iSuppli, the worldwide NAND flash memory market will continue to steadily grow from approximately 11 billion 1 Gigabyte (GB) equivalent unitsin 2010 to 94 billion 1GB equivalent units in 2015 with a CAGR of 54 percent. In addition, shipments of NAND flash memory with 64Gb or higher density are expected to account for approximately 70 percent of total NAND flash memory shipments in 2012, a huge increase from the three percent level in 2010.

ViewSonic 7x shrinks Honeycomb to 7 inches for the tiny handed

Posted: 11 May 2011 10:07 PM PDT

ViewSonic ViewPad 7x
Well, it looks like ViewSonic is finally digging its Android tablets out of the Froyo doldrums and, what's more, it may be first to market with a Honeycomb slate of the seven-inch variety. According to Pocket-lint, the company will debut the Tegra 2-powered ViewPad 7x at Computex later this month. The 7x will supposedly pack WiFi, HSPA+, and an HDMI port while weighing in at a svelte 0.84 pounds. Oh, and it's got a design on the back that is supposed to make it look "funky"... or something. There's no word on price but, it's rumored to hit shelves in June.

DIY robot is the brooding teenager you've always wanted to slap (video)

Posted: 11 May 2011 09:15 PM PDT

Is a robot really a robot if it refuses to act like a robot? That's the question we were asking ourselves after stumbling upon this DIY machine, which may have just seized the crown for World's Bitchiest Bot. Every time you flip the on switch, this little gremlin will partially emerge from its box to turn itself off with a vicious, whip-like gesture normally reserved for snooze buttons. Continue to rub it the wrong way and the petulant ingrate will eventually scurry away from you and start spinning around frantically, before completely withdrawing the switch and shutting itself off. After that, it'll probably spend a few hours sulking and listening to Elliott Smith in its room, but don't worry -- it's just a phase. Video after the break.

Lenovo's LePad going global with IdeaPad Tablet K1 moniker?

Posted: 11 May 2011 08:11 PM PDT

At last, here's a sign of Lenovo's Android tablet making its way out of the fertile land of China. While there's no direct mention in this FCC application, the speakers at the bottom suggest that this slate -- dubbed IdeaPad Tablet K1 and made by Compal -- is a variant of the China-only LePad as opposed to the shinier U1 Hybrid (which is more likely to be the Skylight slate, anyway). Also bear in mind that Lenovo's already confirmed a global June launch for the LePad, so the timing of this document is just right. Of course, the only question left is will we be seeing some Honeycomb love here instead of Froyo? And should we not bother with this hefty 10-incher and just wait for Lenovo's slimmer offering a few months later? We'll see what the price tag says.

Keepin' it real fake: a Nintendo DS Lite that gets it (mostly) DS right

Posted: 11 May 2011 07:59 PM PDT

The death of Nintendo's DS Lite getting you down? Good news: it may have long ago been eclipsed by the DSi and 3DS, but the svelte portable system is still being made -- by someone, somewhere. And you can get a pretty good price on the thing, if you don't mind a few flaws -- like the above bootleg picked up a 1UP editor who though he was getting the real deal from eBay. As soon as the thing arrived in a corrugated cardboard box with pixelated text, it was clear that he had been KIRFed -- hardcore. On top of the aforementioned packaging red flags, the portable has some minor cosmetic flaws, like discoloration, a pockmarked surface, and uneven rubber pads. What's really amazing about this DS, however, is what its manufacturers got right -- it plays DS and GBA games, including, fittingly, pirated titles. The police have reportedly called Wario in for questioning.

Samsung Series 5 Chrome OS laptop hands-on at Google I/O (update: video!)

Posted: 11 May 2011 06:52 PM PDT

We never had much doubt about what Samsung would be showcasing at tonight's finale event at Google I/O 2011, but now it's official -- the outfit's first-ever Chrome OS ultraportable is making its debut in San Francisco, and we've been fortunate enough to grab a bit of hands-on time. Slated to ship to consumers, businesses and educational institutions on June 15th, the 12.1-inch Series 5 is a strikingly svelte machine, and there's no doubt that holding a 0.79-inch rig gives us all kinds of chills. The company took a bit of time to play up its "Power Plus" battery technology, lasting up to 8.5 hours with "active use," or 5 hours of straight video. There's also a new hitch in the Verizon Wireless data deal -- 100MB will be tossed in each month on the 3G model, but contrary to what we'd heard earlier, that ends after two years (rather than lasting for the life of the product).

The hardware feels tremendous -- stiff, solid and well appointed, much like Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition. It outclasses the other sub-$450 netbooks we've seen in both style and rigidity, and while we'll always have a special place in our heart for the CR-48, it's pretty clear that this particular unit was in the oven for some while. We've hoping to spend some serious time with this guy in the middle of next month, but for now, here's what we can tell you -- the 1280 x 800 display is both crisp and sharp, with shockingly great viewing angles for a machine of this price. The keyboard's far from cramped, and if you've had your doubts on the 12.1-inch form factor, we're guessing one touch of this would have those running for cover. Oh, and the trackpad? One of the best we've felt in the PC universe, and one that we hope crops up elsewhere in the near future. It's right about on par with the one found on the CR-48 (post update), which is also stellar compared to most netbooks.

Obviously, we aren't here long enough to test the ultra-longevous battery (said to be good for over 1,000 cycles -- perfect for education and business users who are apt to adopt it), but we'll be sure to do our best once we settle down with a production unit. We're told that it'll be available in Titan Silver or Arctic White, provide a chiclet style keyboard, a multi-gesture trackpad (which supports two-finger scrolling) and "instant" wake from sleep.

Update: More impressions and video are after the break, and a head-to-head with a current-gen 11-inch MacBook Air is below!
Samsung Series 5 Chrome OS laptop hands-on

Samsung Series 5 Chrome OS laptop vs. 11-inch MacBook Air... fight!


We just went back for round two, and came away with a few other details. There's a 3.5mm headphone / mic combo jack, two USB 2.0 ports, a front-mounted SD card slot, a video out socket that requires a proprietary dongle to convert to anything useful, a dev mode switch (for jailbreaking, naturally), a full-size SIM card slot and a non-removable battery. That's apt to sadden CR-48 loyalists, but for whatever it's worth, sealed batteries are the new norm. There's a dedicated row of browser keys in place of the F-key lineup (Page Back, Page Forward, Refresh, New Window, Volume, Screen Brightness), and we're told that the hardware we're seeing here is "final." The only major knock is the LCD hinge -- the panel itself is on the heavy side, and tilting it too far forward resulted in an automatic closing of the lid. We doubt that'll cause too much heartache in practice, but at this point, we're scrambling to nitpick.

In use, the machine felt decidedly zippy, and it managed to handle three simultaneous windows filled with around ten panes apiece without any noticeable lag. We'll definitely need a more suitable test bed to tell for sure, but at least it's not lagging in the most ideal of circumstances.

Microsoft motion controller concept kicks sand in Kinect's puny face

Posted: 11 May 2011 06:29 PM PDT

Think your body's a temple? Turns out it's actually just the antenna the temple's staff uses to watch football when they're done praying. A group of engineers from Microsoft Research showcased a technology at Vancouver's Conference on Human Factors in Computing that offers gesture-based control on a scale that could make the company's Kinect controller downright laughable. The team demonstrated how it could harness the human body's reception of electromagnetic noise to create gesture-based computer interaction that does away with the need for a camera -- though a receiver is worn on the body (the neck, in this case). The system uses the unique signals given off in different parts of the home to help measure the interaction, effectively turning one's walls into giant control pads, which can regulate things like lighting and the thermostat. Hopefully games, too, because we can't wait to play Pac-Man with our bedrooms.

Danger co-founders reunite with Andy Rubin at Google to focus on Android hardware

Posted: 11 May 2011 05:34 PM PDT

In the year 2000, former Apple, WebTV and Philips employees Andy Rubin, Joe Britt, and Matt Hershenson founded a little company called Danger Incorporated, which you may know from such hits as the original Sidekick and a $500 million sale to Microsoft. One of those three co-founders, Andy Rubin, has since become a very public face at Google, and it turns out he's recently gotten back together with his former compatriots to do more than just reminisce about the old days. As Fortune reports, both Britt and Hershenson quietly joined Google "within the last twelve months" to run a new Android Hardware wing of the company. So far, much of their work has apparently focused on accessories and, while there's reportedly no plans for any actual Google-branded accessories anytime soon, Britt reportedly said that he would like to see the company produce some Android peripherals of its own "in the long term." Of course, Danger also produced its own software back in the day and, as you're probably aware, the key architect of it, Matias Duarte, is now at Google as well.

[Image: Entrepreneurship.org]

Google: 'no plans' for Chrome OS on tablets, any other form factors

Posted: 11 May 2011 04:57 PM PDT

Google's second (and final) day of I/O 2011 was all about Chrome, and unfortunately for those yearning for a Chrome OS tablet, it looks as if your dreams will remain unfulfilled. Sundar Pichai, Senior VP of Chrome, spoke candidly about the company's intentions during an executive Q&A session follow this morning's keynote, and he didn't bother to mince words:

"[Chrome OS] is a new experience we're working on. It's hardware agnostic in a sense. We are fully, 100 percent focused on laptops. Most of the web usage -- greater than 90 percent -- is on laptops. That's what we're working on today, and we have no other plans on any other form factors."

Any other form factors outside of the Chromebox, we're surmising. Goog's been pretty steadfast in its approach to Chrome OS; it's being marketed as a software + hardware package, with both working in lockstep to provide a (more or less) guaranteed user experience. To that end, the outfit's obviously not interested in cannibalizing any Android slate sales with the addition of Chrome OS, and while we're bummed in a way, the promise of Ice Cream Sandwich helps to numb the pain (a little). In related news, Sundar also addressed questions regarding the company's decision to rely on both Chrome OS and Android. When asked to "reconcile [Google's] two big strategic visions," he hit us with the following:

"There are a variety of experiences out there, and the web model is very different. We're comfortable seeing them coexist. Google Movies and YouTube have web versions -- when you use a Chromebook, you see how it's different, and they'll naturally coexist. These are very different models -- if we didn't do something like Chromebooks, I'm pretty sure someone else would."

That last line is most telling, and it begs the question: if not Google, then who? There's no question that companies are crowding the cloud bandwagon, but would Microsoft or Apple really have the desire to bust out a totally connected operating system? Makes you wonder if Chrome OS won a race that never actually began...

Editorial: Google clarifies Chromebook subscriptions, might have just changed the industry

Posted: 11 May 2011 04:22 PM PDT

Following Google's second I/O keynote, we were ushered into a room where a number of the company's executives were on hand to field questions from the press. Or in other terms, dodge bullets and tell us what we're probably not looking to hear. All jesting aside, the Chrome team was rather forthright during the session, and a number of details surrounding the outfit's (potentially game changing) subscription model were unearthed. Details on contract terms, what's included / not included and where the line is drawn between enterprise and consumer lie just after the break, along with our take on how this monumental announcement may or may not change the way we buy computers.

The subscription details
When we initially heard that enterprise users (read: companies) would be able to purchase Chromebooks for $28 per user as part of a monthly subscription scheme, we simultaneously heard the walls shake over at IBM and other solutions providers that charge two arms and part of a leg to provide provisioned machines to employees. Granted, a Chromebook isn't a full-scale Windows or OS X-based machine -- far from it -- but given just how often our work is shifting to the web, Chrome OS is becoming dangerously close to "good enough" for most. Chalk it up to serendipity if you must, but Chrome OS is becoming more and more relevant with each passing day, as we're dealt far fewer offline-only apps and far more cloud-reliant ones. But here's a vital detail that Google glossed over during the frenzy of the keynote: there's a contract attached.

This definitely shouldn't strike anyone as a surprise. There's no way Google's shooting out ~$400 machines for $28 per user without a guarantee that end users will be paying the bill for some time to come, and company execs clarified that both enterprise ($28+ / user) and education ($20+ / user) customers will be faced with a three-year contract should they choose to take advantage of the new pricing model. Three years is an awfully long time, particularly when you're dealing with a comparatively low-spec machine such as the ones announced from Acer and Samsung today (both of which will ship June 15th). But for businesses and educational institutions, is it good enough? Probably.


It's also worth noting that Google considered shorter contracts (with higher monthly fees), but it found during market research that most institutions never upgraded their machines before three years, anyway. Given that data, it just made sense to offer lower monthly rates and on a refresh cycle that fit nicely with what they found.

Let's take a look at the math before diving any deeper. An enterprise user will pay at least $28 to for 36 months, but that includes full warranty and replacement provisions, technical support and all of the updates that Google will provide along the way. Notably, this doesn't include Google Apps -- you'll need to pony up the standard rate for that as an add-on. At a glance, this "bargain" seems like an absurd one, much like subsidized 3G netbooks that faltered quickly after hitting the mainstream just over a year ago. But here's the difference: enterprise and education customers can count on a dramatic decrease in costs from a maintenance standpoint.

The value proposition
It's difficult to place a proper value on those aspects, but there's no question that entities will spend less time -- and in turn, less money -- applying patches, installing updates, cleaning out old files, and managing a daunting fleet of machines that are used abused day in and day out. With Chrome OS, a user would simply login at the start of one class, and log out at the end. Clean, simple, hassle-free. But that's just the start.

Enterprise and education users will receive access to a management console (to administrate their machines), a direct tech support line to folks at Google and a Google-backed warranty. In contrast, a consumer user will have to phone up the laptop manufacturer and rely on its warranty. It may be difficult for the average consumer to wrap their noodle around that proposition, but trust us -- that in and of itself will likely be worth the long-term price increase to institutions. Additionally, there is no need to purchase licenses for anti-virus, data encryption or data back-up software, all of which are huge thorns in the side of businesses.

Let's look at it another way: if you ran a school with thousands of students, would you rather pay $400 up-front per student for a machine that you'd need to continually maintain and troubleshoot, or pay around 2.5x as much over the course of three years for one that includes a direct help line? Amortizing costs goes a long way in a place where budgets matter.

Pricing details

Machine: Samsung Series 5 (WiFi) Samsung Series 5 (3G) Acer Chromebook (WiFi) Acer Chromebook (3G)
Consumer Price: $429 $499 $349 $TBD
Enterprise Price: $30 per user, per month $33 per user, per month $28 per user, per month $31 per user, per month
Education Price: $20 per user, per month ~$23 per user, per month $20 per user, per month ~$23 per user, per month
Minimum Quantity: 10 for Biz / Edu; no limits on consumer 10 for Biz / Edu; no limits on consumer 10 for Biz / Edu; no limits on consumer 10 for Biz / Edu; no limits on consumer
Contract: 3-year for Biz / Edu; none for consumer 3-year for Biz / Edu; none for consumer 3-year for Biz / Edu; none for consumer 3-year for Biz / Edu; none for consumer
Included Data: None 100MB monthly None 100MB monthly

Thanks to an Enterprise session here at I/O, we were able to learn quite a few details surrounding the dollars and cents of it all. For starters, enterprise and education users will need to purchase a minimum of ten Chromebooks to take advantage of the subscription rates. That should cover the vast majority of those interested in such a thing -- if you and your brother need two for your small business, you're currently out of luck. But we're guessing those fringe cases will be just that -- fringe.

Education customers will get $20 per user pricing with a three-year contract, while enterprise and business customers will pay $28 to $30 (Update: Google has since clarified that the Samsung model will cost $2 more) per user for the same period. We're told that purchasers can select the WiFi version of the Samsung Series 5 or the Acer Chromebook at that rate -- if you need 3G-enabled models with 100MB of gratis Verizon Wireless data throw in, that'll run you an extra $3 or so (an estimate provided to us here at I/O). As for overseas buyers? European carriers will hash out details in Spain, France, UK, Netherlands, Germany and Italy, but nothing's being revealed today. We're told that Google's still evaluating what makes the most sense in those nations.


Consumers, of course, will pay a flat rate, and will be looking to Acer or Samsung for warranty work and technical support. The Series 5 gets going at $429 for the WiFi model, while the 3G edition (which does indeed include 100MB of data from Verizon each month for the life of the product) will go for $499. Acer's Chromebook will cost $349 for the WiFi model, while the 3G variant will demand an undisclosed amount more.

If you're curious about any early termination fees, kudos for thinking proactively. Unfortunately, the news isn't good. In effect, there is no way to sneak out of your Chromebook contract early. According to Google, users who wish to terminate must "pay out the rest of their contract." In other words, you're paying for a 36 month lease -- the only question is whether or not you want Google's support or not along the way. Granted, we can't say we expected the company to be lenient in this area with so much on the line, but we'd probably recommend a solo Chromebook buy first to make absolutely sure this new OS suits your business needs.

Does Chrome OS have the chops?
You've heard it before, and you'll hear it again: Chrome OS isn't "a real operating system." There's no question that it's different; it's the first major OS to launch without the ability to install local, desktop-based applications. Particularly for businesses, this could be a major deal-breaker. To solve that issue, Google has partnered with Citrix to create a new build of Citrix Receiver, a piece of software that should leave its existing beta trials and hit the public universe this summer.

We saw a brief demo of the software used on a CR-48, and while the setup was obviously optimized, it worked shockingly well. A backend Windows server had a copy of Photoshop CS5 onboard, and the CR-48 was able to load it within a matter of seconds through Receiver. Not a light model -- we're talking about the full, bona fide version of Photoshop. Of course, you'll still need to manage a backend server in a scenario like this, but given that most businesses and schools already have something similar in place, it shouldn't be asking too much to pipe things in via Receiver. Unfortunately, mum's the word on price, and heaven only knows what kind of lag you'd see when applying filters to a 5MB image over 3G, but at least the possibilities are there.


Even Google confessed that Chromebooks won't work for everyone, and definitely not for every business. But the dead-simple management aspect should have a lot of CIOs turning their heads, particularly with this new wave of hardware. The CR-48 was never a speed demon, but Samsung and Acer's new offerings should be more than capable of handling Google Spreadsheets and the occasional slide deck. Our take? This new wave of hardware -- particularly when you consider the faraway Chromebox -- finally puts Chrome OS in a position to thrive, and the new pricing model finally makes it accessible to scaling businesses.

As Google rightly pointed out, you can lease computers now from pretty much any OEM in the industry, but you're on your own when it comes to software management. Or, of course, you can pony up well over $30 per user to hand that off, too.

Are subscriptions the future for Chrome OS?
I'll close with this. I had my doubts about Chrome OS' ability to truly grab hold in a market that isn't exactly prepared to rely solely on the cloud, but with Google's new efforts to enable offline support for vital applications -- as well as Citrix Receiver for times when desktop apps are needed -- my view is changing. It's sort of funny to think that Chrome OS may gain its traction within the enterprise first, but for companies desperate for simplicity in the IT room, today's pricing model instantly makes a ton of sense.


Beyond that, $349 for Acer's highly portable 11.6-inch Chromebook creates a tantalizing offer for everyday consumers -- folks like you and I. Netbook-level hardware has never handled Windows 7 with grace, and Google's gone out of its way to break Chrome OS down to a point where it runs swimmingly on low-cost hardware. The company's selling Chrome OS as a software + hardware combo; OEMs who are interested in shipping Chrome OS machines will have to abide by Google's stipulations, but it creates a better overall user experience, I can't find a good reason to kvetch.

I'm pretty well sold on the software aspect, but it's up to hardware manufacturers to really polish things off. Something tells me I'll learn a lot more on that end when Samsung's own event kicks off here in just a few hours.

Third Rail iPhone case has detachable battery, probably won't electrocute you

Posted: 11 May 2011 04:01 PM PDT

For humans, coming into contact with the third rail will likely void your personal lifetime warranty, but one accessory manufacturer hopes to apply a similar concept to your iPhone -- in much smaller doses, of course. For $90, the Third Rail System includes an iPhone 4 Slim Case, which always surrounds your device, and a 1250 mAh Smart Battery that you can slide into place whenever you need a boost. The removable batteries can charge other devices over micro USB, and can be stacked up to four deep for charging multiple gadgets at once (at $60 a pop). It's also designed to be compatible with future cases, negating the need to purchase another complete solution each time you upgrade your phone. We'd love to see a similar device that includes inductive charging as well, but for now, this is one of the most intuitive external battery solutions we've seen.
Show full PR text
New Third Rail System is the First Protective Case with Optional Slide-On Battery

Users can replace existing charging accessories with Third Rail Mobility's protective Slim Case and add-on Smart Battery

(Juno Beach, FL –May 11, 2011) – Third Rail Mobility (www.ThirdRailMobility.com), maker of power management accessories for Smartphone users, announces the Third Rail System – the last power solution consumers will ever need. By offering add-on battery power for your iPhone 4 when you need it and doubling as an external battery solution for other mobile devices, this innovative response to common battery life problems replaces existing charging accessories.

As with most consumers, the founders of Third Rail Mobility were frustrated by mobile devices losing power mid-day and having no solutions beyond bulky permanent power cases and cumbersome external chargers. An all-inclusive solution to fit everyone's needs, the resulting Third Rail System provides continuous protection and optional power when it's needed. The outcome is a complete power solution that replaces bulky power cases, external chargers and traditional protective cases.

"Manufacturers are developing amazing new mobile devices and applications, but have been unable to address the central issue of battery life," said Brian Lemelman, CEO of Third Rail Mobility. "Until now, there hasn't been a one-size-fits-all solution to protective cases and backup batteries. The Third Rail System changes that and is the first solution that has the potential to replace traditional power accessories for mobile users."

The Third Rail System

The Third Rail System is comprised of the world's thinnest power-ready protective case (Slim Case) and a universal, interchangeable, removable battery (Smart Battery). It is the first to provide several different usage modes in one simple system – functioning as a protective case, a power case, a portable external charger and a power hub for charging multiple devices at one time.

Slim Case by Third Rail

The Slim Case is the thinnest battery-enabled case on the market and is compatible with all iPhone 4 models. Unlike cases with built-in batteries, the Smart Battery slides onto the Slim Case for an easy charge and can be removed when power is not needed – letting consumers fully control their power and leaving them with a sleek, protective case when charging isn't needed. Third Rail's proprietary technology seamlessly delivers power to the Slim Case from the Smart Battery without any cords. Conveniently, the case itself never needs to be taken off for charging or syncing.

Smart Battery by Third Rail

The Smart Battery is a super-slim, 1.4-ounce rechargeable 1250 mAh lithium­ion battery that slides onto any Third Rail Slim Case. Through its micro-USB port, it can function as a stand-alone, universal charger for most other devices – making it simple to share the power.

Smart Batteries can be stacked together to create a power hub, letting you collectively charge all Smart Batteries – and any device plugged into them – with a single AC or PC adapter. Additionally, instead of taking partially charged Smart Batteries with you on the go, stacked Smart Batteries will automatically and seamlessly transfer power to create as many fully-charged batteries as possible. The Smart Battery also features a built-in LED battery level indicator to show remaining Smart Battery life and to designate which battery has the most power for immediate use.

Initially available for the iPhone 4, Third Rail Mobility will launch additional Third Rail Slim Cases for other Smartphone models later this year. All Smart Batteries are future-proof and will work on all Third Rail cases, helping consumers save money and reduce waste by eliminating the need to purchase new charging accessories or batteries with each new mobile phone purchase. This interchangeability makes it easy to share power amongst users. For example, families can have multiple Slim Cases and share a Smart Battery to use on their heavy use days.

Looking forward, you can expect to see additional devices from Third Rail and its partners that will incorporate Third Rail's proprietary technology.

Available at ThirdRailMobility.com, selected retailers and online stores, the Third Rail System retails for $89.99 while individual components are sold separately: $39.99 for the iPhone 4 Slim Case and $59.99 for an additional Smart Battery. For more information on the Third Rail System, please visit www.ThirdRailMobility.com.

Cornell's Ranger robot walks 40.5 miles on a single charge, doesn't even break a sweat (video)

Posted: 11 May 2011 03:12 PM PDT


A few years ago, engineers at Cornell were rejoicing when their Ranger robot set an unofficial world record by walking for 5.6 miles without stopping. Since then, the 22-pound bot has only built up its endurance, to the point where it can now chug along for a full 40.5 miles without a single battery recharge, or an ounce of human assistance. The Ranger pulled off the feat last week, when it completed nearly 308 laps around the university's Barton Hall running track, over the course of more than 30 hours. Engineers say that their bot's stamina has a lot to do with its energy efficiency. The Ranger runs on about 16 watts and uses them more sparingly than most of its mechanized brethren. It also saves juice by swinging its legs more liberally than most bipedal walkers, essentially allowing its limbs to fall freely before re-stabilizing itself. The robot's next challenge, apparently, will be to incorporate automatic steering into its gait, since walking in circles can get understandably dull, after a while. Gallop past the break for the full PR and a video of the Ranger's latest achievement.

Show full PR text
Cornell's Robotic Ranger Smashes World Record by Strolling 40.5 Miles – at a Fleet 1.3 Mph Pace

Newswise - ITHACA, N.Y. - Pulling an all-nighter and then some, the Cornell robot Ranger set a new world record May 2 by walking 40.5 miles on a single battery charge without stopping or human hand-holding.

Ranger, a bipedal robot built and programmed in Cornell's Biorobotics and Locomotion lab, led by Andy Ruina, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, started walking on Cornell's Barton Hall track on May 1 just after 2 p.m., and then came to an abrupt stop at on May 2 at 9 p.m., after 30 hours, 49 minutes and 2 seconds of nonstop walking. It covered the 307.75 laps (0.13 miles per lap) at a 1.3 mph amble.

To warm up for the feat, Ranger – donating a participation fee – walked 30 laps in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life charity event at Cornell University on April 30.

Ranger's previous record was 14.3 miles, set last July. Before that, Boston Dynamics' Bigdog, a four-legged, all-terrain robot, trotted 12.8 miles without refueling. The new Cornell goal was to have a robot walk a full marathon (26.2 miles) without recharge, which Ranger did in just over 20 hours – and then it kept going ... and going. In contrast, at the much-publicized world's first robot marathon in Osaka, Japan in February, robots were repeatedly recharged.

"We were getting pretty tired by the end," said Violeta Juarez Crow '12, an electrical engineering major who steered the robot for dozens of laps around the Barton track.

The overall goal of the National Science Foundation-funded research project is to understand walking by reinventing it, said Ruina.

Ranger has six small on-board computers executing about 10,000 lines of computer code. The programs run in a repeating loop every 1/500th of a second. The robot also has dozens of electrical and mechanical sensors. The electronics used 4.7 watts.

"It took a bit of effort to keep the computation, sensing and communication energy use low," said Jason Cortell, a research support specialist who designed most of the electronics on Ranger. "We hope to use what we have developed for more complex robots."

The robot's total weight is 22 pounds, of which 6 pounds are the lithium-ion batteries that power the electronics and the motors. One of these motors extends the outer ankles, another extends the inner ankles and a third swings the legs. A fourth smaller motor twists the inner legs for steering. The motors consume an additional 11.3 watts. At 16 watts total, the specific cost of transport (COT, energy per unit weight per unit distance) was a relatively stingy 0.28 joules per newton-meter. Most robots use much more energy (with a typical COT of 1.5 or more), Ruina said. Ranger still isn't as efficient as a typical human, who walks with a COT of about 0.2.

Ranger's present COT of 0.28 is less than its COT last summer of 0.49.

"We've improved the control in various ways since then," said Pranav Bhounsule, the graduate student in charge of the control system. "But I think we can still do better."

While most legged robots achieve stability by carefully controlling all of the joint angles in their bodies, Ranger achieves its low energy use by, as much as possible, letting the legs swing as they will, Ruina explained. Also, most bipedal robots stand on flat feet. Ranger can't stand upright at all; instead, it balances by falling and catching itself at each step. The trick is to make the catch at the right time and place.

Ruina said: "Our challenge is to lower the energy use while still maintaining balance. The achievement is to have gone 186,076 steps on 5 cents worth of electricity, and without falling down. ... If we try for another record, it will be with automatic steering."

NEC's VersaPro VK15V/TM-C looks like a tablet, runs like a netbook

Posted: 11 May 2011 02:36 PM PDT

If you've been looking in vain for the right Windows tablet, you might want to have a gander at NEC's VersaPro VK15V/TM-C, a pad that looks like the slate it is, but packs some netbook-like specs -- namely, a 1.5GHz Intel Atom Z670 processor, Win 7 Professional, 2GB of RAM, HDMI-out, and an SDHC slot. And while it's 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) display is par for the course among Windows tablets, its 64GB SSD storage bests some other slabs on the market. No word on price -- or how much battery life that Oak Trail CPU promises -- but it's expected to go on sale in Japan this summer.

Google TV shows off new Honeycomb UI, plans for Market, SDK; opens up remote app source code (video)

Posted: 11 May 2011 01:58 PM PDT

Google I/O is still ongoing and at the session for teaching developers how to build Android apps for Google TV the team has just shown off a quick peek of the new Honeycomb-based UI that will be released later this year. Shown above you can quickly compare it to the original UI to see how different, and hopefully improved it is. The new icon layout should make getting back to live TV a simpler process, while there's also that large space above for widgets and support for notifications. Developers will be able to run their ADBs on devices later this summer, but prior to that it will have a "Fishtank" program for some devs to take home their internal test units to run apps on now -- no hardware modification necessary.

The team also just announced that the source code to the existing Google TV remote app for Android is being open sourced, so anyone who thinks they can do better (it wouldn't be difficult) can have a crack at building their own. Also available is code for the Anymote Protocol it runs on so developers can make tablet or phone apps that integrate with and control the Google TV -- both are linked below. Other features mentioned included support for 3D, and game controllers using Android 3.1's expanded USB compatibility. There were no product announcements before the session ended, and no word on the rumored and expected ARM base for new products, but the project manager confirmed new product announcements "later this year." Google TV will need new product announcements if it's going to receive a boost over other smart TV technology, but the potential of the market and availability of open source code is still providing a tantalizing vision of the promise it's failed to capitalize on so far.

Update: The entire presentation is now available on YouTube, check it out after the break as well as an earlier Bootcamp presentation on the same subject.

Google TV - How to build Android Apps session

Industrial robots do Star Wars better than Lucas

Posted: 11 May 2011 01:41 PM PDT

Yasakawa robots perform lightsaber duel
At the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Shanghai, industrial robot company Yasakawa equipped a couple of its manufacturing machines with lightsabers and choreographed a violent ballet for them to perform. The resulting battle is more exhilarating than the duel at the end of Phantom Menace and the performances are less lifeless than those in Attack of the Clones. Best of all -- Lucas can't add 30 minutes of new CGI scenes and re-release the video below in 3D.

Nokia N9 hits the FCC, packs more bands than a rubber tree

Posted: 11 May 2011 01:09 PM PDT

Last we heard, the Nokia N9 rode Stephen Elop's burning platform into the sunset, never to be seen again. Today, there's a FCC filing that begs to differ. Wireless Goodness spotted that RM-680 in the always-helpful government database, where it claims support for six cellular frequencies as well as Bluetooth and 2.4GHz 802.11 b/g/n WiFi -- enough to appear on most any GSM carrier, to say nothing of AT&T and T-Mobile. Will the MeeGo-packing QWERTY-sliding hardware that Eldar Murtazin called "near perfect" appear in the US or Canada one day? We don't think it's terribly likely, but if it comes with a dash of Windows Phone 7 on board, we can't promise not to jump for joy. See the full list of bands after the break.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 leaked, expected to launch tomorrow

Posted: 11 May 2011 12:41 PM PDT

Panasonic is rumored to be launching the Lumix DMC-G3 tomorrow, the update to its Micro Four Thirds G2. According to 43 Rumors, the new cam will be 25 percent smaller than its predecessor, and will include a 15.8 megapixel sensor and a 3-inch articulating LCD. Overall, the camera appears to have a very similar form factor to the G2, but scraps the left dial, presumably shifting those controls to the touch-enabled display. The site lists the launch rumor at its highest accuracy level (think DHS threat levels, but for camera rumors), so they're pretty sure we'll have all the details come tomorrow morning.
at 11:47 AM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

My Blog List