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Friday, May 13, 2011

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The Engadget Show returns Friday, May 27th -- win a ticket to the taping!

Posted: 13 May 2011 11:00 AM PDT

After a month-long slumber, the Engadget Show is back! We're taping in two weeks, on Friday, May 27th at 6:00pm! Editor-in-chief Tim Stevens will be joined by special guests Justin McElroy and Chris Grant from our sister publication Joystiq, who will be getting us pumped up for E3. We'll also be talking net neutrality, taking a look at the crowd-surfing QWOP Bear, and getting some hands-on time with Babycastle's indie video game cabinets. Oh and there'll be a special music performance by Narwhals of Sound, plus giveaways and other surprises! Frankly, it may be too much fun for a single show.

The Engadget Show is sponsored by Sprint and will take place in our new, more intimate NYC studio, so if you want to get in, you'll need to win a ticket in advance. But don't worry, if you can't get there in person we'll have a download up soon after taping.

Sprint is also offering guaranteed tickets to The Engadget Show taping to the first 50 entrants who text "ENGADGET" to 467467 or enter online! Standard text messaging rates apply. Click for the Official Rules and see how to enter online.

If you live outside of the tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT), you can enter online for a chance to win a trip for two to New York City to attend The Engadget Show. Standard text messaging rates apply. Click here to enter.

Here's all the details if you win a ticket:
  • The event is all ages
  • We'll open doors and begin seating at 5:15pm on May 27th, and the taping begins at 6:00PM. We'll be closing the doors at 5:50PM.
  • Please bring a photo ID with you to claim your ticket
  • The show length is around an hour
If you're a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we'll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com.

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Engadget Podcast 239 - 05.13.2011

Posted: 13 May 2011 10:30 AM PDT

Engadget Podcast
Do y'all like Google stuff? If you don't, do you really hate Google stuff? Either way, good. We've got you covered. We'll give you more reasons to gLove them or gHate them, because we've got almost a full hour of chatter about all the stuff they did this week: apps, upgrades, hardware, and a good old-fashioned smear campaign directed against them. There's also some good news in the virtual hugging and kissing space, which we think you'll find hard to hate. It's your time to shine: click on that link.

Host: Tim Stevens
Guests: Myriam Joire, Brian Heater
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: You Give Love a Bad Name

00:00:55 - Netflix releases Android app for select HTC phones, Samsung Nexus S
00:09:00 - Facebook admits hiring PR firm to smear Google
00:12:21 - Microsoft's acquisition of Skype for $8.5 billion becomes official
00:17:49 - Google Music Beta walkthrough: what it is and how it works (video)
00:21:00 - Google Music Beta versus the titans of the streaming music space: a chart
00:24:00 - Editorial: Engadget on Google Music and Movies for Android
00:27:00 - What stalled negotiations between Google and the music industry? (Hint: money)
00:31:05 - Google adding Netflix, Hulu support, offline Gmail, Calendar and Docs to Chrome OS this summer, prices hardware at $20 per month
00:36:48 - Official: Samsung reveals Chrome OS laptop -- the Series 5
00:38:05 - Google unveils Acer Chromebook: $349, 11.6-inches with 6.5-hour battery
00:40:42 - Editorial: Google clarifies Chromebook subscriptions, might have just changed the industry
00:46:41 - Google announces Android 3.1, available on Verizon Xoom today
00:49:50 - Motorola Xoom WiFi to get Android 3.1 update within the 'next several weeks' (update: now)
00:50:03 - Google TV getting Android 3.1 and Market this summer; Sony, Vizio, Samsung and Logitech onboard
00:50:25 - Google Ice Cream Sandwich coming in Q4 2011 to smartphones and tablets alike
00:52:13 - Google announces Android@Home framework for home automation
00:54:00 - Editorial: Android@Home is the best worst thing that could happen to home automation
00:56:00 - Lighting Science demos Android @ Home bulbs, promises dead-simple home automation (hands-on)
00:58:09 - Apple iMac (spring 2011) review
01:01:02 - Nintendo launching 3DS eShop on June 7, sharing some E3 love with everyone
01:02:43 - Microsoft's next major release of Windows Phone will be previewed on May 24th, and we'll be there live!
01:03:03 - Purported seventh-gen iPod nano spotted, complete with 1.3 megapixel camera
01:04:04 - Tactile kiss transmission device finally makes it okay to smooch your computer (video)
01:05:55 - Listener questions

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Robotic wheelchair uses 3D imaging to 'see' for visually impaired drivers

Posted: 13 May 2011 10:11 AM PDT

You may not be able to control it with your mind, but this robotic wheelchair from Sweden's Luleå University of Technology can still offer something that only a few others can -- "sight." The chair uses a laser sensor to generate a 3D map of its surroundings, which is then transferred to an on-board haptic robot, allowing the bot to pick up on and navigate its way around any obstacles. A visually impaired student already took the contraption out for a spin and said he felt "safe" while traveling through crowded corridors, comparing the experience to "using a white cane." Luleå's engineers, however, still have some fine tuning to do. The laser, for instance, can only recognize objects at a specific height, while ignoring everything above or below its field of vision. Researchers are also busy developing a new 3D camera for the chair and are hoping to have it ready for commercial use within the next five years. There's a full PR waiting for you after the break.
Show full PR text
Successful first test drive of "sighted" wheelchair

Research on an electric wheelchair that can sense it´s environment and transmit information to a person who is visually impaired, has been tested at Luleå University of Technology. Daniel Innala Ahlmark, a prospective graduate student in the research project, and himself visually impaired, dared to make the first public test

The wheelchair has a joystick for steering and a haptic robot that acts as a virtual white cane. With the help of a laser scanner a simplified 3D map is created of the wheelchair surroundings. The laser scanner uses Time-of-flight technique. The 3D map is transferred to the haptic robot so that a visually impaired wheelchair driver can "feel or see" obstacles such as open doors or oncoming people, and navigate past them.

The "sighted" wheelchair has been developed by Kalevi Hyyppä, a professor at Luleå University of Technology and his research team at the LTU division EISLAB. The other members of the research team are prospective Ph.D. student Daniel Innala Ahlmark, assistant professor Håkan Fredriksson and Ph.D. student Fredrik Broström.

- This may be important aids for the visually impaired who are wheelchair users. Many have already been in touch with me and asked if they can come for a test drive, says Kalevi Hyyppä.

The first test of the "sighted" wheelchair for an audience was carried out in one of the corridors of the Department of Computer Science, Electrical- and Space Engineering at Luleå University of Technology.

There are several classrooms in the corridor, which means that students often pass there. For those who are visually impaired or blind, it is quite a changing environment to move in. Daniel Innala Ahlmark, who is visually impaired, dared to test the wheelchair while explaining how he experienced it - and he did so before the entire local and even national media in Sweden.

- I feel safe when I run it, it is like using a white cane, he said as he avoided various obstacles along the corridor.

There is much left when it comes to improving the 3D sensor and the haptic robot. The laser beam that sweeps in front of the wheelchair hits only objects which are a certain height. It has not the capacity to see things that are higher or lower than that height. Now the research team plan to develop a 3D camera that can do a full 3D measurement. Then the sighted wheelchair can be manufactured and used for real. This might be possible in approximately five years.

Research on the sighted wheelchair has been made with funding from the European Regional Structural Fund Northern Sweden.

Barnes and Noble's Nook Android app now supports magazines, tablets, your Cosmo obsession

Posted: 13 May 2011 09:47 AM PDT

Barnes and Noble's Nook app for Android just got a bit more bathroom-friendly. Yesterday, the company unveiled an update that supports magazines on devices running Android 2.1 or higher, allowing users to subscribe to publications and download single issues directly from their tablets. Once you update, you'll notice a new magazines section in the app's shop, where you can purchase, download and read to your heart's desire. The update also patches up a few bugs for HTC Thunderbolt, adds support for tablet users on Honeycomb and should help tide us over until later this month, when B&N may or may not announce something even bigger. Full PR after the break.
Show full PR text
Barnes & Noble Updates NOOK™ for Android™ App, Gives Tablet Users Access to Largest Digital Periodical Offering on Android

More than 140 NOOK Newsstand™ Titles Including Interactive Magazines with Exclusive ArticleView™ Now Available to Android Tablet Customers

Optimized Reading Experience for Most 7-Inch and Larger Tablets Including Honeycomb

Free App Now Available in Android Market, V CAST Apps, Samsung Apps, GetJar, and AppsLib

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world's largest bookseller, today announced an updated version of its popular, free NOOK for Android eReading application that brings the most comprehensive selection of digital periodicals to customers with Android™ tablets including more than 140 top magazine and newspaper brands from ESPN The Magazine and The Economist to Food & Wine and Us Weekly. To take advantage of large and extra large, high-resolution Android tablet screens, NOOK for Android now offers customers an optimized library grid view and reading experience with enhanced book margins and line spacing, as well as an improved shopping experience and more. The new app features are available for popular 7-inch and larger tablets using Android OS 2.1 and higher (Honeycomb).

Today's announcement marks the largest digital newsstand offering for Android tablet customers to date, with more than 140 of the best daily, weekly and monthly periodicals, all optimized for high-resolution displays in rich color. Barnes & Noble's interactive NOOK Magazine™ experience, previously available only to NOOK Color™ Reader's Tablet™ customers, is now available to the Android tablet community, featuring more than 120 popular titles such as Esquire, Maxim, Men's Health, Rolling Stone, Newsweek, Popular Science, PC Magazine, Elle, O, The Oprah Magazine, Travel + Leisure and many more. NOOK for Android customers with large tablets can also enjoy favorite NOOK Newspapers™ including USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post and The Chicago Tribune. All can be enjoyed with a 14-day free trial, via subscription or purchased in single issue form.

With NOOK for Android on larger tablets, magazine reading is easy and engaging with full-color pages in landscape and portrait mode, and Barnes & Noble's exclusive ArticleView technology (formerly available only on NOOK Color) which features only the article's text, customized to the reader's favorite style, on a central panel on the display. NOOK Magazines also feature a universal, easy-to-use reading experience with a slider to jump to the desired page, pinch and zoom to enlarge images and more.

"With our free, updated NOOK for Android application, we're delivering customers with Android tablets a great optimized reading experience and access to the largest ever collection of interactive magazines, as well as top newspapers, all optimized for high-resolution displays," said Jamie Iannone, President of Digital Products at Barnes & Noble. "Using their Android tablets, customers can enjoy our collection of more than two million digital books, as well as their morning paper and latest magazines, delivered right to their device through their NOOK for Android app, for an amazing periodical experience which includes our innovative ArticleView feature."

NOOK Newsstand and the optimized book reading experience on NOOK for Android will be available for customers using 7-inch and larger Android OS 2.1 and higher (Honeycomb) tablets with 800 x 480 (160 DPI or less) or higher screen resolution, and include Samsung Galaxy Tab™, Motorola XOOM™, LG G-Slate™ and ARCHOS internet tablets, among others. NOOK for Android customers on smartphones will also enjoy minor performance enhancements.

NOOK for Android gives customers with Android smartphones and tablets access to Barnes & Noble's expansive NOOK Bookstore™, one of the world's largest digital content catalogs, with the most NOOK Books™ priced at $9.99 or less. As part of Barnes & Noble's promise to "Read What You Love, Anywhere You Like™," customers can enjoy NOOK Books from their Barnes & Noble digital library on their NOOK Color, NOOK eReader devices and mobile and computing devices using free NOOK eReading software or apps.

Expanded App Availability

To make it easy for Android smartphone and tablet customers to find and download the free NOOK for Android app, Barnes & Noble has expanded availability for the free app to include Android Market, V CAST Apps from Verizon Wireless, Samsung Apps, GetJar, and AppsLib, with more to come. NOOK for Android will also be pre-loaded or made available in future firmware upgrades for some of the current leading and highly anticipated Android tablets coming to market. Customers can learn more about NOOK for Android v2.6.1 at www.bn.com/nookforandroid.

HP Veer 4G review

Posted: 13 May 2011 09:00 AM PDT

HP's Jon Rubenstein told us that his company wanted to veer in a new direction, and veer it surely did -- the HP Veer 4G will arguably be the smallest fully-functional smartphone on the market when it goes on sale May 15th. In a nutshell, it's a Palm Pixi Plus in the guise of a Pre, only in a delightfully downsized package with webOS 2.1 and thoroughly modern functionality. What does it feel like to Just Type on its tiny keyboard or throw app cards across its itsy-bitsy 2.6-inch screen? How is it as a pocketable HSPA+ hotspot, and will that extra G decimate its miniscule 910mAh battery? These are the questions that drove us when playing with the Veer 4G this week, and you'll find the answers shortly after the break.
HP Veer 4G unboxing and hands-on


Design

When first we saw the HP Veer, it was a miniature Pre 2 in most every appreciable way -- deep black coatings, soft-touch plastics and buttons in all the same places. AT&T's new white version, however, looks and feels like a jumbo chicken egg. It's still cute as a button and that hinge still slides shut with a superbly satisfying snap, but the ultra thin, lightly textured white plastic shell is a little bit creaky and cheap. (Note: the soft-touch black model will also be available.) We found it a little uncomfortable to hold flat against our palms for this very reason, actually, but the fingertip grip is risky too -- like the aforementioned egg, the Veer is relatively easy to drop, and we don't suspect that Humpty will take kindly to many falls. At the same time, we're not at all worried about the screen -- it's covered with a nice big piece of curved Gorilla Glass, and it takes a substantial, weighty press between thumb and forefinger to make any kind of impression on the liquid crystals underneath. There's a little speaker on top, and Palm's gesture area (with LED landing strip indicator) on the bottom.

Circling the phone's edge clockwise, you'll find the volume lock and power button flanking the top right corner -- both solid, metallic, and easy to find and actuate by touch alone, and three-quarters of the way up the right edge, there is Palm's proprietary magnetic charge / sync port. This requires a special USB cable to use, unfortunately, though you do get that fancy MagSafe effect, and the port does double duty by hosting the included headphone adapter -- because there's no dedicated 3.5mm headphone jack. It's a chore to carry around an easily misplaced little nicknack like the adapter, but it does work here, and the magnets are strong enough to hold up the Veer by your headphone cables (not that we recommend anything of the sort). It's also a little annoying the way the software pauses your music whenever you connect or disconnect the adapter since it seems wholly arbitrary -- when you attach it, the phone rapidly transfers from speaker to headphones, then puts a sudden halt to the tune three seconds later. There's nothing on the phone's bottom edge, but you'll find a well-built silvery volume rocker on the left side, a lanyard loop at the upper-left-hand corner, and a five megapixel EDoF camera and speaker around back.

Slide open that slick little hinge with your thumb and it'll snap into place before long, revealing a tiny backlit QWERTY keyboard with roots buried deep in the genealogy of Palm. The Treo 600 all but finalized the layout in 2003, the curved rows arrived with the Treo 650 in 2004, and 2007's Palm Centro ushered in the transparent, jelly-like buttons that the Pre and Pixi are now famous for. In short, you'll be right at home here if you're a Palm junkie, but if not, learning could be a chore. The keys are small and set quite close together, which makes it easy to press more than one at once, and unlike the portrait keyboards on most BlackBerrys, there's barely room for two thumbs. That said, the small size and low weight makes the Veer fairly well suited for single-handed text entry, and it makes sense if your missives are short -- flick open the phone, respond and deftly flick it closed, all with a single thumb. The challenge is keeping a firm grip on the keyboard end of the tiny device while doing so, to avoid flicking it onto the floor.

Small definitely has its advantages, though. There's something to be said for dropping a phone in a pants pocket and barely feeling a bulge.

Display / audio / connectivity

The miniature design is hit and miss, and we could say the same about other hardware characteristics too -- the Veer's screen, for instance, gets bright enough to occasionally use outdoors, but the colors wash out a tad when angled, and while apps and UI elements designed to run natively at the Pixi-matching 320 x 400 resolution looked crisp, zoomed-out websites, card stacks and a few games (particularly Angry Birds) showed loads of jagged edges. The actual capacitive digitizer is responsive to a fault, which makes tossing around cards a breeze, but we found that we could accidentally trigger a variety of actions with stray fingertips, if we didn't make sure to grip the tiny device well away from the screen.

The Veer's speaker is as small as you'd expect, at least judging from the grille around back, but we were actually pleasantly surprised with its capabilities. It's not suited for serious listening or a portable party, but it handles the occasional tune quite nicely -- you can fit a little over 6GB of them here -- and it's plenty loud, just the opposite of the Palm Pixi. Good stuff.

Call quality and reception were fairly average for AT&T in San Francisco, with a few interesting quirks -- despite its size, the Veer has a pair of mics for active noise cancellation, and they work moderately well, drowning out light car engine noise, and a variety of background disturbances. Likely because of its size, however, those mics don't drown out one important distraction when the Veer is closed: since the speaker and mic are so close together when the keyboard isn't extended, we found the person on the other end of the line could sometimes hear themselves. Data speeds were fairly reasonable though -- we averaged around 2Mbps downloads and 1Mbps uploads with three bars of service, and topped out at 5Mbps down in a particularly generous (and rare) five-bar coverage zone. We wouldn't be terribly comfortable calling those 4G, but they are in line with what we've seen from the Atrix and Infuse in the same zones, and whether on our handset or a laptop (via the Veer's mobile hotspot) it made for quick page loads. We also didn't have much trouble getting a GPS lock.


Camera

We've said our piece on EDoF (Extended Depth of Field) smartphone cameras, and the 5 megapixel imager in the Veer is definitely one of them -- in short, everything's in focus, everything looks practically flat as a pancake, and you can't take macro shots, just like with the Pre and Pre 2. Not only that, the sensor isn't terribly good -- it snaps passable pictures in daylight, though the exposure compensation is pretty aggressive and makes it difficult to take well-lit shots, and in darker environs, well... it's grainy as all get-out.
HP Veer sample shots



Videos are just plain terrible.

We kind of wish the Veer had a nice hardware camera button for single-handed photos of opportunity -- responsiveness aside, it's one of the few things we liked about the similarly-sized Kin One -- as the software button and keyboard shortcuts aren't terribly convenient for a single hand, and can jar the camera when you press down. But who are we kidding here? There's no excuse for a social phone without a good camera to begin with. Why not trade a couple of those megapixels for a better sensor, HP? The Sidekick 4G retails for the same $100 price on contract, but comes with a wonderful little 3 megapixel autofocus module.

webOS and performance

Of course, the Veer is more than just a tiny phone -- it represents the first real push for webOS 2.0. We dedicated over 2,000 words last year to how intuitive and functional the operating system is, and we won't repeat all of them here, but suffice it to say that the Veer blazes because everything you can do is simply a swipe or two away.
HP Veer 4G software (webOS 2.1)

If you're unfamiliar with webOS, it works a little something like this: every app and settings page is represented by a virtual playing card, and your phone is the deck. Swipe open the app drawer and select an app, and it will launch in a little card-shaped window. Swipe down to make it appear full screen, swipe up to minimize again. Add another, and the second will appear as another card next to it -- instant, intuitive multitasking. Repeat as many times as you'd like (we had 48 cards open at once and apps still worked fine, though they took additional time to load), then swipe them all the way up to the top of the screen, one by one, to deal them into the ether and free up system resources.

Say you've got related tasks -- perhaps you're planning a date? Stack your Yelp restaurant recommendation card, Google Maps location card, and your date's contact information card in a miniature "hand" -- and when your date texts you that they'll be late, you can swipe up the unobtrusive notification that appears in the lower-right-hand corner to view it, swipe it aside to dismiss it (or tap to reply) and continue with your plans. Slide out that keyboard on the homescreen and press a single key, and Palm's Just Type universal search engine will compare your entry against your contacts, email and a host of custom search engines quite rapidly, and slide further down the screen and you'll find buttons to immediately make your text input into a new memo, email, task, SMS, calendar event or social network status. Oh, and copy / paste shortcuts don't require any long presses here, just one finger on the gesture area and a tap of the appropriate letter.

What's astounding is that -- except for some occasional hiccups and apps that take a moment to load -- all of this happens as quickly as your finger moves. That's how seamless this UI is, and it makes the mini Veer look mighty powerful. Truth be told, there is some potent silicon underneath -- the same 800MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM7230 you'll find in the likes of the T-Mobile G2 -- and 512MB of RAM, but we've used "faster" Android devices that didn't feel nearly this fluid.

In fact, we almost wonder if the MSM7230 might be overkill here, at least without some additional throttling when it's not under load -- we enjoyed its power in a variety of apps, but it can suck down battery juice. You'll want to charge the battery nightly just as you would for most larger smartphones.

Just because everything you can do is speedy doesn't mean everything you want to do is there. The Veer comes with a fairly decent set of the basic necessities that make a smartphone smart, and it can get Google Maps, Facebook, YouTube, Pandora, Evernote, Yelp, a couple of emulators and Twitter clients, the aforementioned Angry Birds and our own Engadget app. Generally speaking, however, the webOS App Catalog is downright sparse and you don't even get the full enchilada here, as not all webOS apps are compatible with the Veer. We found we could scroll through entire categories of apps without finding things that caught our eye, and it was usually just a couple of minutes before we reached the bottom of a list, often no richer for the experience. Our Google calendar, contacts and Gmail were easily added, and while push email worked great -- after we found the manual switch to have it update in real time -- conversations still aren't threaded, which can really make reading a chore. Oh, and... not that there'd be any room for it here... there's still no software keyboard.

Wrap-up

What are you looking for in a smartphone? Is it a tiny handset that turns heads? The Veer is no Zoolander phone, but it'll fill the bill if fashion is your prerogative (especially the black one) and do far more than that one-inch StarTAC. If you're looking for a capable multimedia or productivity device, you can probably tell this isn't the one -- the Veer's scaled-down screen and keyboard aren't well suited for browsing the web or interfacing with mobile software for long durations. No, the Veer is a quick, at-a-glance reference handset for keeping tabs on your world, and at present, it appeals to a user who knows what they want before they whip out their phone.

The streamlined, swipe-based nature of webOS is what makes the Veer's tiny screen and keyboard actually somewhat viable, as while you may only be able to see a little piece of a webpage or a few status updates at a time, webOS cuts out enough of the scut work between point A and B for you to get where you're going. The question is -- with a $100 on-contract price -- whether you'd really want to purchase a Veer when the larger, faster, more capable Pre 2 can easily be found on Verizon for less money.

There is one more use case where the Veer makes sense, and that's with an HP TouchPad tablet alongside. Then, HP likes to imagine, you'd have your large screen for serious work, your small screen for portability, Touch to Share for a rudimentary take on the Continuous Client, and the Veer's HSPA+ hotspot serving up speedy WiFi. Everything in perfect harmony, right? It's definitely a compelling idea, and one we plan to test when the TouchPad actually comes out, but for now the Veer is a single tiny smartphone charging the Apple / Google beachhead... albeit one modestly well-armed.
Myriam Joire contributed to this report.

LimeWire reaches $105 million settlement with record labels

Posted: 13 May 2011 08:37 AM PDT

It's been a long, slow demise for the once mighty file sharing service, but LimeWire has now taken one last big step towards being a footnote in internet history. The company reached an out of court settlement with the major record labels yesterday, which will see it and its founder, Mark Gorton, fork over $105 million to finally put an end to its longstanding dispute with the RIAA. In a statement, the RIAA said that the settlement was "another milestone in the continuing evolution of online music to a legitimate marketplace that appropriately rewards creators," while LimeWire's attorney said simply that he was "pleased that this case has concluded." You'll note, of course, that the RIAA said "another" milestone -- it's obviously still hoping for plenty more settlements or legal victories where this one came from.

Droid Charge to finally light up on Verizon Wireless tomorrow (update: official!)

Posted: 13 May 2011 08:09 AM PDT

Our testing of the Droid Charge got off to a bit of a rough start thanks to Verizon's wee tiny LTE outage that just so happened to hit at the same time as the phone. Thanks (at least in part) to that, the official launch of the device was delayed, and while we still don't have confirmation of why or just how long the delay was supposed to be, we do have multiple tips from multiple lovely readers in multiple positions at Verizon telling us the phone will be properly hitting stores on the 14th. We're working on official confirmation but, for now, it sure looks like tomorrow you'll be able to mosey on over to your local VZW outlet and get yourself $299 worth of LTE and OLED.

Update: We just got official confirmation from Verizon that the phone will be available tomorrow in-store and online tonight! Details in the PR below.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Show full PR text
VERIZON WIRELESS UNLEASHES DROID CHARGE BY SAMSUNG

DROID Charge Joins Verizon Wireless' Android Family

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Verizon Wireless and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) today announced that the DROID Charge by Samsung will be available for purchase in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com.
The DROID Charge is designed with Samsung's 4.3-inch Super AMOLED™ Plus display, setting a new touchscreen standard for brightness, clarity and outdoor visibility. The DROID Charge is equipped with both a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera with LED flash and front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for both stills and video chatting. The smartphone's 1 GHz application processor and HTML 5 Web browser maximizes high-speed 4G LTE connectivity for faster downloads and graphics processing.
Additional features:
• 4G LTE – Customers can expect download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G Mobile Broadband coverage area
• Android 2.2 platform – Support for Google Mobile Services including Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Talk, Google Search, Google Maps and access to more than 200,000 apps available to download from Android Market™
• Adobe® Flash® Player compatible
• Mobile Hotspot capability – Share 4G connection with up to 10 Wi-Fi-enabled devices or a 3G connection with up to 5 devices
• Samsung Media Hub – Samsung's own content service, offering a vast lineup of critically acclaimed films and TV programs for rent or purchase
• Virtual QWERTY keyboard featuring Swype technology

Pricing and data plans:
• The DROID Charge by Samsung will be available for $299.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.
• DROID Charge customers will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan and a 4G LTE data package. Nationwide Talk plans begin at $39.99 monthly access. Unlimited 4G LTE data packages start at $29.99 monthly access. Mobile Hotspot feature will be included for a limited time at no additional charge.


For more information about the DROID Charge by Samsung, visit www.droiddoes.com/charge. For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

Apple patent application shows keyboard that doesn't require contact, blows air

Posted: 13 May 2011 07:51 AM PDT

We've been generally satisfied with the chiclet-style keyboards that have become omnipresent in laptops and Apple's latest generation of desktop keyboards, but Cupertino feels that these thinner, lower-profile input devices limit tactile feedback. A patent application from Apple, filed in 2009 but only now revealed, aims to improve the user experience by "expelling air from the input device proximate the key when user selection is imminent." That's right -- your keyboard could blow on your fingertips as you blow our minds in the comments. Another solution in the patent would function like a vacuum to pull keys away when a proximity sensor detects that you're about to type, providing simulated feedback. If this concept takes off in the future, your next MacBook Air could really live up to its name.

Ring Mouse available for $70, just in time for your nerd wedding proposal

Posted: 13 May 2011 07:23 AM PDT

Sure, Ring Mouse sounds like something you might catch from an out-of-control rodent population while on vacation in a foreign country. And yes, we'll admit that that the whole concept sounds a bit awkward to those who have spent their entire computing lives using more input devices, but we've heard some compelling feedback from those who've actually tried Genius's wearable wireless peripheral, and it turns out the thing is actually usable. Now you can get in on that action, seeing as how the company just announced North American availability for the wireless peripheral. For $70, you can get your hands on -- or, rather, in -- one of these things, if you're a Windows user. Of course, you could use it for an engagement ring; just plan on being single for a very long time.
Show full PR text
Genius' iF Award-Winning Ring Mouse
Now Available in North America
Remote Control At Your Fingertips

May 12, 2011, Taipei, Taiwan – Genius, a leading manufacturer of computer peripherals, today releases their iF award-winning Ring Mouse, making it available to North American consumers. This innovative input device provides flexibility in completely new ways. Worn as a ring on a finger so your thumb controls all the functions. This device gives you wireless freedom during presentations, web browsing, picture and video viewing, etc., as it fits conveniently and comfortably on your fingers.

The Genius Ring Mouse uses patented touch-control technology for scrolling, and it has movement sensitivity up to 1000 dpi. Utilizing anti-interference 2.4Ghz wireless frequency, the Ring Mouse can be controlled as far as 10 meters away using the minute Pico USB receiver that plugs into USB ports of desktops and laptops. Powered by a highly efficient, rechargeable lithium battery, it comes with a portable USB battery charger as well as a hard-shell carrying case for travel protection.

ioMedia software is included to provide multimedia application control like play/pause, fast forward/rewind, etc. The ioMedia functions can be used in the following applications: IE, Windows Media Player, Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, and Adobe Reader.

System Requirements:

Windows® 7/Vista/XP
Available USB port
DVD-ROM drive for software installation

Package Contents:

Ring Mouse
Pico USB receiver
Retractable USB charger
CD for software installation
Carrying case
Multi-language user's manual

X-Prize reveals plans for tricorder competition, suspiciously lacking Nimoy endorsement

Posted: 13 May 2011 06:59 AM PDT

We could feed you a line about the final frontier or exploring strange new worlds, but we'll just give it to you straight: the X-Prize Foundation has teamed up with Qualcomm to design the Tricorder X-Prize, a $10 million competition designed to boldly go where no contest has gone before. Sorry, we couldn't help ourselves. The most recent addition to the ambitious X-Prize stable is aimed at producing a mobile medical device, similar to those used on Star Trek, that can "diagnose patients better than or equal to a panel of board certified physicians." Said device would allow regular folks to "quickly and effectively assess health conditions, determine if they need professional help," and then decide on a plan of action. The Tricorder X-Prize competition is still in the planning stages and should be ready to launch sometime in 2012. Full PR after the break.

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The X PRIZE Foundation and Qualcomm Join Forces to Develop a Competition to Enhance Integrated Digital Health

PLAYA VISTA, CA--(Marketwire - May 10, 2011) - The X PRIZE Foundation, the leading nonprofit organization solving the world's Grand Challenges of our time by creating and managing large-scale, global incentivized competitions, today announced a collaboration with Qualcomm Incorporated to design the Tricorder X PRIZE, a $10 million prize to develop a mobile solution that can diagnose patients better than or equal to a panel of board certified physicians. The X PRIZE Foundation and Qualcomm seeks to achieve this by combining advancements in expert systems and medical point of care data such as wireless sensors, advancements in medical imaging and microfluidics.

The Tricorder X PRIZE aims to incentivize consumer empowerment in healthcare by extending the reach of health information and services to more people. This prize will bring understandable, easily accessible health information and metrics to consumers on their mobile devices, pointing them to earlier actions for care.

"For years, Qualcomm has been transforming lives by connecting people through incredible technologies," said Dr. Peter Diamandis, Chairman and CEO of the X PRIZE Foundation. "The X PRIZE Foundation is honored to work with Qualcomm to positively affect health consumers by developing a prize that will revolutionize consumer's access to health data and information."

The collaboration between the X PRIZE Foundation and Qualcomm will bring together experts in technology usability, wireless sensors, cloud computing and mobile health to accelerate the convergence of these fields. The winning tool will enable consumers in any location to quickly and effectively assess health conditions, determine if they need professional help and answer the question, "What do I do next?"

"Qualcomm strives to provide a means to see choices, make decisions and get the right care faster and more conveniently. We believe this is a fundamental step in helping people become true 'Health Consumers' who can have as much say in assessing and accessing healthcare as they would any other service or product," said Don Jones, Vice President of Wireless Health Strategy and Market Development at Qualcomm Labs. "Qualcomm believes the value of this X PRIZE is also in changing the cost structure and focus of healthcare. By having consumers take the initial actions to obtain health assessment data, the use and the quality of physicians' time is improved."

Eugene Wesley "Rod" Roddenberry, Jr., son of Star Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry, commented, "It is great to see two amazing organizations -- the X PRIZE Foundation and Qualcomm -- bring the technology of Star Trek to life and make the Tricorder a reality for people everywhere."

The X PRIZE Foundation will be collaborating with industry experts and advisors to complete the Tricorder X PRIZE design in 2011. It expects to launch the competition in early 2012.

HTC Sensation looks to have signed bootloader, custom ROMs look to be bummed

Posted: 13 May 2011 06:32 AM PDT

Did you think maybe HTC would change its ways after locking down the bootloader on the Thunderbolt and Incredible S? Sorry, no. The upcoming Sensation looks to have been similarly afflicted, with Android Police bringing the bad news that its internals are protected by HTC's private key. This will definitely prove to be an issue for those looking to run custom ROMs that are clean as a whistle, but something tells us the hackers shall overcome. They usually do.

[Thanks, Foo]

Biodiesel can be harvested from leftover food, kids no longer have to clear their plates

Posted: 13 May 2011 06:09 AM PDT

The best dishes always contain 30 per cent fat minimum. This doesn't merely ensure a level of hearty satisfaction (Windows 7 Whopper anybody?), it also means the leftovers contain plenty of the greasy good stuff, which can be cleverly harvested and metamorphosed into biodiesel. The technology behind this process has been around for a while, but now British firm Greenergy claims it is ramping up commercial production. The firm's CEO reckons each of his new £50million ($80million) biodiesel plants will digest a sufficient volume of waste pies, fries and taramasalata to "fill out a cruise ship every year". Mmmm, pie.

ITC judge rules against Apple in patent infringement case, Kodak smiles

Posted: 13 May 2011 05:46 AM PDT

The International Trade Commission has weighed in on one half of the ongoing Apple-Kodak legal saga, ruling in favor of the team from Rochester. In a decision handed down yesterday, ITC Judge Robert Rogers determined that Apple's allegations of patent infringement are unfounded, adding that one of the company's patents is invalid. At issue are two digital camera technologies owned by Apple. One allows a camera to process multiple photos at the same time, while the other enables users to simultaneously adjust an image's balance, color and resolution. Apple claimed that Kodak illegally used these mechanisms in its Z-series, M-series, C-series, and Slice cameras, in addition to some video cameras. Judge Rogers clearly disagreed, though he won't be able to publicly explain his reasoning until both sides have had enough time to review confidential documents. Rogers' decision will also be subject to review by the full ITC, which is expected to issue a yea or nay on September 19th. A Kodak spokesman said the company is understandably "pleased" by the decision, but it won't have much time to rest on its laurels. On May 23rd, the ITC will announce a decision in a patent lawsuit that Kodak filed against both Apple and RIM, way back in January 2010. Stay tuned.

Hands-on with Netflix for Android (video)

Posted: 13 May 2011 05:12 AM PDT

Netflix for Android
Netflix for Android is here... finally. It's been a long time coming and we're thrilled to be able to bring our instant queue with us wherever we go. Though technically only approved for a handful of HTC phones and the Samsung Nexus S, we were able to successfully get it up and running on at least one unsanctioned device -- the Droid X (sporting a leaked copy of Gingerbread). So what's Netflix like on Google's mobile OS? Well, it's a heck of a lot like the iPhone app. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to tell them apart if it weren't for the tabs being moved from the bottom of the screen to the top. Still, we figured it was worth giving a solid once over and, as usual, you can find our impressions after the break.
Netflix for Android hands-on

Everything is more or less as you'd expect upon launching the app. The home screen shows your top picks (including those disturbingly specific genres like "visually-striking mind-bending comedies") and just below the tabs is a shortcut to resume the last video you watched. Along the top you'll also find tabs for genres, search, and your instant queue. Tapping on a title opens a more detailed view that shows a summary and similar videos, as well as offers you the chance to add it to your queue, rate it, or just start playing right away.

Streaming performance over WiFi is excellent -- videos load quickly and are crisp and clear. Over 3G quality is still respectable, but there is some noticeable pixelation and buffering can take quite a while. We are slightly frustrated that navigating away from Netflix to answer a text or simply locking the screen forces the videos to buffer again. Though the UI is responsive enough, the app itself is quite slow to launch and searches sometimes take quite a long time to complete, especially over 3G.


Pressing the search button quickly opens the search tab and the back button works exactly as it should but, oddly, the menu button does absolutely nothing, deviating from the expected Android experience. Another pair of complaints we have are the lack of landscape support while browsing through the app and the somewhat confounding absence of a scroll bar for indicating your position in a list. We also wish there were some more robust options for managing your queue. As it stands you can add things, remove them, or (if they aren't already in your queue) move them to the top, but rearranging is out of the question.

If you happen to own one of the few handsets that supports Netflix (the HTC Incredible, Nexus One, Evo 4G, G2, or the Samsung Nexus S) you can snatch it up in the Android Market now for free. If not, you'll just have make do with the video above.

Myriam Joire contributed to this report.

Sony and Library of Congress launch streaming National Jukebox, ready to DJ at your local speakeasy

Posted: 13 May 2011 03:41 AM PDT

Who's better, Sammy Hagar or The Great Caruso? We know you have every track the Red Rocker ever laid down, but if you haven't upgraded your gramophones of the great Italian tenor, today is the first day of the rest of your life. The Library of Congress, working with Sony, now streams a collection of 10,000 historical recordings, including Caruso and other pre-1925 greats. This "National Jukebox" is a bit of a hodge-podge, including everything from early jazz to poetry to yodeling, but digging through the archive is half the fun. But while access to this material is great for sound preservationists, commenters on BoingBoing point out that it's not truly public domain work: thanks to our spaghetti-tangle of copyright arcana, Sony still owns the rights. It's allowing users to stream but not download, and technically could revoke its gratis license at any time. So get your Caruso fix while you can.

Solar Impulse's first international flight is underway (live)

Posted: 13 May 2011 02:56 AM PDT

We've been following Captain Piccard's Solar Impulse solar-powered airplane for a few years now. Today, right now as a matter of fact, the pioneering Swiss HB-SIA aircraft with 200-foot wingspan is attempting its first international flight. The flight to Brussels began at 8:40am (0640GMT) and should conclude about 12 to 13 hours later when Andre Borshberg brings all 12,000 photovoltaic cells to the ground in a controlled (we hope) landing. If successful then we can expect the craft to take on the Atlantic, Lindbergh style, in 2012 or 2013. Hit the source link below to track Solar Impulse's position in real-time and to witness a live video feed of this historic event.

HTC Flyer available across Europe today, £600 for 3G, £480 for WiFi-only version

Posted: 13 May 2011 02:22 AM PDT

The day every fan of 7-inch Android tablets has been waiting for has finally arrived. HTC has just announced widespread availability across Europe of its 1.5GHz Flyer. Pricing is set at £600 / €649 for the 3G-equipped 32GB variant or £480 / €499 for the one with only WiFi and 16GB on board -- though local carriers are offering subsidized pricing as low as £129 on contract. The contentious capacitive stylus, now dubbed the Magic Pen, will be shipping in each and every box, so you don't have to worry about ponying up extra for it. The HTC store linked below still offers only pre-orders, but HTC promises that there will be aluminum unibodies hitting shelves today.
Show full PR text
HTC Flyer, the first tablet with HTC Sense, in store from TODAY

Aluminum unibody design with HTC Watch video service and HTC Scribe Technology hits the shelves across EMEA

LONDON, UK – May 13, 2011 – HTC, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, has announced that its first tablet, HTC FlyerTM, will be available in-store from 13th May. Blending HTC's trademark design language with an all-new HTC Sense user experience that has been reimagined for tablets, the HTC Flyer combines natural touch and pen interaction in either a combined 3G and WiFi or WiFi-only model. As well as being available to purchase in retail outlets, HTC fans will also be able to order Flyer direct through the HTC.com website.

"We are delighted by the positive reactions that HTC Flyer has received since we first unveiled it in February and are pleased to be able to bring it to major markets across EMEA," commented Florian Seiche, President HTC EMEA. "HTC Flyer is completely different from any other tablet on the market and we look forward to hearing about the different ways in which our customers use HTC Flyer in their daily lives – for both work and play."

The combined 3G and WiFi HTC Flyer features 32GB of onboard memory which can be expanded with a microSD card of up to 32GB and will retail at €649. A second variant will be available for €499 and features WiFi connectivity and expandable 16GB memory. Both versions will come with the HTC Flyer Magic PenTM that will work with HTC's Scribe Technology for an alternative to fingertip interaction.

From 13th May, HTC Flyer will be available in the following territories, both in-store and through HTC.com: UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Romania.

Premium Design and Performance

Weighing as little as a paperback book and encased in sleek aluminium, the HTC Flyer exudes the style and premium build quality that have forged HTC's reputation in the smartphone market. With a seven-inch display, lightning fast 1.5Ghz processor and high-speed wireless capabilities, the HTC Flyer tablet is perfect for those who have been waiting for a tablet that is both compact and powerful.

HTC Sense for Tablet

HTC Flyer's tablet-focused HTC Sense experience focuses on surprising and delighting people with its gorgeous 3D home screen. Similar to the experience unveiled on the new HTC Sensation, a unique carousel of widgets puts your most important content and information at the visual center of the experience and offers uncompromised Web browsing with Flash 10 and HTML 5.

Streaming Mobile Movies with HTC Watch

The HTC Flyer is the first tablet to premiere HTC Watch, HTC's new video download service, offering more than 600 premium movies and TV shows from major studios. Video content can be bought or rented and watched immediately through progressive download. Once purchased, movies are stored in a "cloud locker", allowing up to five registered HTC devices to download and play the same content.

HTC Scribe Technology

HTC Scribe Technology introduces a wave of integrated digital ink innovations that make it easy and natural to take notes, sign contracts, draw pictures, or even write on a web page or photo. Note-taking has been made smart for the first time by synchronising natural onscreen handwriting with Timemark audio recording. Tapping on a word in your notes instantly takes you to that exact place in time in the audio recording, ensuring you can place your notes in the context of any conversation or meeting. Notes are also integrated with the calendar so when there is an appointment reminder you are automatically prompted with an opportunity to begin a new note or in the case of recurring meetings, to continue where the last meeting left off. In an industry first, the HTC Flyer tablet also features built-in synchronization with Evernoteä, the world-leading notes application and service.

For more information, see www.htc.com

About HTC

HTC Corporation (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile phone industry. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC creates innovative smartphones that better serve the lives and needs of individuals. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com.

Apple patent application suggest iPod nano could become even more of a 'fashion accessory'

Posted: 13 May 2011 01:36 AM PDT

There's no guarantee that it will show up in the next iPod nano -- or any iPod nano at all, for that matter -- but a newly published patent application has now offered a few more hints about how Apple might make such a device even more wearable. Titled simply, "Environment Sensitive Display Tags," the patent application details how a small, wearable device could use a variety of sensors and inputs (including a camera, microphone, accelerometer -- even a thermometer) to obtain information about its surroundings and translate that into a visual element that's displayed on the screen. So, for instance, the camera could be used to create a background that matches your shirt or jacket, or the accelerometer could be used to make a screen saver react to your movements (like the rain drops illustrated above). All of which, the application suggests, could serve to make the device even more "aesthetically pleasing" as a "fashion accessory."

Incidentally, the patent application also noticeably features "Games" as a menu option in some of the illustrations -- which would be new to the current variety of iPod nano -- but there's no mention of it in the actual claims. And, given that it was filed back in November of 2009, the application's authors could well have simply been working on the assumption that games would simply carry over from the previous generation.

Cisco phasing out FlipShare: 30 days to save your videos

Posted: 13 May 2011 12:49 AM PDT

Many Flip fans are already sporting black arm bands with little red spots in honor of the dying brand, and the New York Times reports there's more bad news coming. Starting May 12th, all videos uploaded to FlipShare will expire 30 days after they've been posted. This applies to videos you've already uploaded as well --- so you've got till June 11th to follow the lead of Google Video users and back up your collection of clips before they disappear into the digital ether. The FlipShare service will continue to live on for another two and a half years, if you don't mind the one month limit, but clearly Cisco wants users to move on with their video-sharing lives. Check out the more coverage link for instructions on how to export your videos, and let's have one more moment of silence for the tiny camcorder that could... at least until it couldn't.

HP unveils WiFi Mobile Mouse and Link-5 wireless tech to free your USB

Posted: 13 May 2011 12:01 AM PDT

We don't usually go wild for wireless mice, but HP has revealed a new rodent that controls your PC pointer via WiFi that's piqued our interest. Dubbed the HP WiFi Mobile Mouse, it's got five programmable buttons and a four-way tilt scroll wheel for nuisance-free navigation, plus a nine-month battery life from dual AAs. In addition to the WiFi wunderkind, HP is rolling out its Link-5 wireless connection technology -- similar to Logitech's Unifying Receiver -- with compatible keyboards and mice as well. Link-5 lets you connect up to (surprise, surprise) five devices through a single diminutive USB dongle. So instead of pedestrian peripherals, you can connect something a little more awesome. Vid's after the break.


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HP Introduces Wireless PC Accessories to Enhance the Computing Experience

Industry's first Wi-Fi mouse provides reliable connectivity without wires or external receivers

PALO ALTO, Calif., May 12, 2011

HP today announced a new lineup of wireless accessories equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity and HP Link-5 technology to promote mobility and ease of use.

Products such as the company's exclusive HP Wi-Fi® Mobile Mouse allow users to do more without the hassle of wires and with the assurance of extended battery life.

"HP offers its customers a wide variety of accessories that are simple to use with connectivity options to meet their unique needs," said Scott Pappan, director, Accessories, Personal Systems Group, HP. "For consumers who desire PCs that are light and small but offer fewer USB ports, or for those who use their PCs in multiple settings, options like Wi-Fi and Link-5 allow users to keep USB ports free for other devices."

Industry's first Wi-Fi mouse

The new HP Wi-Fi Mobile Mouse is the first mouse to connect quickly and easily without a USB dongle via a PC's built-in Wi-Fi receiver.(1) A reliable, first-time pairing connects the mouse to the PC, allowing users to work with ease and confidence. The mouse instantly reconnects during each use and operates without interference from other wireless devices.

The HP Wi-Fi Mobile Mouse also offers:

- Up to nine months of battery life more than twice the battery life of comparable Bluetooth® models.
- Five customizable buttons that allow users to create shortcuts for common actions such as cut, paste, undo and redo.
- A smooth, four-way-tilt scroll wheel to improve control while scrolling up and down or side to side.
- Full functionality up to 30 feet from the PC.
- A sculpted form with rubber sides to ensure a comfortable, secure grip that can be used in the right or left hand.

HP Link-5 technology liberates USB ports

HP also introduced new PC accessories with HP's exclusive Link-5 technology. Link-5 allows users to connect up to five HP-compatible PC accessories with one receiver, freeing up valuable USB ports.

There are no drivers or software to install. Users simply press the "Connect" button on a Link-5 device to pair it with their PC. The wireless receiver then "remembers" all paired devices, making Link-5 accessories ideal for those using a PC in multiple settings such as the home, office or other mobile locations.

Link-5 delivers reliable connectivity using 2.4-GHz wireless technology and has an intelligent sleep mode to ensure the longest possible battery life. The latest
Link-5 accessories lineup includes:

- HP Wireless Mini Keyboard: Just the right mobile companion for a tablet or entertainment PC, this full-featured keyboard is lightweight and ultra-small in size.
- HP Wireless Ultrathin Wireless Keyboard: Offering a stylish look and feel, this keyboard is durable, full-featured and a great value.
- HP Wireless Elite v2 Keyboard: Featuring a sleek, ultra-slim design, this keyboard offers superb performance and comfort.
- HP Wireless Optical Comfort Mouse: Offering a comfortable, secure grip for use in the right or left hand, this mouse features an optical sensor with adjustable sensitivity that works on most surfaces.
- HP Wireless Laser Comfort Mouse: Using a laser sensor with adjustable sensitivity, this mouse delivers optimal performance and works on most surfaces.
- HP Wireless Mobile Mouse: Designed for users who are on the go, this mouse delivers reliable wireless connectivity at a great value.

Pricing and availability

- The HP Wi-Fi Mobile Mouse is expected to be available in the United States in June at a starting price of $49.99.
- The HP Wireless Mini Keyboard is available now in the United States at a starting price of $59.99.
The HP Ultrathin Wireless Keyboard is available now in the United States at a starting price of $59.99.
- The HP Wireless Elite v2 Keyboard is expected to be available in the United States in July at a starting price of $49.99.
- The HP Wireless Optical Comfort Mouse is expected to be available in the United States in June at a starting price of $29.99.
- The HP Wireless Laser Comfort Mouse is expected to be available in the United States in June at a starting price of $39.99.
- The HP Wireless Mobile Mouse is expected to be available in the United States in June at a starting price of $24.99.

Samsung and LG to showcase high pixel density LCD panels for tablets at SID 2011

Posted: 12 May 2011 11:17 PM PDT

It's a well-known fact that LG's already dominated the pixel density race in the smartphone market thanks to the Retina Display inside the iPhone 4, but we've yet to see similar technologies making their way to larger devices. That could change very soon, however, with Samsung and LG both announcing larger high-density panels to be showcased at SID 2011 next week. From Samsung we'll be seeing its 10.1-inch 300ppi prototype LCD panel, which rakes up an astonishing resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 under the battery-friendly PenTile RGBW matrix (not to be confused with AMOLED and Super AMOLED's RGBG arrangement). What's more, Samsung also teases "commercial availability" for this technology later this year.

Things are a bit vague with LG -- no specific resolutions are mentioned in the pre-show announcement, but we're told that the company will introduce "a full line-up" of "ultra-high resolution" Advanced High Performance In-Plane Switching (AH-IPS) products, including 3.5-, 4.5-, 7-, 9.7, 55-, and 84-inch panels, with a "greater number of pixels than the PPI that can be recognized by the human eye at a typical distance" -- a proclamation typically reserved for the iPhone 4's 326ppi Retina Display. Of course, LG could be misleading here -- the 9.7-inch panel brought up in the press release could just be the exact same 1,024 x 768 IPS display on the iPad, but we'd be surprised if LG doesn't have a similarly-sized prototype to fire back at Samsung's 10.1-inch 300ppi panel. Well, keep an eye out for our SID 2011 coverage next week and we'll let you know what goodies we find.
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Samsung Electronics and Nouvoyance Demonstrate 10.1-inch, 300dpi WQXGA PenTile RGBW Prototype Display for Tablet Market

PenTile RGBW is the only display to optimize balance between power efficiency and high performance viewing in tablets

SID Display Week 2011

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At the SID Display Week 2011 International Symposium (LA Convention Center, Booth 707) May 17-19, Samsung Electronics is demonstrating the industry's first 10.1-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) format PenTile™ RGBW tablet display, an ultra-high resolution, liquid crystal display (LCD). The prototype demonstration marks the first time this resolution has been available for the tablet market in the popular – 10.1-inch – format, rivaling the highest resolution smartphone displays now on the market. Samsung expects to have commercial availability of this technology for tablet applications later this year.

Because tablets are regularly used for viewing rich-colored images, the 10.1-inch 300 dpi display is ideal for applications that require extraordinary image and text clarity such as browsing the web and viewing high-definition movies, or reading books and spreadsheets.

"In order to develop tablets with the form and function that consumers demand, a design engineer ultimately has to determine how to get the highest resolution display possible, while still fitting within the overall power budget for their design," said Joel Pollack, executive vice president of Nouvoyance, Samsung's affiliate company that developed the PenTile RGBW technology.

Lightness and power efficiency of the display are critical factors since higher resolution displays typically draw more power.

"Samsung's PenTile display technology is the only display technology that operates at 40 percent less power yet provides twice that of Full HD-viewing performance for consumers compared to legacy RGB stripe LCDs. There is no other commercial display technology on the market today that offers this high of a resolution and pixel density in a 10.1-inch size display," said Dr. Sungtae Shin, Senior VP of Samsung Electronics.

PenTile RGBW WQXGA Technology Highlights

- This 10.1-inch tablet panel is capable of 300 cd/m2 of luminance, yet uses 40 percent less power than that used by legacy RGB stripe LCDs in power-saving modes.
- An outdoor brightness mode of as much as 600 cd/m2 luminance enables viewing in bright ambient lighting.
- The display's color gamut is 72 percent., allowing greater color realism than legacy RGB stripe tablet displays that have a typical color gamut of 55 percent NTSC.
- PenTile technology achieves 300 dpi resolution with two-thirds the number of subpixels, maintaining the VESA/ICDM display resolution standard.

For more information about the technology behind this WQXGA ultra high-resolution display prototype, go to www.pentileblog.com

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LG Display Brings Innovation in Smart Mobile Panels to SID 2011

Seoul, Korea (May 12, 2011) – LG Display Co., Ltd. [NYSE:LPL, KRX:034220], a leading innovator of thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) technology, will showcase a full line-up of Advanced High Performance In-Plane Switching (AH-IPS) products at SID(Society for Information Display)'s Display Week 2011 to be held during May 15 to 20 in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. The AH-IPS panels deliver ultra high resolution, notable for their superiority in use for smartbooks (tablet PCs) and smartphones.

LG Display will introduce a full line-up of products that employ IPS technology to deliver ultra high resolution, including 3.5- and 4.5-inch panels for smartphones, 7- and 9.7-inch panels for smartbooks, and 55- and 84- inch panels for TVs at the exhibition. In particular, by highlighting the strengths of AH-IPS, the company plans to solidify its competitive edge in the smart mobile market. The Company is already enjoying dominance in technology, supply capability, and cost competiveness based on its extended experience in mass production.

"Consumers can enjoy crisp and clean pictures in any device like smartphones and smartbooks with LG Display's proprietary AH-IPS technology," said President and CEO of LG Display Mr. Young Soo Kwon. "Our goal is to be the world's No. 1 display maker that consistently delivers groundbreaking technologies like IPS to innovate the display industry."

AH-IPS technology, an advanced form of IPS, has realizes 1.5 to 2 times the resolution of typical LCD panels. This ultra high resolution becomes particularly valuable when the emphasis is on displaying highly detailed images. The technology also improves display's color accuracy, which in turn leads to reproduce the original color precisely without color distortion. In addition, it provides greater light transmission which translates into lower power consumption while delivering exceptional picture quality, making it ideal for use in outdoor settings.

Resolution is generally defined by the total number of pixels whereas image crispness is measured by pixels–per-inch (PPI) which refers to pixel density per unit area. The ultra high resolution technology employed by AH-IPS adds a greater number of pixels than the PPI that can be recognized by the human eye at a typical distance. This makes it more difficult for the naked eye to distinguish each individual pixel, thus making the image sharper.

LG Display's 3.5-inch smartphone panel supports 960x640 pixel resolution at 326 PPI, delivering the most detailed images among smartphones available on the market.

Sprint adds two new 3G mobile broadband plans, unlimited WiMAX for all

Posted: 12 May 2011 10:33 PM PDT

Want an unlimited WiMAX hotspot for $45 per month? Sprint's got a new plan that gives you just that, plus 3GB of 3G data. There's also a brand-new 10GB plan for $90 if you need to cruise a bit further down the slow road. Sprint's 4G-only devices still carry a $50 monthly fee, and like the carrier's existing 5GB plan (still $60), the new ones also have unlimited WiMAX, making the $45 plan a bargain if you happen to own a compatible device. If you already pay for unlimited service on a Sprint cell phone, you can also avoiding paying the included $10 "premium data" surcharge -- this means Unlimited Everything and Everything Data subscribers can now add an unlimited 4G hotspot (with 3GB of 3G usage) for just $35.

Fujitsu's TH40/D convertible tablet slides into Japan, packs Atom Z670 and Windows 7

Posted: 12 May 2011 09:31 PM PDT

A slide-out tablet running on Windows 7, you say? Not to be confused with the Samsung Sliding PC, what we have here is the Fujitsu LifeBook TH40/D that's just been announced for the Japanese market. Inside this 2.4-pound convertible laptop you'll find a 1.5GHz Oak Trail Atom Z670, 1GB of non-expandable DDR2 RAM, a 10.1-inch 1,024 x 600 touchscreen, a 120GB 4200rpm hard drive, and a battery life of around 6 hours. Other tidbits include 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, a couple of USB 2.0 ports, HDMI-out, an SD card slot, and a teeny optical trackpad placed next to the short space bar. Can't say we're digging some of the limitations on this TH40/D, but if you still want one, then be ready to fork out about ¥80,000 ($990) at the end of June.

'3 Dreams of Black' is the trippiest WebGL interactive music video you've seen all day

Posted: 12 May 2011 08:29 PM PDT

Perhaps you had your fill of WebGL yesterday after playing Angry Birds from dawn till dusk, but there was an even more graphically intensive Chrome browser experience unveiled at Google I/O this week: "3 Dreams of Black" by Rome. Simply put, it's an music video that runs in your browser window, starring the talents of Danger Mouse, Daniele Luppi and Norah Jones, but instead of watching Norah serenade you from a stage or set, you're thrust into dreamlike, interactive 3D worlds. It's a fantastic tech demo for WebGL and the games it might inspire... and it's also something you'll want to experience for yourself. Find it (and the copy of Chrome Canary you may need for it to run well) at the source link below.

Motorola Droid X2 ready for May 26 launch?

Posted: 12 May 2011 07:27 PM PDT

The skeptics in us are not ready to call this one confirmed yet, but we are beginning to see information trickle in about a possible launch date for the Droid X2. Droid-Life uncovered possible promo materials discussing the entrance strategy for the X2, in conjunction with several of the phone's specs. These docs strongly indicate May 26 is the magic day for a full-scale assault, with early orders allowed as soon as May 19. We don't see any major surprises in specs -- there's a dual-core Tegra 2 1GHz processor, 4.3-inch qHD screen, 8MP rear camera, and 1080p HDMI-out video, to list off the highlights -- although we are excited to see Gingerbread may be in the mix here, indicated by the ever-so-subtle blue bar seen on the phone's screen. We hope you can understand our hesitation, though, since an unproven spec sheet from Pocketnow suggests we should only expect Froyo. No way of knowing who will win this little argument, but you know which one we're rooting for. Check out another leaked image after the break.

Google's potential $500M fine linked to illegal online pharmaceuticals

Posted: 12 May 2011 06:33 PM PDT

When Google revealed it would take $500 million first-quarter charge ahead of "potential resolution of an investigation" by the United States Department of Justice, the company offered few details. A three-line non-explanation pointed the finger at "advertising by certain advertisers." Now The Wall Street Journal reports that the mysterious half-billion-dollar hit may stem from advertisements placed by "rogue online pharmacies" that break US laws. The DOJ investigation has focused on whether the search behemoth knowingly accepted ads from shady pharma sites, but it's unclear whether those sites sold counterfeit or expired drugs, failed to require doctor's prescriptions, or both. Obviously, if the company profited from illegal activity, it can be held liable -- a fact Google knows all too well after a 2007 settlement over ads for online gambling. The impending fine would rank among the highest paid to the US government; this news, by the way, did not come from Facebook.

Reuters: a failed takeover of T-Mobile would cost AT&T as much as $6 billion

Posted: 12 May 2011 05:37 PM PDT

AT&T's proposed acquisition of T-Mobile was a big deal as soon as it was announced, but now Reuters has unearthed some more context to lend it even more cruciality. We already knew that in the event of AT&T&T-Mobile failing to garner regulatory approval, AT&T would owe Deutsche Telekom, the current owner of T-Mo USA, $3 billion in cash, some spare AWS spectrum, and a roaming agreement "on terms favorable to both parties." Reuters' sleuths say that the spectrum in question is worth $2 billion and the roaming deal a further $1 billion, bringing the total breakup payout to a hair-raising $6 billion. Given the wording of the two companies' deal, we don't expect the roaming part of that settlement would be free for T-Mobile (so $6b looks to be a bit of an over-estimation), but the fact remains that AT&T is staking a whole lot of moolah on this takeover going through. Whether it does or not, Deutsche Telekom's René Obermann (above left) looks assured to still be laughing this time next year -- but will the same be true of AT&T's Randall Stephenson?

Chromebooks get 3G connectivity via Three UK (update)

Posted: 12 May 2011 05:01 PM PDT

Long before Google outed Samsung's Series 5 and Acer's Chromebook, we'd already heard that Verizon would provide unlimited 3G coverage to the Internet giant's netbooks, but our friends across the Atlantic still didn't have a data carrier until yesterday. We don't have a lot in the way of details for now, but Three UK has stepped forward as the Chromebooks' carrier of choice for 3G data in the United Kingdom. The company is decidedly tight-lipped otherwise, but says they'll have more details in the "next few weeks."

Update: Well, it looks like Three has already let the cat out of the bag on this one. According to the UK's Chrome OS site, British Chromebook users will receive a free SIM card, offering 3GB of 3G coverage for three months -- see what they did there? After that, users can choose to go contract-free with a number of different pay-as-you-go plans that range from a 500MB day pass for £3 to a 7GB one-month pass for £25. More details can be found at the Chrome link below.

[Thanks, Ross & Jamie W]

FL Studio coming to iOS (unicorns, leprechauns, phat beats to follow)

Posted: 12 May 2011 04:15 PM PDT

We thought it was an impossible dream, like world peace or a second season of My So Called Life, but we finally have the answer to the immortal question: "When will FL Studio be available on operating systems besides Windows?" The answer? "Soon." That's right -- FL Studio Mobile is coming to all of your favorite iOS devices, and all things considered, it looks pretty, pretty good. 128-track sequencer, step sequencer for individual MIDI clips, a mess of drum loops, reverb, delay, equalizer, amp, and filter effects... how can you find fault with that? And when you get back to your PC, your mobile project can be mixed down to wav, exported to MIDI, or the session file can be loaded right in the desktop version of the software. Not bad, eh? At the very least, it sounds like it will give GarageBand for the iPad a run for its money. Sadly, we don't have a street date for the app right this moment, but you can get a pretty good look at what's in store in the video after the break.

NaClBox brings DOS-based gaming to Chrome along with sweet, sweet nostalgia

Posted: 12 May 2011 03:46 PM PDT

Now that Angry Birds has come to Chrome, none of us have any reason to leave the house. But if you like your games closer to 1fps, NaClBox may be more your speed. The Chrome-only emulator revives such DOS-based classics as The Secret of Monkey Island , Falcon 3.0, and Alone In the Dark. Most are demos, meant to show off the browser's Native Client potential and tug the heartstrings of retro-gamers. And we'll admit getting a little misty at stepping back into the blocky shoes of Guybrush Threepwood -- but maybe even more so at the bleepy-bloopy Soundblaster-era soundrack.

Flexbook concept serves up candy-coated convertible

Posted: 12 May 2011 03:16 PM PDT

It seems Fujitsu's got a thing for morphing PCs. Way back in 2006, we saw this mysterious tri-fold concept, which was rumored to be making the rounds inside Fujitsu R&D, and now the outfit's short-listed this déjà-vu-inducing transformer for its 2011 "Life with Future Computing Award." The Flexbook, designed by Hao-Chun Huang, features a foldable 21:9 touchscreen and similarly flexible keyboard that allow its users to switch from laptop to tablet to book-like e-reader. It's also been designed to sport a number of interchangeable sleeves in a Benetton-esque array of colors and patterns. It might have seemed impractical five years ago, but with convertibles coming of age, we'd say the Flexbook isn't really all that far out.
Flexbook Concept

Dutch telco KPN using deep packet inspection to monitor mobile customers, throttle services

Posted: 12 May 2011 02:43 PM PDT

KPN
KPN set off some alarms in Holland last month when it announced a plan to start charging customers separate fees for using VoIP, streaming video, and sending instant messages. But, the question remained: how exactly would it keep mobile data users honest? The answer turns out to be deep packet inspection, which examines network traffic to identify what you're sending and where it's going. It's been suspected that the secret ingredient in KNP's service-throttling sauce was DPI, but it was finally confirmed in a presentation to investors recently. In fact, Mark Fisher, the director of KPN Mobile, bragged that it was the "very first" provider to be "able to identify by deep packet inspection what is actually the destination as data packages go along." Predictably, privacy and net neutrality advocates are up in arms, with some claiming it is a violation of the Dutch Data Protection Act. We just hope someone nips this in the bud soon -- we don't need American carriers knowing about our Scottish Fold obsession. Check out the source link for an audio clip of Fisher's confession.

[Thanks, Daan]

ZeroTouch 'optical multi-touch force field' makes a touchscreen out of just about anything

Posted: 12 May 2011 02:21 PM PDT

The rise of tablets and smartphones has made the touchscreen a rather ubiquitous interface, but they aren't everywhere quite yet. A group of students from Texas A&M intend to change that, however, with the invention of ZeroTouch: a seemingly empty picture frame that lets you turn any surface into an interactive touchscreen. It might not look like much, but ZeroTouch is packing a series of pulsing LEDs and infrared sensors that turn that blank space into a highly sensitive surface. Basically, the strategically placed LEDs cover the open area in a sheet of invisible light. When a hand or stylus enters the picture (or lack there of), those beams are interrupted, providing cues to a piece of software that tracks the object's movement -- and boom! You've got a touchscreen. Of course, this isn't the sort of thing that's going to make it to market anytime soon, but you can check out ZeroTouch rocking the rippling water effect in the video below.

Insert Coin: Olloclip three-in-one lens for iPhone 4 (video)

Posted: 12 May 2011 02:00 PM PDT

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.


We typically prefer to mount our macro, wide-angle, and fisheye lenses directly on a DSLR, but lugging around a pro-level kit isn't always an option. The olloclip adds some flexibility to your iPhone 4's camera, complimenting the built-in lens with a three-in-one optic that clips onto the phone and can be stored in your bag or pocket when not in use. The attachment includes three lenses: a 180-degree fisheye on one side, a wide-angle lens on the other, and a 10x macro that's revealed after unscrewing the top of the wide-angle. Based on the intro video, the wide lens appears to have some rather significant barrel distortion, so we hope inventor Patrick O'Neill and designer Chong Pak are able to work that out before this hits production. A $45 pledge to this Kickstarter includes one olloclip, which you're getting at a 25 percent discount. Lenses should ship 4 weeks after the project hits its $15,000 funding goal -- if it does hit that goal -- and are expected to retail for $60.

Flash Player 10.3 hits Android with optimizations, bug fixes aplenty (update: desktops too)

Posted: 12 May 2011 01:48 PM PDT

It's been saying that it was coming "soon" since March, and Adobe has now finally delivered Flash Player 10.3 to compatible Android devices. As expected, it brings mostly bug fixes and optimizations, the biggest of which appears to be NEON optimizations for OMAP4 (or Cortex A-9) processors, which should be good news for BlackBerry PlayBook owners (and those that eventually get their hands on an Optimus 3D). Otherwise, you can expect to find the usual batch of security improvements, and a few fixes for specific problems on Galaxy S phones, the HTC Evo, and various Motorola devices.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Update: Adobe's also now brought the desktop version of Flash Player 10.3 out of beta for Windows, Mac and Linux, and it's confirmed that the Android update does indeed include support for Android 3.1. Hit up the links below for the complete details.

The Engadget Podcast, live at 5:00PM ET!

Posted: 12 May 2011 01:45 PM PDT

Did you miss us? It's all right, you can admit it. We won't judge you. The Engadget Podcast is back for another thrilling Thursday night installment. Tim and Brian are joined once again by Myriam, who's just back from what proved to be a fruitful Google I/O, so make sure you've got your Android antennae on.

Update: And we're through! We'll have the recording up soon.

Tokyo school takes Facebook Poking to a creepy new level (video)

Posted: 12 May 2011 01:31 PM PDT

You've got to hand it to Tokyo's University of Electro-Communications, the school's researchers have presented some truly unique methods for interfacing with our electronics -- fake finger sliding, a head-mounted video display, a thing that makes it feel like you've got insects on your palm, and, of course, the old kissing machine. A few recent inventions have expanded the latter trend, giving us creative new ways of getting intimate with our machines. There's the tickle interface, for one, which beams images from a connected smartphone creating the illusion that the person on the other end is tickling your palm -- made all the more real by tactile vibration hooked up to the rear of the device. And then there's the older, oddly-named Sense-Roid, sort of a clunkier version of the Hug Shirt, which, among other things, lets you "hug yourself." Both are demonstrated in a pair of videos after the break. Whatever you do, don't miss the second one.



What stalled negotiations between Google and the music industry? (Hint: money)

Posted: 12 May 2011 01:12 PM PDT

It's no secret that negotiations between Google and the recording industry haven't been going very well. Perhaps even less surprising are the reasons behind the stalemate. According to the Hollywood Reporter, discussions between the two parties have sputtered thanks to three usual suspects: money, file-sharing and concerns over competition. During licensing talks, Google agreed to pay upfront advances to all participating labels, but the major players wanted bigger guarantees. That prompted the indie contingent to ask for similar money, unleashing a snowball of stakes-raising. The two sides also failed to agree on how to handle pirated music, with the industry demanding that Google not only ban illegally downloaded files from users' lockers, but that it erase P2P sites from its search results, as well.

Hovering above all this bargaining was a thick cloud of destabilizing uncertainty. Some execs welcomed the idea of a new iTunes competitor, while others were less enthusiastic, amid concerns that Google Music wouldn't deliver new revenue streams. The ultimate question, of course, is how negotiations will proceed now that Google's already launched the service. The labels were warned that Tuesday's I/O announcement was coming, but the search giant didn't do much to mend fences when it effectively blamed the record execs for holding up negotiations. It's hard to say whether Google's bravado will help or hurt matters, but according to a source from a major label, "People are pissed."

WebGL flaw leaves GPU exposed to hackers

Posted: 12 May 2011 12:49 PM PDT

WebGL attack
Google spent a lot of time yesterday talking up WebGL, but UK security firm Context seems to think users should disable the feature because it poses a serious security threat, and the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) is encouraging people to heed that advice. According to Context, a malicious site could pass code directly to a computer's GPU and trigger a denial of service attack or simply crash the machine. Ne'er-do-wells could also use WebGL and the Canvas element to pull image data from another domain, which could then be used as part of a more elaborate attack. Khronos, the group that organizes the standard, responded by pointing out that there is an extension available to graphics card manufacturers that can detect and protect against DoS attacks, but it did little to satisfy Context -- the firm argues that inherent flaws in the design of WebGL make it very difficult to secure.

Now, we're far from experts on the intricacies of low-level hardware security but, for the moment at least, there seems to be little reason for the average user to panic. There's even a good chance that you're not vulnerable at all since WebGL won't run on many Intel and ATI graphics chips (you can check by clicking here). If you're inclined to err on the side of caution you can find instructions for disabling WebGL at the more coverage link -- but come on, living on the cutting edge wouldn't be anywhere near as fun if it didn't involve a bit of danger.

[Thanks, Tony]

Netflix releases Android app for select HTC phones, Samsung Nexus S

Posted: 12 May 2011 12:21 PM PDT

Well, it looks like the LG Revolution won't be the first Android phone to get Netflix after all. The app has just hit the Android Market and is currently available for the HTC Incredible, Nexus One, Evo 4G, and G2, plus the Samsung Nexus S. As you might expect, there's not a lot of surprises in terms of functionality -- you can resume watching where you left off on your TV or computer, and the app will allow you to manage your instant queue in addition to letting you simply browse movies. On its official blog, Netflix explains that while the app is currently limited to phones with "requisite playback support," it anticipates that many of the "technical challenges will be resolved in the coming months," and that it will be able to "provide a Netflix application that will work on a large majority of Android phones." That's some curious wording, to be sure, and a notable change from earlier talk that suggested only certain Qualcomm processors would support the necessary DRM for Netflix. Also not supported at the moment: Canada. If none of that precludes you, however, you can hit up the Android Market link below to try it out for yourself.

In other Netflix news, the company has also rolled out a little gift for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users -- the iOS app now finally boasts support for subtitles.

Netflix app for Android


[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
at 11:32 AM

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