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• LG Revolution finally landing at Verizon on May 26th
• Lodsys vs. Apple Devs: EFF helps us dig deeper
• Intel promises smartphones in 'first part of next year,' we put fingers in our ears
• Google adds Kansas City, MO to list of Kansas Cities covered by ultra high-speed internet (video)
• Nanosys unveils Quantum Dot Enhancement Film for LCDs, promises all kinds of colors
• Sony's Thunderbolt implementation hiding in plain (web)site, uses USB connector not Mini DisplayPort?
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition review
• ExoPlanetSat nanosatellite to begin search for alien worlds next year
• Sony Ericsson ST18i and CK15i blurrily leak their way onto message boards
• AT&T bringing red HTC Inspire 4G to Radio Shack, purple Evo Shift to follow?
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Play hits Verizon for $200 on-contract, in stores May 26th
• Fully working Super8 film projector built totally out of Lego, well almost (video)
• Fox's latest anti-AllVid FCC filing suggests new pay-TV service is coming to gaming consoles
• HTC EVO 3D pre-orders begin today at RadioShack, but launch date remains unknown
• Blood turbine to power your pacemaker, become legendary band name
• Crapgadget: 'atrocious amalgam' edition
• Mizzou Professor says nantenna solar sheet soaks up 90 percent of the sun's rays, puts sunscreen to shame
• Xperia Play shipment to New Zealand stolen, Vodafone launch delayed
• Acer postpones Iconia Tab A100 launch to second half of the year
• Slingbox inventor releases Crestron R2 Control App for Android, teases something big
• BlackBerry PlayBook coming to the UK on June 16th, 16GB model costs £400
• HTC Puccini touted as a 10-inch LTE tablet with 1.5GHz processor, Honeycomb flavor
• 20 gigapixel, 360-degree panorama of Wembley Stadium is among world's largest, most detailed
• Pandigital's 7-inch Planet e-reader hits the FCC with Android, virus protection
• Slacker intros Premium Radio subscription service, makes Radio Plus look like Basic Radio
• Motorola Droid X 2 turns up on Moto and Verizon sites, confirms qHD screen and 1GHz dual-core processor
• E Ink and Epson to co-develop 9.7-inch high-res 300ppi electronic paper display
• GreenChip lighting lets you flip the switch remotely, thumbs nose at IPv4 depletion
• Eole concept watch has turbine bezel, shows time when you blow (video)
• Philips EnduraLED A21 bulb offers bright light for big bucks
• T-Mobile confirms gratis WiFi calling for the magenta-clad masses
• BMW left turn assistant uses lasers to help you avoid running people over
• Corsair Force Series 3 SSDs: SandForce speed for modest money
• ORNL energy harvester turns heat waste into electricity, converts hot machines into cool customers
• Brainchild Kineo joins Kindle, iPad in digital reformation; ships to schools in ten states
• Samsung Exhibit 4G coming to T-Mobile on June 8th?
• Rolling robot learns to fly, plots escape from human captors (video)
• Sony's 'Welcome Back' campaign apologizes to distraught PSN users with free games, good vibes
• Select AT&T Android devices may get app sideloading as early as today
• Lenovo ThinkPad X1 review

LG Revolution finally landing at Verizon on May 26th Posted: 17 May 2011 11:26 AM PDT We thought it'd be here by now. We thought it'd be the first with Netflix. We thought a lot of things about the LG Revolution, but now we're closer to knowing the truth. According to documents uncovered by Droid Life the phone is coming next week, May 26th, and it is, indeed, shipping with Netflix, which you can watch on its 4.3-inch, 800 x 480 touchscreen. The LTE-equipped phone will be running a version of Android 2.2 that will surely have seen some cosmetic enhancements, not the least of which is Bing integration. Yes, it's been Binged, but if the price is right, maybe that's not the end of the world. As to the price: no word on that yet, but "wireless charging" is listed as a standard feature, so at least you won't have to pay extra for a chubby battery door.

Lodsys vs. Apple Devs: EFF helps us dig deeper Posted: 17 May 2011 11:01 AM PDT The developers targeted by Lodsys's patent infringement accusations last week have been in a sleepless holding pattern, awaiting response from Apple before making their next moves. Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) staff attorney Julie Samuels says that Apple legal is likely hard at work reviewing the patent in question, however, and should be in touch soon. Though it's very unlikely that Cupertino won't offer assistance, devs will also be able to turn to EFF for advice, where they may even be paired with pro bono patent attorneys. Besides offering this bit of good news, Samuels was able to help us dig deeper into Lodsys, and the dirty business of patent suits. To get some perspective, we reached out to Lodsys CEO Mark Small and EFF (which tends to side with developers). We have yet to hear back from Mr. Small, but EFF was kind enough to give us its take on the situation. Click through for the full rundown. The Origin of U.S. Patent 7,222,078 "Even if the potential plaintiff's claim or patent is not a good one, it will still cost tens of thousands of dollars to go to court to prove that it's a baseless case." - EFF We've only been able to confirm a few details here, because of the mysterious nature of patents and shell corporations. U.S. patent 7,222,078 was born on December 10, 2003, when an application was filed by inventor Daniel Abelow. He owns a Florida-based consulting firm called Breakthrough Usability, Inc., and his patents are currently owned by Webvention, LLC, according to his website. He's the last individual that we're able to trace this patent to. Based on U.S. patent documents, a Las Vegas-based company called Ferrara Ethereal, LLC currently holds the patent. And, as we already know, Lodsys, LLC -- a third party that doesn't appear on the patent -- is pursuing the infringement in this case. Each LLC (Limited Liability Company) is incredibly easy to create, and Lodsys clearly threw its website together overnight (the domain was registered in 2009, using a bogus address and telephone number), so it's not yet clear who attorneys are reporting to. These companies fit the patent troll mold, however, meaning that they own patents and license them, rather than use them for research or to make a product. (Because "patent troll" is a pejorative term subject to interpretation, we'll refer to these as "non-practicing entities," instead.) Apple's Patent License According to a post on the Lodsys blog, "Apple is licensed for its nameplate products and services." So is Google, and Microsoft, the firm claims. Apple's decision to license the patent should not be viewed as any indication that the patent is applicable in this case, however. Rather, the company may have decided to license the patent simply because it was cheaper to pay a fee than to run the risks of litigation, as is often true with intellectual property (IP) cases. It's also possible that Apple licensed the patent for another product, unrelated to iOS. Samuels expects Apple to offer its full support to developers targeted by Lodsys, perhaps even extending its license to cover them. EFF's Julie Samuels explains: The fact that Google and Microsoft and Apple have taken licenses on this already doesn't say that the patent is a great patent, but it does show that at some point Apple decided it was more financially beneficial to take the license than to litigate. Because Apple has already made that value judgement before, they might make it again. What Lodsys Wants "Lodsys isn't helping society out by adding inventions, instead they're creating a tax impeding further innovation." - EFF Though it's obvious that potential licensing fees are motivating Lodsys, it's not clear why the firm is targeting individual developers. Fees of 0.575 percent would add up if paid by a handful of developers, but even then, they hardly seem worth the hassle and expense for Lodsys, not to mention all the bad publicity. For example, if developers bring in $100,000 in annual gross revenue from an affected app (and based on what we've heard from devs, even this figure is inflated), Lodsys would collect $575 per year, per app, assuming these developers continue to offer in-app upgrades (and those that do, also elect to purchase a license from Lodsys). It's also possible that Lodsys already reached out to Apple, asking the company to extend its license to cover third-party developers, in which case Lodsys may simply be using the letters sent last week to pressure Cupertino into signing an agreement. While purely speculative, that plan could easily backfire, however. "Apple might litigate because they want to show developers that they have their back," Samuels said. Apples and Oranges EFF sees intellectual property cases on a daily basis, though it recognizes that elements of this case in particular are unique. Cases like this don't often receive this level of attention, especially when they don't go to trial (and patent cases very rarely do go to trial). Additionally, it's rare for a plaintiff to defend its actions publicly, but Apple's involvement has made this front page news, pressuring Lodsys to reach out through its blog. It's also very unusual that Apple's licensing agreement doesn't cover third-party developers, Samuels said. Since Apple provides the framework (and takes a 30 percent cut of profits), iOS developers should feel safe using the dev tools without being concerned about infringing patents that haven't been licensed. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean they wouldn't be held accountable if an infringement case went to trial. Because it needs to provide a safe development environment, however, it sure seems like Apple should take the lead on a defense or licensing solution, or risk losing its devs. Wrap-Up Though we may never know exactly what motivated Lodsys to target individual developers, we hope that Apple offers to lend a hand, providing assurance that future cases will be handled swiftly and directly. This action would leave developers with the resources necessary to continue innovating, rather than wasting their time worrying about infringement accusations from non-practicing entities. Apple's framework was provided by Apple, and while the company may not be legally responsible for protecting developers, those relationships are critical to maintaining -- and continuing to grow -- a healthy, solid infrastructure. P.S. We just received word that Iconfactory (Twitterific) received a letter from Lodsys today.

Intel promises smartphones in 'first part of next year,' we put fingers in our ears Posted: 17 May 2011 10:46 AM PDT After Intel's early smartphone ambitions failed to bear fruit, experiencing delay after delay, the company seemingly decided it'd be a bad idea to give reporters so much as a ballpark release date. Well, the company's confidence must have returned, because CEO Paul Otellini told investors that those 32nm Medfield smartphones are indeed on the way. "You'll see the first Intel-based phones in the first part of next year," he said, adding later that there will be "phones shipping in the market from major players" at that time. Here's hoping. Why all the delays? Intel blamed its partnership with Nokia, calling it a mistake. "In hindsight, Nokia was the wrong partner to have picked," said Otellini, but told attendees that the time both companies spent working together won't be wasted entirely: Intel is currently shopping around their co-developed handset as a reference design.

Google adds Kansas City, MO to list of Kansas Cities covered by ultra high-speed internet (video) Posted: 17 May 2011 10:30 AM PDT It's gotta be rough being a Kansas City sometimes. It must be a constant cycle of excitement, only to realize that everyone was talking about your identically-named neighbor -- like back in late March, when Google first announced plans to bring its ultra high-speed internet fiber to the Kansas side of the border. Things are looking up for our friends in Kansas City, Missouri, however -- the city's awesomely-named Mayor Sly James held a press conference with Google and Kansas City Power & Light today to announce that his town will be joining in on the bandwidthy fun. Both Kansas Cities can expect to go ultra high-speed next year, pricing on either side of the invisible line remains elusive. Video of joyous local government officials after the break.

Nanosys unveils Quantum Dot Enhancement Film for LCDs, promises all kinds of colors Posted: 17 May 2011 10:17 AM PDT Another day, another step closer to quantum dot reality. Today, Nanosys unveiled its new Quantum Dot Enhancement Film (QDEFTM), marking the first time that the nanotechnology is available for LCD manufacturers. According to the company, its optical film can deliver up to 60 percent of all colors visible to the human eye, compared with the 20 to 25 percent that most displays offer. To create QDEFTM, Nanosys' engineers suspended a blend of quantum dots within optical film and applied it to a blue LED, which helped get the nanocrystals excited. Once they started hopping around, the dots emitted high-quality white light and a rich, wide color gamut, without consuming as much power as white LED-based materials. No word yet on when we can expect to see QDEFTM in consumer displays, but Nanosys claims that the film is "process-ready" and easy for manufacturers to integrate. For now, you can amuse yourselves by comparing the two frogs pictured above and guessing which one is covered in quantum dots. Full PR after the break. Show full PR text Nanosys Unlocks Full Color LCD Viewing Experience with Nanotechnology Announces the Release of First of Its Kind QDEFTM High Color Gamut Optical Film for LCDs, Ushers in New Era of Content Creation and Experience PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nanosys, Inc., an advanced materials architect, today announced that its next generation LCD technology, the Quantum Dot Enhancement Film (QDEFTM), is available to display manufacturers. Device designers can now increase color gamut by as much as three times without making the trade offs in cost, size and brightness they've had to make in the past. This means richer, more viscerally vibrant reds and a deeper palette of greens – the color the human eye sees more intensely than any other color. QDEFTM represents the first time that quantum dot technology is available to display makers in an optical film, which can be scaled to any size including large televisions. The current generation of displays in smartphones, tablets, laptops and large format TVs can only express 20 to 35 percent of the colors the human eye can see. QDEFTM displays will unleash a whole new level of content creation and revolutionize user experience by delivering over 60 percent of visible colors. "We believe color will be a significant differentiator for early adopters of quantum dot technology; and, QDEFTM will give display makers a competitive edge by providing consumers with a color quality experience they have only seen in movie theaters and professionally printed photos," said Jason Hartlove, president and CEO of Nanosys. "Almost all content available today has to be dialed down to match the limited capabilities of current displays, but with a QDEFTM enabled display developers and producers can create a photo-quality color experience for the user." Designed to be process-ready, display makers can easily integrate QDEFTM into current manufacturing operations without retooling an existing line, as is the case with other technologies. This not only extends the life of their current capital expenditures, it allows for the reuse of equipment, reducing industrial waste. QDEFTM is engineered using Nanosys' patented quantum dot materials dispersed in a polymer matrix and suspended within an optical film. The advanced material creates an improved quality white light with an unprecedented range of hues when excited by an energy-efficient blue LED. This results in better color and less power consumption than when using white LEDs. Last year, Nanosys commercialized its quantum dot technology with the QuantumRailTM, a process-ready component for smaller format LCDs that improves color gamut and power efficiency. The company plans to expand its manufacturing capacity as it continues to commercialize its LCD and energy storage technologies.

Sony's Thunderbolt implementation hiding in plain (web)site, uses USB connector not Mini DisplayPort? Posted: 17 May 2011 09:47 AM PDT Look closely at that picture. See that Type-A USB jack? The one with the blue stripe sandwiched between the round AC jack (with its green light) and VGA and HDMI ports? Yeah, that's Sony's Thunderbolt implementation according to a trusted source. A bit of digging reveals that the "Ultimate Mobile PC" teased by Sony above is actually the same VAIO Hybrid PC leaked by Sony Insider back in March said to feature an external dock with one USB 3.0 jack, HDMI, Ethernet, AMD Whistler discrete graphics, and a Blu-ray Disc writer. Naturally, the dock attaches to the VAIO's Thunderbolt jack. What we're trying to get our heads around, however, is Sony's choice for a USB connector instead of the Mini DisplayPort used by Apple's dual-channel 10Gbps Thunderbolt implementation. The decision to go USB was first brought to our attention by site Gula Digital. We've long known that Sony would be a Light Peak partner in some capacity. And the decision to go USB certainly echoes those first prototype interconnects demonstrated by Intel that combined a hybrid USB 3.0 connector with an optical interface and electrical connection to carry power. We also like the idea of being able to connect a USB 3.0 hard disk without first attaching an adapter. What troubles us, though, is a statement made by the USB Implementers Forum last summer expressing reservations with Intel's proposed interconnect: "USB connectors are not general purpose connectors and are not designed to be used in support of other technology applications or standards or as combo connectors." Perhaps Sony has worked out a licensing arrangement with the USB-IF? We don't know. But we're told that Sony's Thunderbolt implementation is definitely using a USB connector and definitely not using Mini DisplayPort. But we'll wait until this thing ships before complaining about Thunderbolt fragmentation too loudly.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition review Posted: 17 May 2011 09:00 AM PDT It may be a bit difficult to pay attention to the spate of Honeycomb tablets that seem to be popping up left, right and center -- you know, now that Ice Cream Sandwich has been officially promised -- but what's not easy to overlook is an 8.6mm slate. Checking in at a sliver of a pinch thinner than the illustrious iPad 2, Samsung's rethought-out, redesigned and definitely-not-renamed Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the first Android tablet to date that seriously goes toe-to-toe with Apple in both specifications and design. Granted, the consumer models aren't slated to ship out until June 8th, but given that Google handed us one last week during its annual I/O conference, we figured we'd spend the following weekend wisely. You know, photographing, benchmarking and testing this thing to the hilt. (Of note, the unit tested here was the Limited Edition model, devoid of TouchWiz, 3G and a microSD card slot, but is otherwise identical to shipping units aside from the design on the rear.) The Tab 10.1 -- not to be confused with the older, since-relabeled Tab 10.1v -- weighs just 1.31 pounds (marginally besting the iPad 2's 1.33 pound chassis), and if looks could kill, few people would've made it out of Moscone West with all organs functional. But as you well know, style only gets you in the door -- it's the guts, the software, and the marriage of it all that makes or breaks the tablet experience. Hop on past the jump to find out why we think Samsung truly delivered on the promise of a Google-powered tablet, and why you should all seriously consider socking away funds as early June approaches. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition review Hardware and design Zoinks! Jumpin' Jehosaphat! Go on and pick your exclamation of choice -- so long as it entails shock, awe, and pure jubilation, it'll fit the bill here. We'll just come right out and say it: the overall chassis of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is on par with that of the iPad 2, and from a handling standpoint, outclasses Apple's offering. Make no mistake, this marks the first time that we've been able to say that (without reservation) about any non-iOS tablet, and Samsung deserves a whole heaping of laud for doing what no one else seems to be capable of. Allow us to explain. The 0.33-inch thick slate is a hair thinner than the newest edition of the iPad, and while that's all fine, well and good, it's the other aspects that truly push it ahead. Samsung uses a slightly larger 10.1-inch display (compared to the iPad 2's 9.7-inch IPS panel), yet manages to craft a slimmer / taller product that actually weighs less than its primary rival. The Tab 10.1 still comes out feeling astoundingly rigid, and while you could chalk it up to being a personal preference, we're a fan of the aspect ratio here. It's just easier to handle with a single hand, and the extra real estate proves even nicer once you have a gander at the 1280 x 800 screen resolution. Our 32GB WiFi model sports an understated motif, and it's an appreciated step back from the gaudy accents that have flanked a few of those other tablets. The front panel is smothered in gloss, with the LCD flanked by a deep black bezel that -- unfortunately -- serves no other purpose than to give your fingers a spot to rest. Call us crazy, but we'd love if those touch-sensitive edges on the BlackBerry PlayBook were adorning this guy, too. The top bezel is dotted with a 2 megapixel camera, while the edges are surrounded by a matte silver finish. Flipping it on the rear, you'll get an 3 megapixel camera (capable of shooting 720p video), an LED flash and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The top left edge is home to a pronounced power / sleep button and a volume rocker, while the left and right edges are free of oddities outside of a small speaker grille on each side. The rear edge houses a microphone hole as well as Samsung's own dock connector input. We're hearing that the 3G version will have a microSD card slot as well as a SIM slot, and of course, the rear will be a far more subtle black instead of the vanilla Android army populating our review unit. Unlike the G-Slate, the Tab 10.1 remains a bit too wide to actually wrap your hands around (Shaq notwithstanding), but it's balanced enough to handle in one hand and type with the other. The plastic back on the Tab 10.1 is the only real design aspect that's somewhat less premium than on the iPad 2, but if that's what shaved the weight, we guess we can't kvetch too loudly. Still, our backplate remained in tact throughout a gauntlet of TSA inspections, and we've no concerns whatsoever about the build quality there. Internals While the pixel density lags just a bit behind the G-Slate, the 1280 x 800 resolution mates well with the 10.1-inch panel. It's glossy, sure, but what Honeycomb tablet isn't? Despite the shine, this is most certainly one of the nicer mobile displays that we've seen, with colors popping and viewing angles impressing all eight of our friends who gathered around to watch an admittedly bizarre Star Wars - Harry Potter mashup clip. You'll be hard-pressed to find anyone unsatisfied with the display, to be honest, and that's just the start. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is just one of the crowd when it comes to processing power; NVIDIA's Tegra 2 silicon is powering things, with a dual-core 1GHz clock speed keeping things on the up and up. It's worth noting that our Limited Edition unit has 32GB of internal storage capacity... and that's it. There's no microSD card slot, and we're anticipating that all WiFi-only models will ship as such. Sammy's yet to clarify, of course, but those requiring a way to add additional storage should probably keep an eye out for the Tab 10.1 3G. Samsung's media connector is chock full of possibilities. The package ships with a simple USB adapter, but there's always the possibilities of enabling video out, audio out, etc. through optional dongles in the future. As for connectivity? Our unit was equipped with Bluetooth 2.1 and 802.11b/g/n WiFi radios, and we're still playing a wait-and-see game when it comes to 3G. Performance and battery life The 1GHz CPU found here may be ever-so-slightly dated compared to the speed demons found within superphones like the Galaxy S II, but it still runs circles around most everything within Android 3.0. A cold boot took under 20 seconds, and once the lock screen popped up, we were into the camera application and shooting 720p video in under three seconds. Anyone with a mid-range Android phone will attest to the presumed impossibility of that feat, but we swear it happened. Thrice. The capacitive touchpanel was abundantly responsive, with both swiping and pinch-to-zoom actions being recognized immediately and accurately. As far as tablet touch experiences go, the Tab 10.1 delivers one that's world class. We struggled to find ways to slow this guy down, and despite a full day of multitasking, swiping through applications felt as brisk as it did after a fresh reboot. Looking for hard numbers? We've got 'em. We tested the Tab 10.1 using the standard Quadrant benchmark that was also used in our G-Slate and Xoom review, and using an average of six runs, we landed at 1,970. That's a bit more than our in-house Xoom (1,801) and G-Slate (1,879), but somewhat less than the Iconia Tab A500 (2,228). It's worth noting, however, that the Tab 10.1 did indeed soar beyond the 2,300 mark a time or two, leading us to believe that these guys are all performing right around the same, at least from a real-world, noticeability standpoint. As for longevity, it's worth pointing out that the newly trimmed Tab 10.1 packs a 7,000mAh battery, which actually trumps the 6,860mAh battery found in the (now) Tab 10.1v. A slimmer shell with a more capacious battery? Sold! As with most of the Android slates out there, we had no issues getting through a full day of usage, with a healthy mix of TweetDeck checking, email sending, multimedia viewing and digging through the archives of Fail Blog and I Can Has Cheezburger. When we sat down to our video loop test, with WiFi on and display brightness at about 65 percent, we scored just under ten hours. That's second only to the iPad 2, and by merely half an hour. Jack that brightness down a bit, and you could probably squeeze 11 hours out. Battery Life Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 9:55 T-Mobile G-Slate 8:18 Apple iPad 2 10:26 Apple iPad 9:33 Motorola Xoom 8:20 Archos 101 7:20 RIM BlackBerry PlayBook 7:01 Samsung Galaxy Tab 6:09 Dell Streak 7 3:26 While inbuilt speakers -- particularly on tablets -- are rarely ever worth writing home about, we had to give these guys a shot. The Tab 10.1 has a single speaker on both the left and right edges, and while they were more than sufficient for emitting the standard array of bleeps and bloops necessary to alert of us what's going on, they're hardly headphone replacements. Using 'em to emit audio for a voice-driven movie is more sensible than using 'em for audio, but there's a reason Samsung tosses a set of earbuds in with the package -- they're the preferred method of listening. Software We mentioned earlier that we had a tough time getting this guy to stutter, and we're giving at least some credit to the stock v3.0.1 build of Android that's thrown on here. Not that we've got anything against TouchWiz UX, per se, but we've always been big fans of Google's untainted Android experience. If you'll recall, we heard back at CTIA that Sammy would be yanking TouchWiz "in select regions" -- we've a hard time believing that the US is included there, but at least on our LE model, there's only a few instances where Samsung's fingerprints are shown on the software. Outside of the standard applications, we found a copy of QuickOffice HD, Amazon MP3, Amazon Kindle for Android, Movie Studio, Music Hub (a bit pointless given the introduction of Music Beta), Pulse (a feed reader / news gatherer with a rather impressive design layout) and Samsung Apps. While this is most definitely cleared by Google for Android Market access, Samsung Apps is yet another venue for fetching programs for use on the Tab 10.1. It's highly probable that it's simply unpopulated due to us having this tablet a solid month before its general release, but either way, calling what we saw here "underwhelming" is quite the understatement. Beyond that, it's the same Honeycomb we've grown to know and appreciate, at least for a few more weeks. Android 3.1 is already making itself comfortable on Motorola's Xoom, and we're told that this particular slate should see the same update "in the coming weeks." If you're wondering what kind of niceties that'll bring, we'd invite you to have a look at our video hands-on right here. The stock keyboard, as we've mentioned before, is fairly spartan. We'd recommend swapping in SwiftKey as soon as humanly possible, but overall, Honeycomb's basic typing tools are still superior to those found in Froyo and Gingerbread. Of course, the dedicated Gmail app is nothing short of outstanding, and it remains one of the major reasons for heavy Gmail users to stick with Android over any other tablet OS. Camera As with the G-Slate, the camera performance on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 leaves a bit to be desired, but based on what we saw, we'd say it's a slight improvement. Colors didn't wash out as easily, and indoor performance is predictably marred by unhealthy levels of noise. The built-in flash aids in that to an extent, but let's not kid ourselves -- you aren't going to be proud of any of the photos you take on the Tab 10.1, you'll just be somewhat pleased that you captured a moment you may have otherwise missed. Have a look at the gallery below -- we'd say the results are on-par with a lower-level point-and-shoot camera, but actually snapping shots with a giant tablet isn't nearly as easy. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 sample image gallery The 720p movie mode is markedly better, as proven in the video embedded above. Despite having reasonably nice results here, shooting video (and even still images) on a tablet still feels like a fool's game. We were constantly stared at while attempting to capture this footage as discretely as possible, and felt as if we were doing something inherently wrong all the while. Maybe we're just overly worried about our image -- but maybe, just maybe, you shouldn't be using a 10.1-inch slate to take photographs and shoot video. Wrap-up We know, we know -- it's starting to sound like a broken record around here, but would we really be making progress if it didn't? Without qualification, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the best Honeycomb tablet to date, and this time, it's by a country mile. There's simply not another Android 3.0 tablet on the market today that matches the Tab 10.1's style, placing it a lap ahead of the other, more cumbersome Tegra 2-powered alternatives. It's quick, nimble, and easy to hold, and it's both thinner and lighter than the heralded iPad 2. There's no question that we prefer the handling of the Tab 10.1 over Apple's alternative, and with the improvements coming with Android 3.1 (and in time, Ice Cream Sandwich), it's going to be mighty hard to overlook this device come June 8th. The 16GB WiFi model will hit for $499 -- exactly in line with the iPad -- while the 32GB variant will demand $100 more (we're still awaiting word on 3G prices). There's just no other way to say it: the iPad 2 finally has a real competitor. If Samsung could somehow undercut Apple by even $25 here, the choice would be obvious, but it's going to have a whale of a time convincing the masses that a Samsung device is superior to one Designed in California when prices are equal. That said, we'd still recommend the Tab 10.1 over the iPad 2 for heavy Gmail users and all-around fans of Android. And hey, at least this thing can take advantage of Music Beta, if you're into it. Psst... Since this is a developer unit, not available for puchase, we chose not to give this a score.

ExoPlanetSat nanosatellite to begin search for alien worlds next year Posted: 17 May 2011 08:33 AM PDT SETI's search for intelligent life in outer space may be on ice for the time being, but the search for alien planets that may possibly support life of some sort is now being bolstered by a number of new efforts. One of the latest is the so-called ExoPlanetSat nanosatellite developed by MIT and Draper Laboratory, which recently got the go-ahead from NASA's Cubesat Launch Initiative and is now set to hitch a ride into space sometime in 2012. While not quite as "nano" as the SIM card-sized satellites that launched with the Shuttle Endeavor, the smaller-than-a-breadbox ExoPlanetSat is still pretty tiny by satellite standards, yet it packs all the necessary optics and technology required for what's known as transit observation -- that is, monitoring a star for decreases in brightness, which could indicate a planet passing in front of it. What's more, while the launch of a single satellite is plenty to get excited about, the researchers hope that it lead the way for a whole fleet of similar nanosatellites that could greatly speed up the search for planets.

Sony Ericsson ST18i and CK15i blurrily leak their way onto message boards Posted: 17 May 2011 08:04 AM PDT The last time we saw Sony Ericsson's Azusa, it was just a lonely blue line on a bar graph. Now it seems as if our little mystery handset might've actually become a real smartphone. There weren't a ton of specs to go off from that original leak, though the ST18i's 854 x 480 resolution does match up. Also on-board, according to this new info: Gingerbread, an 8MP camera, and an ARM Cortex-A8 1GHz Processor. The Esato message board also seems to have gotten its hands an ad featuring the CK15i, a keyboard-equipped slider phone with a 240 x 400 3.3-inch display. Add the recently leaked Cyber-Shot phone, and it's shaping up to be a nice, blurry year for Sony Ericsson. Image of the CK15i after the break.

AT&T bringing red HTC Inspire 4G to Radio Shack, purple Evo Shift to follow? Posted: 17 May 2011 07:41 AM PDT Why, yes, that is a red HTC Inspire 4G you're looking at. A friendly tipster provided us with these dummy unit images, adding that AT&T is planning to launch the jazzy model at Radio Shack. No word yet on when that'll actually happen, nor do we know how much they'll cost when it does. Our same source claims that a purple Evo Shift is also making its way to the Shack, so you know where to go to get your flashy phone fix this summer. [Thanks, Dave]

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play hits Verizon for $200 on-contract, in stores May 26th Posted: 17 May 2011 07:17 AM PDT It may not have been the first in the world to get it, but Verizon can now at least claim to be the first US carrier to offer the long fabled, oft-leaked PlayStation Phone, otherwise known as the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. It will be available for pre-order on the carrier's website starting May 19th, and be available in stores on May 26th for the usual $199.99 on a two-year contract. That, of course, gets you the first PlayStation Certified handset with console-style controls -- a real D-pad and PlayStation face and shoulder buttons, plus a pair of miniature touchpads for dual-analog gameplay on the go. You'll also get seven games pre-loaded on the device (including Madden NFL 11 and The Sims 3) but, as we saw in our recent hands-on with the Verizon version of the phone, you won't get Sony Ericsson's custom skin -- the carrier has instead opted for a mostly stock UI with only some SE wallpapers and widgets. As Verizon also notes, those opting for the phone will have to sign up for both a Nationwide Talk plan and a smartphone data package as well, the former of which start at $39.99 a month, while an unlimited data plan will run you $29.99. Head on past the break for the full press release. Show full PR text Verizon Wireless and Sony Ericsson Take Mobile Gaming to the Next Level With the Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY The World's First PlayStation® Certified Smartphone Combines PlayStation®-Quality Gaming Experience with the Latest Android Smartphone Technology BASKING RIDGE, N.J., May 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Take conference calls, send emails and win football's biggest game, all on one device. The Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY, for Verizon Wireless, redefines mobile gaming by combining all the features customers expect from a fully-featured smartphone with the ultimate gaming experience. Powered by Android™ 2.3, Gingerbread, the Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY will come pre-loaded with seven game titles, including Madden NFL 11 (EA Sports), Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior (Digital Legends), Asphalt 6: Adrenaline (Gameloft), The Sims 3 (EA), Star Battalion (Gameloft), Crash Bandicoot (Sony PlayStation) and Tetris. Customers can expand their video game library with more than 50 game titles available at launch for download via V CAST Apps. Customers easily become gamers with the slide out game pad revealing a directional keypad, dual analog touch joystick, two shoulder buttons and the four iconic PlayStation® symbol keys: circle, X, square and triangle. Additional Features: 1 GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon® II processor with Adreno 205 GPU Adobe® Flash® Player 4-inch multi-touch display 5-megapixel rear-facing camera VGA front-facing camera for still shots and video chatting 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™ Mobile hotspot capability– share 3G connection with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices Pricing and Availability: The Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY will be available for pre-order online at www.verizonwireless.com beginning May 19 and in stores on May 26 for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement. Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY customers will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan and a smartphone data package. Nationwide Talk plans begin at $39.99 for monthly access and an unlimited smartphone data plan is $29.99 for monthly access. Game Developers: The gaming experience can only get better as additional games are being created. Developers have the flexibility to focus on content and not worry about binary file sizes when submitting apps to V CAST Apps. Developers can visit http://developer.verizon.com/play for additional information about game development for the Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY. For more 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. To learn more about the Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY, visit www.sonyericsson.com. About Verizon Wireless Verizon Wireless operates the nation's fastest, most advanced 4G network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 104 million total wireless connections, including more than 88 million retail customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 85,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia. About Sony Ericsson Sony Ericsson celebrates its 10th year as a joint venture between Sony Corporation and Ericsson in October, 2011. Over the years the company has brought together the best communication technologies with superior entertainment user experiences to create its Xperia™ line of the 'most entertaining smartphones' in the mobile handset industry. With its global corporate functions in London, Sony Ericsson has sales and marketing operations in all major regions of the world, as well as manufacturing in China, and product development sites in China, Japan, Sweden and Silicon Valley, California. For more information, please visit: www.sonyericsson.com/press.

Fully working Super8 film projector built totally out of Lego, well almost (video) Posted: 17 May 2011 06:31 AM PDT Projecting Super8 film is a largely unnecessary hassle these days, but those words are clearly meaningless to camera nut Friedemann Wachsmuth. His painstakingly constructed Lego projector runs at a rickety 24fps without mangling celluloid, and with only the most minor use of non-Lego components (lens, lamp, spindles, bah who's counting?). The contraption serves no purpose other than to hurl photons of pure geek passion at white-ish walls, and previous Lego viewfinders and shutter releases are mere pecks on the cheek by comparison. Turn up your volume before you hit the video because the rattliness of this thing is all part of the love.

Fox's latest anti-AllVid FCC filing suggests new pay-TV service is coming to gaming consoles Posted: 17 May 2011 06:11 AM PDT Forgotten what AllVid is already? Click here for more detail on the standard companies like Google and Sony are fighting for that would potentially let users directly access cable or satellite TV streams without a box. As one of the media companies trying to convince the FCC that the new AllVid replacement for CableCARD is unnecessary, Fox recently called the FCC and informed it of negotiations with a pay-TV service that wanted to license channels and VOD for streaming to videogame consoles. Even as it frets over Time Warner's TWCable iPad app, the filing suggests there's plenty of innovation going on and availability of content for consumer electronics devices already. Of course, pending any regulatory decisions we can only wonder which consoles or providers could be involved (our money is on the aforementioned Time Warner, but Cablevision, Comcast and all the rest are working on technology of their own, while AT&T finally brought its U-Verse to the Xbox here in the US last fall) but this should keep the rumor mill going until something is actually announced.

HTC EVO 3D pre-orders begin today at RadioShack, but launch date remains unknown Posted: 17 May 2011 05:49 AM PDT As of today, May 17th, RadioShack is starting to take pre-orders for HTC's mighty EVO 3D. You'll have to ask for it specifically, as this won't be an advertised undertaking, and you'll also need to swallow the cost of a $50 RadioShack Gift Card for the privilege. Moreover, the company makes sure to inform employees that the launch date for this Sprint-bound smartphone is still unknown -- meaning that what you're really signing up for is a glorified reservation. Still, if the retailers are stirring, we can't imagine the wait for actual stock will be lasting too much longer. [Thanks, Sulfer and Anonymous]

Blood turbine to power your pacemaker, become legendary band name Posted: 17 May 2011 05:37 AM PDT Why bother with risky battery-changing surgical operations when your own cardiovascular system can provide all the power your heart-shocking pacemaker will ever need? Engineers at Switzerland's University of Bern have been working on tiny turbines; turbines small enough, in fact, to fit inside a human artery. Working like a blood powered hydroelectric generator, a working prototype -- tested in a simulated artery -- has been able to produce 800 microwatts of electricity. That's roughly eighty times the power required to power the average pacemaker; such a device could provide independent, sustainable power to neurostimulators, blood-pressure sensors, and other implanted medical gizmos. Researchers are concerned, however, that a blood turbine's adding agitation of blood flow might lead to clotting, and are continuing to tweak and rework the design to minimize this risk. Similar, but unrelated cardiovascular power designs have attempted to alleviate the concern by doing away with the rotating, fluid powered components, opting to generate electricity by oscillating magnets by utilizing changes in blood pressure -- which sounds awesome, but still falls shy of "blood turbine," in the contest for most Metal medical device.

Crapgadget: 'atrocious amalgam' edition Posted: 17 May 2011 05:15 AM PDT Sure, it may not be as functional as a 3 megapixel camera conspicuously disguised as a magnetic cat, but what could be more secure than an oversized pseudo-padlock thumbdrive? Not your style? Well, surely you have use for a new towel, complete with iPhone pocket? No? Might you enjoy re-training yourself to breathe while basking in the glow of your iPod-ready black light? Fine. Negative Nancy (shown above). We'll just leave you to your USB-warmed coffee and rage relief button. When you're ready to come out and play, hit up the links below to help us crown the king of crappy combos. Read - Brando Flash Drive (Looks like a padlock!) Read - USB cup warmer (with a massive 56-inch USB cable!) Read - A black light -- with an iPod dock! Read - Visualizing pulse meter (for learning how to breathe!) Read - Gym towel iPhone pocket! Read - The unfortunate offspring of the Staples Easy Button's sordid love affair with a stress ball. Crapgadget: which makes the others look awful-er? Brando Flash Drive (Looks like a padlock!)USB cup warmer (with a massive 56-inch usb cable!)A black light -- with an ipod dock!Visualizing pulse meter (for learning how to breathe!)Gym towel iPhone pocket!The unfortunate offspring of the Staples Easy Button's sordid love affair with a stress ball.

Mizzou Professor says nantenna solar sheet soaks up 90 percent of the sun's rays, puts sunscreen to shame Posted: 17 May 2011 04:48 AM PDT Photovoltaics suffer from gross inefficiency, despite incremental improvements in their power producing capabilities. According to research by a team led by a University of Missouri professor, however, newly developed nantenna-equipped solar sheets can reap more than 90 percent of the sun's bounty -- which is more than double the efficiency of existing solar technologies. Apparently, some "special high-speed electrical circuitry" is the secret sauce behind the solar breakthrough. Of course, the flexible film is currently a flight of fancy and won't be generating juice for the public anytime soon. The professor and his pals still need capital for commercialization, but they believe a product will be ready within five years. Take your time, guys, it's not like global warming's getting worse. [Image source: Idaho National Laboratory (PDF)] This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Xperia Play shipment to New Zealand stolen, Vodafone launch delayed Posted: 17 May 2011 04:14 AM PDT As if Sony Ericsson hasn't already had enough headaches with the Xperia Play, here comes Vodafone New Zealand with the announcement that its launch shipment of the gamer-friendly smartphone has been... stolen! We don't know how many Xperia Plays were in those crates, but it must take a pretty sophisticated operation to snatch up all of Voda's supply for an entire country. This slight hitch in transportation follows an unexplained delay in shipments reaching the UK last month, and will compound shortages already caused by limited production capacity in Japan. Man, imagine how terrible this news might have been if the Play actually had any games worth playing.

Acer postpones Iconia Tab A100 launch to second half of the year Posted: 17 May 2011 03:39 AM PDT Looks like Acer's 7-inch Iconia Tab A100 has opted for a fashionably late entrance. We've just been informed by the company that its Honeycomb-sporting, Tegra 2-powered slate will not be arriving, as had been expected, right around now, but will in fact make its debut in the second half of 2011. No reasons have been given for the move, other than to say that the device has been postponed. The thing that prompted us to query Acer's PR team was a report out of Poland suggesting the A100 had been cancelled. Acer's UK reps are adamant that's not been the case, but anyone who was looking forward to grabbing one soon will be disappointed either way.

Slingbox inventor releases Crestron R2 Control App for Android, teases something big Posted: 17 May 2011 03:21 AM PDT Own a professionally installed Crestron home automation system? Then check this out mister moneybags. Former Sling boxer, Blake Krikorian, has turned his home automation hobby into a full-fledged Android app ready for download. The R2 Control App will set you back $99 (hey, it's Crestron) from the Android Market and give you control over your 2-Series and 3-series systems from anywhere in the world via WiFi or cellular data networks. At least it will after an authorized Crestron programmer enables it. The app works natively with Mobile Pro / Pro G projects built for Crestron touchscreen or iOS devices and automatically resizes the UI to the native resolution of the Android device you're using. Great, we guess, but what we find most compelling is what Blake teases about the future. We had a chat with the Slingbox inventor who shares our concerns about the current state of home automation and believes that the industry is "on the brink of something big" that could finally take it to the mass market. Given his entrepreneurial lineage and clear home automation interests, we're more than a bit intrigued by where this might go now that Blake and Google are in the mix. Show full PR text Slingbox® Inventor and Crestron Collaborate to Bring Android OS support to the Crestron platform R2 Control App For Android is Now Available San Mateo, CA, May 17, 2011 – Slingbox® inventor, Blake Krikorian and Crestron today announced the release of R2 Control™ for Crestron, a software app that turns virtually any Android® smartphone or tablet into a fully-functional Crestron touch panel for residential and commercial applications. Utilizing R2 and Crestron processors, customers can now control AV, lighting, thermostats, security systems, and thousands of other products via their Android device from anywhere in the world. R2 was initially unveiled at Crestron's booth at CEDIA Expo last September. Since then, R2 conducted a seven month private beta test program consisting of hundreds of residential, commercial and government Crestron-authorized integrators from around the world. The input from this beta team helped R2 achieve an industrial-strength solution that is compatible with a multitude of Android devices. R2 was developed by id8 Group Productions, a product development and technology lab. Co-founder and inventor of Emmy award-winning Slingbox, Blake Krikorian founded id8 Group Holdings (parent company of id8 Group Productions) in 1999. R2 is the first product developed by id8 Group since the Slingbox was spun out in 2004 to form Sling Media, Inc. Sling Media was subsequently acquired by Echostar in 2007. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with an innovator like Blake and become the first control system provider to officially support Android," says Fred Bargetzi, Crestron VP of Technology. "Many of our customers have been requesting Android interoperability in addition to our currently supported third party OS platforms such as iOS, MAC OSX and Windows." Krikorian initially conceived of R2 for his own use. "In addition to being able to control aspects of my home via Crestron remote controls and iOS devices, I really wanted to be able to use my new Android-based phone," says Krikorian. "Additionally, I desired a software platform would allow me to further optimize the home control experience for general purpose smartphones and tablets, beyond the industry's current state of the art. R2 and Android provides the flexibility to do just that." "We first got to know Blake when he was researching potential control systems for his home. In addition to being our customer, it is exciting to now have him as a partner who is helping to make our platforms even more successful," adds Bargetzi. R2 Key Features For more product information on R2 Control, visit the R2 product page on Creston's website at www.crestron.com. For sales information, please visit the Android Market from your Android device or visit the R2 product page on the Android Market website from any web browser. For volume sales, please send email to sales@r2control.com Communicates with Crestron 2-Series and 3-Series control systems via WiFi and cellular network Controls multiple systems/homes from one Android device No new learning curve: R2 utilizes the same Crestron development tools that have been used for years by Crestron-authorized integrators and programmers. R2 touch panel projects can be created using tools such as VTPro, System Builder, D3 and System SIMPL Windows. Compatible with Mobile Pro/Mobile Pro G™ apps: runs projects created for iOS devices without the need to recompile. Tailored device features for home control: ability to disable screen unlock requirement; device's built-in proximity sensor can automatically wake device Automatic project UI scaling: resizes Mobile Pro and Mobile Pro G projects to the native resolution of any Android device Optimized performance for Android: takes advantage of Android's multitasking and flexibility to deliver an experience optimized for home and building control Support for multiple and custom resolutions: in addition to R2's built-in UI display scalar, an upcoming VTPro add-on (coming soon) from Crestron enables developers to optionally create pixel-perfect projects for any screen size.

BlackBerry PlayBook coming to the UK on June 16th, 16GB model costs £400 Posted: 17 May 2011 02:43 AM PDT Brits eager for a taste of the first 7-inch BlackBerry device have just under a month of anticipation left to go. UK retailers have today revealed the date and prices at which they'll be selling RIM's PlayBook: depending on how much integrated storage you want, you'll have to pay up £400 (16GB), £480 (32GB), or £560 (64GB) for your slate, starting from June 16th. Aside from the gigabytes, you'll be getting the gigahertz too, with a dual-core 1,000MHz TI OMAP4430 processor keeping the PlayBook's insides warm and its outsides responsive. Availability will be widespread, with Carphone Warehouse, Phones 4u, Insight, and Best Buy UK having already announced they'll be stocking the tablet. You can even hit up the source links now and lay down some cash to secure your pre-order. Show full PR text PHONES 4u TO LAUNCH BLACKBERRY PLAYBOOK TABLET ON 16TH JUNE LONDON, UK. 17TH MAY 2011: Leading mobile retailer for the youth market Phones 4u today announced that it will be carrying the highly anticipated BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet from Research In Motion (RIM) from 16th June 2011. The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet with 16 GB and built-in Wi-Fi® connectivity will be available from all Phones 4u stores and online for £399.95. The 64 GB model with Wi-Fi will be available online only and priced at £559.95. You can find out more about the high performance BlackBerry® PlayBook™ and pre-order yours from today via the Phones 4u website. BlackBerry PlayBook is the world's first professional-grade tablet. It features an ultra-portable design and delivers industry leading performance, uncompromised web browsing with support for Adobe® Flash® Player, true multitasking, HD multimedia, advanced security features, out-of-the-box enterprise support and a robust development environment.

HTC Puccini touted as a 10-inch LTE tablet with 1.5GHz processor, Honeycomb flavor Posted: 17 May 2011 02:18 AM PDT Hey look, the Flyer just got itself a bigger brother. A 10-inch tablet codenamed the HTC Puccini has been revealed by our old buddy 911sniper (who has a habit of finding and leaking HTC ROMs), living up to a longstanding rumor that places two 10-inch Android slates on HTC's roadmap for this summer. It's said to pack LTE for Cingular (AT&T) in the US and to be built atop Android 3.0.1. A dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8660 offers plenty of processing power and screen resolution should match the 10-inch pack with 1280 x 800 pixels. Gazing at the above screenshot reveals a UI very similar to the Flyer's Sense 3.0 look, including the Notes app being in a prime position, which could very well mean Magic Pen compatibility will also be part of the Puccini's arsenal. You'll know more about this as soon as we do.

20 gigapixel, 360-degree panorama of Wembley Stadium is among world's largest, most detailed Posted: 17 May 2011 01:31 AM PDT Jeffrey Martin is a busy man. Having already shot an 80 gigapixel panorama of London's skyline and a 40 gigapixel peek inside a Czech library, he has now turned his attention to England's hallowed Wembley Stadium. The recently rebuilt home of football served as the stage for a new 360-degree panorama, shot during the FA Cup Final this Saturday, which spans 10 20 gigapixels in total and has been made available online at the source link below. Recording was done using a DSLR mounted to a custom robot rig that would continually pump out imagery to an equally exclusive Fujitsu workstation equipped with 192GB of RAM and 24 processing cores. All that grunt was used to automatically stitch more than 1,000 high-res images together, earning the finished product the honor of being one of the world's largest 360-degree sports panoramic photos. Give the source a bash to tag yourself if you were at the Final or to check who else was there. [Thanks, Adam] Update: We originally had this at 10 gigapixel, going from information on the FA's website, but it turns out to be a 20 gigapixel pic. Its claim for being the largest sports panorama may actually be disputed by Essendon FC in Australia, who managed to pull together a 20 gigapixel image of their own at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in late April. You can see that jumbo pic here, or check out a couple more from Daytona and the NCAA Final Four this year.

Pandigital's 7-inch Planet e-reader hits the FCC with Android, virus protection Posted: 17 May 2011 12:58 AM PDT Pandigital's contributions to the e-reader market may have been largely forgettable thus far, but that hasn't stopped the company from churning out new models and hoping something sticks. The latest is the Planet, a 7-inch, Android-based reader that just passed muster with the FCC. According to the filing, it'll connect to Barnes & Noble's e-book store and come bundled with various apps, including Facebook, QuickSuite Viewer, and -- surprise! -- virus protection. And though it'll run some unspecified version of Android, you'll have to download apps through the third-party store SlideMe, since the e-reader predictably won't have Market access. Rounding out the spec list are a WiFi radio, HDMI output, and front- and rear-facing cameras. No word on pricing or availability, but let's just hope it's less buggy than some other readers Pandigital has made.

Slacker intros Premium Radio subscription service, makes Radio Plus look like Basic Radio Posted: 17 May 2011 12:01 AM PDT Internet radio provider Slacker is bulldozing the thin line dividing itself from subscription-based music services today, with the launch of Premium Radio. The new pricing tier joins the existing gratis Basic Radio and ad-free Radio Plus plans, adding an all-you-can-eat music model akin to services like Rhapsody and Rdio. Subscribers who shell out $9.99 a month receive all of the features of the $3.99 Radio Plus users, plus unlimited access to eight million songs, letting them listen to what they want, when the want, and generally play god with the site's existing radio services. Premium Radio also gives you on- and offline access to music on a number of mobile devices, including the iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Android, and BlackBerry handsets -- not to mention unlimited bragging rights to all of your broke friends who are still rocking the Basic Radio plan. Don't feel too bad for 'em, though -- at least they didn't get suckered into slotRadio. Show full PR text Slacker Radio Launches Slacker Premium with On-Demand Access to Slacker Music Library SAN DIEGO – May, 17 2011 – Slacker, Inc. today launched Slacker Premium Radio, a new tier of service that provides music lovers with on-demand access to the Slacker music library including individual songs, albums, top charts, station playlists, single- artist radio stations and more. Slacker Premium takes the power, functionality and music discovery that Slacker Radio provides and combines it with the flexibility of integrated on-demand access for a new tier of service that provides the best of all worlds. Slacker Premium is available today on the web, and as new applications for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Android and BlackBerry smartphones. The new applications deliver features for all listeners, including free listeners, subscribers to Slacker Radio Plus and now subscribers to Slacker Premium Radio. With the launch of Slacker Premium Radio, Slacker becomes the first music service to deliver three complementary tiers. From the entirely free Slacker Basic Radio service, to the ad-free and feature-rich Slacker Radio Plus and now on-demand access with Slacker Premium Radio, Slacker meets the needs of all music fans. Whether listeners prefer a superior free personal radio experience or the power of a fully-loaded music subscription service, Slacker is the only offering to provide the full suite of options. Slacker Premium Radio enables listeners to search, play and replay specific songs and entire albums from the Slacker library, which features over 8 million songs, as well as easy access to top songs and artists from each of the 150+ expert-programmed Slacker genre stations. Listeners also have the ability to create specific playlists both on mobile and on the web, and even experience off-line playback through the ability to cache stations, playlists and entire albums. A new Slacker station creator provides all listeners the ability to quickly and easily create multi-artist stations, with custom fine-tuning features for the perfect radio experience. All Slacker listeners also have the ability to create a radio experience ranging from stations based on a single artist to stations created by entering hundreds of hand-picked artists. In addition, Slacker Premium listeners can create and enjoy stations that will only play songs from a single chosen artist or band. In addition to the ability to search the entire Slacker catalog, the new Slacker Premium Radio service gives listeners more ways to browse stations than ever before, allowing an even deeper music discovery experience. Listeners can now browse expert hand- programmed genre stations to search and play top artists, view and play top songs and albums, allowing behind the scenes access to the "Top 50" charts for every station. The Slacker Premium Radio interface also includes all-new artist pages, featuring the artist biography, all songs by the artist, discography and related artists in addition to displaying on which Slacker stations each artist is programmed, for the ultimate artist access. "Up until this point there has been an array of 'Internet radio' and 'on-demand' services with much debate about which is better from a content, experience and technology perspective," said Jonathan Sasse, senior vice president of marketing at Slacker. "Slacker Premium Radio provides music lovers with the best of both. We believe the combination of a world class radio service providing music discovery up front with on-demand access to any song and entire albums is the winning combo." Slacker Radio offers a fully customizable and personal online radio experience that includes the most varied and compelling range of content offered by any Internet radio service. The Slacker Radio experience includes over 150 expert-programmed music stations, ABC news, comedy, custom artist-hosted showcase stations and leading music festival stations along with personalized ESPN Sports content integration coming soon. With a music catalog that is over ten times larger than the leading radio competitor, Slacker Radio gives listeners the ultimate music discovery resource. Slacker Premium Radio: • Search, play and replay specific songs or entire albums • Create specific playlists on mobile and on the web • Off-line playback of stations, playlists and albums on the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, Android and BlackBerry smartphones • Replay specific songs on programmed and custom stations • Browse and play "Favorite" songs, now collected in one location • Unlimited song skipping • Ad-free listening • Complete song lyrics† • Browse Top Charts on all Slacker genre stations • "Peek Ahead" artist, album and song preview • Ability to skip forward and backward

Motorola Droid X 2 turns up on Moto and Verizon sites, confirms qHD screen and 1GHz dual-core processor Posted: 16 May 2011 11:17 PM PDT Hey Motorola, your unannounced phone is showing. The Droid X 2 is spending this morning hanging out on the bright and airy support pages of motorola.com, though you may also spot it sneakily listed alongside some compatible accessories on vzw.com as well. Yes, the leaks are now happening from official sources, too, indicating an imminent landing for what we've confirmed to be a dual-core 1GHz Android smartphone with qHD resolution on a 4.3-inch display. Those long-rumored specs were revealed by the Droid X 2's user guide, which Moto has kindly provided at the link below. So thoughtful! [Thanks, 3vil]

E Ink and Epson to co-develop 9.7-inch high-res 300ppi electronic paper display Posted: 16 May 2011 10:47 PM PDT It's pretty obvious that this year's SID Display Week is shaping up to be a stage for the 300ppi extravaganza -- Samsung and LG were first to announce their latest high pixel density LCDs, and then Toshiba chimed in with its 367ppi LCD for cellphones. Fortunately, fans of ePaper will also have something to look forward to here, as E Ink Holdings and Epson have just announced the co-development of a 300ppi ePaper display. To be exact, E Ink will be in charge of producing the sharp-looking 9.68-inch 2,400 x 1,650 display panel, whereas Epson will take care of the high-speed display controller platform to go with E Ink's part. No availability has been announced just yet, but stay tuned for our eyes-on impression at the show. Show full PR text E Ink and Epson Achieve World-Leading ePaper Resolution - TOKYO, Japan, and HSINCHU, Taiwan, May 17, 2011 - E Ink Holdings Inc. and Seiko Epson Corporation ("Epson") today announced the joint development of a 300-dpi electronic paper device with razor-sharp text and images for ePaper Document Readers. Combining E Ink's high-resolution ePaper display and Epson's high-speed display controller platform, the new device will enable the world's highest resolution ePaper tablets. With sharply improved readability and ease-of-use the ePaper Document Reader is expected to catch on in business and education settings where huge amounts of data have to be processed, as well as in countries that use character-based text, including Japan and China. Thin, lightweight, energy-efficient eReaders with easy-to-read, paper-like displays have won over consumers, who are snapping up ePaper devices in unprecedented numbers, causing the market to surge. Demand has also been on the rise in business and education, market segments that require exactly what ePaper provides: the fast and accurate display of enormous amounts of information. Applications in these segments demand higher resolution than that offered by today's 160-dpi displays due to the need to crisply render, with smooth gradations, engineering diagrams, illustrations, Asian characters, and other fine or intricate content. These market segments also demand faster page navigation and sophisticated user interfaces to allow instant viewing of vast amounts of data. "As the adoption of eReaders continues to rise worldwide, the opportunities for our EPD technology are expanding in new market segments including business and education," said Scott Liu, chairman of E Ink. "We continue to improve E Ink's technology to meet the demands of our customers and the needs of consumers, and this new EPD delivers the low power, sunlight readability and thin, lightweight form factor users have come to expect from E Ink at an even higher resolution." "We developed this device specifically to meet the high data demands of business and academia," said Torao Yajima, managing director at Epson. "Our IC controller and processing power enables the display to handle large files while maintaining the excellent display control and operability found in today's EPDs, including fast page navigation and a sophisticated user interface." Epson's high speed controller platform is an ideal choice for developers who wish to develop high resolution eTablets with ease and within a very short period. The respective roles of E Ink and Epson and the products they offer are described below. E Ink E Ink will manufacture, sell and support the newly developed 300-dpi ePaper displays, which measure 9.68 inches on the diagonal and have 2,400 x 1,650 pixels. These paper-like, high-resolution displays demonstrate in full the very best features of ePaper: crisp and clear text and images on an easy-on-the-eyes screen, a thin and light form factor, and ultra-low power consumption. Epson Epson will manufacture, sell and support a high-resolution, high-speed display controller platform optimized for controlling E Ink's high-resolution display. Leveraging Epson's experience with image processing technology developed for photo-quality printers, the display controller platform combines a display controller IC, applications processor, system power management IC, and firmware to provide excellent display control and improved operability. Moving forward, E Ink and Epson plan to continue collaborating to promote the popularization of ePaper based devices in the business and education markets by developing technology, expanding and upgrading the product lineup, and providing customer support. Exhibition plans High-resolution e-paper device The jointly developed device will be on display at the E Ink booth at SID, to be held in Los Angeles from May 15 to 20.

GreenChip lighting lets you flip the switch remotely, thumbs nose at IPv4 depletion Posted: 16 May 2011 10:02 PM PDT Despite the looming IPv4 apocalypse, a new lighting system coming out of NXP Semiconductors promises an "IP address for every light bulb." The GreenChip "smart lighting solution" incorporates NXP chipsets into both LED and compact fluorescents to enable dimming, extended lifespans, quick start times, and IP connectivity -- via IPv4 or IPv6. Proprietary network software allows users to control their bulbs from smartphones, PCs, and other devices, enabling them to fiddle with mood lighting -- including adjusting color -- via a specific IP address. So at least when IPv4 doomsday finally descends someone will have their lighting just right. Video and PR after the break. Show full PR text An Internet Address for Every Light Bulb NXP's GreenChip Smart Lighting Solution Opens an Entirely New Dimension in Energy Efficient Lighting EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS--(Marketwire - May 16, 2011) - What if every light bulb had its own unique Internet IP address? The possibilities are endless: You could monitor, manage and control every light bulb from any Internet-enabled device -- turning lights on and off individually, dimming or creating scenes from your smartphone, tablet, PC or TV -- to save energy as well as electricity costs. Your "smart lighting" network could have dozens or even hundreds of appliances connected through a wireless network designed for maximum energy savings, communicating information about their environment, about power consumption levels, and alerting you to any problems. Today, NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ: NXPI) is introducing its GreenChip™ smart lighting solution that makes the Internet-enabled, energy-efficient lighting network a reality -- not only for businesses, but also for consumers trying to make the most of energy savings in the home. Beginning tomorrow at LIGHTFAIR International, NXP and partners TCP and GreenWave Reality will be showcasing a consumer-ready, Internet-enabled Smart Lighting network powered by the GreenChip smart lighting solution in the NXP booth (no. 2823) and TCP booth (no. 2659). "The GreenChip smart lighting solution signals a fundamental shift in the way we interact with lights -- at home, in the office, even outdoors," said John Croteau, senior vice president and general manager, power lighting solutions and high performance RF, NXP Semiconductors. "By bringing together wireless IP connectivity with our energy-efficient lighting and power conversion technologies in a compact, low-cost solution, we are transforming the way we design, control and manage lights. For individual consumers, Smart Lighting means highly personalized, intelligent lighting environments -- lights that turn on and off when and where you need them, at the desired level of brightness -- while saving power and electricity costs. Our smart lighting solution also brings us one step closer to the 'Internet of Things' -- a world in which every home appliance can be monitored and controlled via an IP address -- at a very compelling price point for consumers." GreenChip Smart Lighting Technology NXP's GreenChip smart lighting solution reduces the requisite electronics to the size, cost and power consumption to fit in an everyday light bulb. It brings together wireless IP connectivity, energy-efficient lighting and low standby power (down to 50mW) in a compact, low-cost solution, which enables new ways to control lights and manage energy consumption. The GreenChip smart lighting solution is available in two versions -- GreenChip iCFL for compact fluorescents and GreenChip iSSL for LEDs -- and currently includes: The GreenChip iCFL or GreenChip iSSL chipsets, which function as highly efficient, dimmable drivers for smart lamps An ultra-low-power standby supply controller with 10mW no-load capability; standby power is particularly critical in smart lighting applications where lamps are continuously "listening" for the command from the user and/or network A 2.4-GHz IEEE 802.15.4 standard-compatible wireless microcontroller with a Tx/Rx current below 17mA Low-power, IP-based wireless connectivity enabled by JenNet-IP network layer software JenNet-IP Network Drives Home and Industrial Connectivity GreenChip-enabled light bulbs will be able to operate on the same wireless sensor networks consumers may be using at home for energy metering, smart appliances and security systems. NXP's JenNet-IP network layer software provides the ultra-low-power wireless connectivity in the GreenChip smart lighting solution. JenNet-IP is a 6LoWPAN mesh-under tree network with low memory footprint, specifically targeting low-power IEEE 802.15.4-based networking for residential and industrial applications. Based on NXP's proven JenNet network protocol stack, JenNet-IP provides a highly robust self-healing tree network proven at over 500 nodes, supporting IPv4 and IPv6 with over-network upgradability. JenNet-IP is highly secure, offering 128-bit AES encryption with secure authentication and device joining, and will be made available under an Open Source license in Q4 2011. Smart Lighting Ecosystem TCP, a leading manufacturer of CFL and LED lamps in North America, has been an early adopter of Smart Lighting technology, and is using the GreenChip smart lighting solution for both its CFL and LED lamps. "Driving new ideas for energy-efficient lighting is in our DNA. Through our proprietary technology and innovations such as our TruStart™ and TruDim™ CFLs which build on custom TCP GreenChip CFL drivers from NXP, we're able to match the quality of light and user experience of an incandescent lamp with up to 20,000 hours of life. As a next step, we are developing Internet-enabled CFL and LED bulbs accessible to mainstream consumers and commercial applications," said Ellis Yan, CEO, TCP. GreenWave Reality is introducing a breakthrough intelligent lighting control and management solution based on the GreenChip smart lighting solution. GreenWave Reality's IP-based platform wirelessly connects GreenChip-enabled bulbs, running JenNet-IP software, to provide users with a feature-rich lighting application. The application can be used stand-alone or as part GreenWave Reality's innovative energy management solution. The GreenWave Reality solution benefits both consumers and commercial customers by allowing them to save energy and simplify their lives by adding lighting Smart Controls. For instance, consumers can dim or turn lights on and off using Home, Away, and Night Smart Controls from any combination of devices such as a PC, smartphone, and even a TV. The GreenWave Reality solution further simplifies consumers' lives by extending the lighting Smart Controls to work with sensors without requiring any re-wiring of the home. As an example, a Smart Control can adjust indoor lighting according to outdoor lighting conditions. Other Smart Controls can automatically turn lights off when no one is in a room. Similarly, these advancements are extended to commercial and hospitality customers who can reduce ongoing lighting and related maintenance costs with this advanced lighting control system. "Consumers and commercial customers now can easily and cost effectively reduce their energy consumption associated with lighting, saving them money, simplifying their lives, and making a positive impact on the environment," said Greg Memo, CEO, GreenWave Reality. "GreenWave Reality -- in conjunction with the GreenChip smart lighting solution -- redefines lighting by providing an advanced control and management solution built on a scalable, IP-based platform."

Eole concept watch has turbine bezel, shows time when you blow (video) Posted: 16 May 2011 08:14 PM PDT Traditional electronic watches may be practical, but there's nothing elegant about battery power. With the Eole watch concept, designer Julien Moise envisioned a device that's powered by blown air, displaying the time only when you want to see it. Sure, compulsively blowing on your watch in a meeting is less discreet than sneaking a peek under the table, but you'll still have your BlackBerry around for when you need to count down the minutes until freedom. There's also a weather indicator and alarm function, so we assume there's a battery in there that's doing more than keeping time -- an alarm that only sounds when you blow wouldn't work too well if you're asleep.

Philips EnduraLED A21 bulb offers bright light for big bucks Posted: 16 May 2011 07:39 PM PDT If the expected price tag for Philips' latest LED light bulb is any indication, a brighter tomorrow won't come cheap. The "75W replacement," known as the EnudraLED A21, apparently reduces energy by 80 percent, lasts 25 times longer than its conventional counterpart, and is expected to cost between $40 and $45. Given that's significantly less expensive than the outfit's 60W equivalent, but for us regular folks, that's not exactly a drop in the bucket. However, if you're picking up what Philips is laying down, the bulb -- which uses a mere 17 watts of electricity to beam 1,100 lumens -- could save the US 5,220 megawatts of electricity and $630,000,000 annually (if we all switch over tomorrow). That certainly sounds good, but somehow we doubt a $45 light bulb is going to be the incandescent killer. Full PR after the break. Show full PR text Philips to unveil the world's first LED replacement for the 75-watt light bulb May 16, 2011 Philadelphia, USA – Royal Philips Electronics (AEX: PHI, NYSE: PHG), the industry leader in LED lighting solutions, will unveil the Philips EnduraLED A21 17-watt light bulb tomorrow at the LIGHTFAIR® International tradeshow, May 17-19, 2011. Designed to replace a 75-watt incandescent bulb, while reducing energy consumption by 80% and lasting 25 times longer, the Philips EnduraLED A21 17-watt marks another important milestone in LED lighting technology for everyday use. "We continue to test the boundaries of LED innovation with exciting products that provide energy efficiency, ambiance and extraordinary reliability," said Ed Crawford, General Manager of Lamps for Philips Lighting North America. "Once again we have demonstrated that consumers do not have to wait for quality alternatives to the incandescent or to sacrifice the soft white light they have become accustomed to because LED can deliver all the benefits without compromising quality." The EnduraLED A21 17-watt is the latest addition to Philips' comprehensive portfolio of light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs that can efficiently replace traditional incandescents. These include 25W and 40W equivalents, as well as the ENERGY STAR-qualified Philips EnduraLED 12.5-watt bulb, the world's first commercially-available 60-watt replacement. The EnduraLED A21 17-watt, which uses the company's high-power, next-generation LUXEON LEDs, has also been developed to meet or exceed ENERGY STAR qualifications for an LED-based replacement for the 75-watt incandescent light bulb. Those specifications call for delivering 1100 lumens with just 17-watts of electricity, a color temperature of 2700k, a color rendering index (CRI) of 80, and a rated life of 25,000 hours. The new bulb will be submitted to ENERGY STAR in the coming months for qualification testing. Philips estimates that about 90 million 75-watt incandescent light bulbs are sold annually in the United States. Switching to this LED replacement has the potential to reduce energy use by 5,220 megawatts of electricity, a cost savings of approximately $630,000,000 annually. According to Philips estimates, switching to the EnduraLED 21 17-watt could also eliminate 3,255,205 million metric tons of carbon emissions annually, or the equivalent of removing nearly one million cars from the road. As with all bulbs in the Philips LED lighting family, the new EnduraLED A21 17-watt has a rated life of 25 times longer than a standard incandescent bulb. Over its lifespan, the EnduraLED A21 17-watt could save a business or household about $160 per bulb. Available during the fourth quarter of 2011 in the US, the manufacturer's suggested retail price for consumers has not yet been finalized but is expected to be in the range of $40 - $45. With this latest addition to the Philips portfolio, consumers and businesses have more choices than ever that can reduce energy costs over the traditional incandescent bulbs. In addition to offering familiar soft white light, the Philips EnduraLED A21 17-watt fits into existing fixtures and works with standard dimmers, giving consumers a simple, long-lasting solution for the home. For those within the retail or hospitality sector, the bulb will provide a substantial return on investment, through extended bulb life and reduced energy and maintenance costs.

T-Mobile confirms gratis WiFi calling for the magenta-clad masses Posted: 16 May 2011 06:55 PM PDT Last week, the online grapevine foretold that T-Mobile users would have complimentary calling over WiFi. Now, the pink provider's powers that be have made good on the gossip and officially made free WiFi calling official. The service is available to those with Android handsets with the carrier's Smart Wi-Fi app preinstalled and are on T-Mo's Even More or Even More Plus plans. All others wanting a dose of free will have to pony up for a new plan -- you didn't think it was actually free, did you?

BMW left turn assistant uses lasers to help you avoid running people over Posted: 16 May 2011 06:22 PM PDT BMW continues to fight the good fight: making sure you hit fewer people with its luxury vehicles. The German automaker is developing a vehicle warning system aimed at curbing collisions caused by drivers making left turns -- a leading cause of accidents and motorcycle fatalities. The system, which can be enabled for vehicles making left or U-turns while traveling under 10mph, detects movements using the vehicle's navigation system and a single camera. Once a left turn is recognized, three lasers are used to scan for hazards up to 328-feet away -- if one is detected, the car will automatically brake and throw up corresponding alerts for the driver. The company is set to show off the system as part of INTERSAFE 2, this week in Wolfsburg, Germany. In the meantime, the rest of us will have to rely on things like mirrors and looking over our shoulders.

Corsair Force Series 3 SSDs: SandForce speed for modest money Posted: 16 May 2011 05:40 PM PDT Solid-state storage aficionados are well-versed in the virtues of SandForce controllers, and Corsair's new Force Series 3 drives pack a fresh version of the technology. Like the firm's Force GT, Series 3 delivers data using SATA III 6Gbps connections, but uses a newfangled SandForce SF-2281 controller to shoot your info to and fro at up to 550 MBps read and 520 MBps write speeds. The SSDs also perform 85,000 IOPS, which makes the 60,000 IOPS from similarly-priced offerings from OCZ look downright dilatory in comparison. Prices are $139 for 60GB, $219 for 120GB, and $499 for the 240GB version, so they still aren't cheap, but it's a small price to pay to dodge the dangers of disk-based storage. Show full PR text Corsair announces Force Series 3 Solid State Drives – New family offers SATA 3 performance for near SATA 2 pricing – FREMONT, California - May 16th, 2011 - Corsair®, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced the Force Series™ 3 family of solid-state drives. The newly announced Force Series 3 models take advantage of the new SATA 6.0 Gb/s (SATA 3) interface to deliver impressive speed at an attractive price. The Force Series 3 features the highest performance version of the latest-generation SandForce SF-2281 SSD Processor with out-of-box read and write speeds of up to 550 MB/s and 520 MB/s respectively, and an impressive 85000K IOPS for measurably faster system response, boot times and application load times than SATA 2 solid-state drives. All Force Series 3 models are also backward compatible with SATA 2, and include an easy-to-use 3.5" adapter to allow owners of both desktop and notebook PCs to enjoy the cool, quiet operation and enhanced system performance made possible by replacing their traditional mechanical hard drive with an SSD. "With the rapid market adoption of SATA 3, there's strong demand for affordably priced SSDs that can take advantage of the enhanced performance it provides," said Thi La, Vice President of Memory Products at Corsair. "Our new Force Series 3 SSDs provide the performance that enthusiasts demand, at price points approaching the current generation of SATA 2 SSDs." "We are pleased to have our SandForce SF-2281 driving the leading-edge performance of the Force Series 3 family," said Jeremy Werner, Director of Marketing at SandForce. " Corsair, and its newest Force Series 3 drives, is poised to ride the wave of SATA 3 adoption by offering compelling pricing and enthusiast-level performance." Force Series 3 solid state drives will be available worldwide this month from Corsair's network of authorized retailers at a suggested retail price of $139 USD for the 60GB model, $219 USD for the 120GB model and $499 USD for the 240GB model. Note that stated capacities are unformatted and actual capacities will vary depending on the formatting and operating system used. For more information on Force Series 3 solid state drives, please visit the Corsair web site.

ORNL energy harvester turns heat waste into electricity, converts hot machines into cool customers Posted: 16 May 2011 05:02 PM PDT We've heard of turning yesterday's lunch into tomorrow's electricity, but a new energy converter coming out of Oak Ridge National Laboratory harnesses the power of a different type of hot waste. The as-of-yet unnamed thermal waste-heat converter has the potential to cool electronic devices, solar cells, and computers while generating electricity from excess heat. Its creators see the new conversion process being used to reduce the massive amounts of heat generated by petaflop computers. The converter employs up to one thousand tiny cantilevers attached to a one square inch surface (e.g. a computer chip) to produce between one and ten milliwatts of electricity -- admittedly a very small amount of energy. However, it's creators are quick to point out that a slew of these converters could generate enough power to perform small tasks in the heat-generating device -- things like sensing when a server room gets too hot for comfort. Sure it's a small step, but if they can get this stuff to save our future babies from cooking, we're all in. Full PR after the break. Show full PR text ORNL energy harvesters transform waste into electricity OAK RIDGE, Tenn., May 16, 2011 - Billions of dollars lost each year as waste heat from industrial processes can be converted into electricity with a technology being developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The high-efficiency thermal waste heat energy converter actively cools electronic devices, photovoltaic cells, computers and large waste heat-producing systems while generating electricity, according to Scott Hunter, who leads the development team. The potential for energy savings is enormous. "In the United States, more than 50 percent of the energy generated annually from all sources is lost as waste heat," Hunter said, "so this actually presents us with a great opportunity to save industry money through increased process efficiencies and reduced fuel costs while reducing greenhouse gas emissions." Initially, Hunter envisions the technology being used for cooling high-performance computer chips, thereby helping to solve an enormous problem facing manufacturers of petaflop-scale computers. These mega machines generate massive amounts of heat that must be removed, and the more efficient the process the better. Turning some of that heat into electricity is an added bonus. Hunter's technology uses cantilever structures that are about 1 millimeter square in size. About 1,000 of these energy converters can be attached to a 1-inch square surface such as a computer chip, concentrated photovoltaic cell or other devices that generate heat. Although the amount of electricity each device can generate is small - 1 to 10 milliwatts per device - many arrays of these devices can be used to generate sizable amounts of electricity that can power remote sensor systems or assist in the active cooling of the heat generating device, reducing cooling demands. The underlying concept, pyroelectricity, is based on the use of pyroelectric materials, some of which have been known for centuries. First attempts to use this technology to generate electricity began several decades ago, but these studies have been plagued by low thermal to electricity conversion efficiencies - from about 1 to 5 percent. This is also the case for techniques using thermoelectric, piezoelectric and conventional pyroelectric platforms. However, using arrays of cantilevered energy converters that feature fast response and cycle times, Hunter's team expects to achieve efficiencies of 10 to 30 percent - depending on the temperature of the waste heat generator - in an inexpensive platform that can be fabricated using standard semiconductor manufacturing technology. "The fast rate of exchange in the temperature across the pyroelectric material is the key to the energy conversion efficiency and high electrical power generation," Hunter said, adding that ORNL's energy scavenger technology is able to generate electrical energy from thermal waste streams with temperature gradients of just a few degrees up to several hundred degrees. The device is based on an energy harvesting system that features a micro-electro-mechanical, or MEMS, pyroelectric capacitor structure that when heated and cooled causes current to flow in alternate directions, which can be used to generate electricity. In this configuration, cantilevers are attached to an anchor that is affixed to a waste heat generator substrate. As this substrate becomes hot, the cantilever also heats and bends because of the bi-material effect, similar in principle to the bimetal switch used in room and oven thermostats. "The tip of the hot cantilever comes into contact with a cold surface, the heat sink, where it rapidly loses its heat, causing the cantilever to move back and make contact with the hot surface," Hunter said. "The cantilever then cools and cycles back to the cold heat sink. "The cantilever continues to oscillate between the heat source and heat sink as long as the temperature difference is maintained between the hot and cold surfaces."

Brainchild Kineo joins Kindle, iPad in digital reformation; ships to schools in ten states Posted: 16 May 2011 04:37 PM PDT Watch out, parents -- if you live in one of a handful of states, your prodigious student-of-the-month may be bringing home something a bit heftier than a tacky bumper sticker. We're looking at the Brainchild Kineo, a 7-inch, 800MHz Android tablet, locked down for education-only use. No unauthorized web browsing, no personal email, and no Angry Birds. Running a specialized version of Eclair, the Kineo allows educators to limit student access to curriculum related apps, websites, or features exclusively -- negating the tablet's potential of becoming more distraction than learning tool. Paired with Brainchild's standards-based Achiever software, the Kineo may actually have a chance of academic success (sorry Kindle). The first 5000 units are making their way to select districts in Texas, California, Tennessee, and a smattering of other states; hit the break for full PR and a video of the tablet in action. Show full PR text Brainchild Kineo Tablet With GlobalSYNC™, Just for Schools, Adopted in Ten States Production Increased to Meet Demand NAPLES, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kineo, the seven-inch tablet and eBook Reader from Brainchild (Brainchild.com), has been shipped to ten states since being introduced at the Florida Educational Technology Conference in February. The Kineos being deployed are all equipped with Brainchild's standards-based curriculum, Achiever!, and GlobalSYNC™ technology. "The mobile technology we sold fifteen years ago is still in use today. Our tablets are rugged and built for the long term so schools can be confident in their investment." "Kineo is an education-only tablet built for the 'mission-critical' environment in schools," said Jeff Cameron, president of Brainchild. "A teacher cannot worry about bandwidth issues, screen freezes or free reign of the Internet. We have 16 years of experience in manufacturing handhelds and training teachers how to use standards-based curriculum. We've poured all of that experience into developing Kineo and GlobalSYNC." Experts agree that technology use in classrooms is most effective with good planning. President Obama's National Education Technology Plan 2010 calls for using mobile devices with clear outcomes and driven by data, which are key elements of the Kineo/Achiever! combination. Kineo (see video at Brainchild.com or http://youtu.be/OvRi76FOpmo) is specially suited to work with Achiever! test-prep and learning software for data-driven, individualized instruction. GlobalSYNC quickly synchronizes data from a school's Kineos, on demand, to a convenient web-based interface. This gives schools flexibility in how they use Kineo because it stores data and only syncs when directed thus avoiding the network crashes that can happened with continuous data uploads. Brainchild sold out of its initial production run of 5,000 Kineos, which were delivered in April to school districts in ten states, including North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas. Many of these first implementations are for summer school programs focusing on remediation for struggling students. Production of new Kineos will increase each month to meet demand from throughout the country. Brainchild introduced the concept of mobile learning in 1995 with its PLS-1000 handhelds, many of which are still in operation today. "With all of our products, sustainability and value is important," said Cameron. "The mobile technology we sold fifteen years ago is still in use today. Our tablets are rugged and built for the long term so schools can be confident in their investment."

Samsung Exhibit 4G coming to T-Mobile on June 8th? Posted: 16 May 2011 04:03 PM PDT It wasn't even two weeks ago that we first glimpsed the Samsung Exhibit 4G for T-Mobile in the wild (and spied its FCC footprint). Now it looks like this Gingerbread phone will go on sale June 8th -- if this flyer sent in to TmoNews is to be believed. Still no word on pricing, though we know dealers will pay $325 a pop. To recap, a peek at the filing and unauthorized photos reveals the Exhibit 4G is an HSPA + handset running TouchWiz on top of Android 2.3, with front and rear-facing cameras, an LED flash in the back, and a microSD card slot. The site's sources also suggest the phone will pack a 1GHz Hummingbird CPU and a 3 megapixel back camera, a departure from the speculation we were treated to earlier this month. In any case, it looks like T-Mobile will set the record straight in a matter of weeks.

Rolling robot learns to fly, plots escape from human captors (video) Posted: 16 May 2011 03:37 PM PDT Why settle for a robot that can just roll or fly? That's the question some researchers from the University of Minnesota's Center for Distributed Robotics recently asked themselves, and this little transforming contraption is their answer. As you can see in the video above, it's able to roll around on the ground with relative ease (although obstacles may be another matter), and then prop itself up to take flight like any other robotic helicopter. Those thinking about trying their hand at a DIY version may want to think twice, however, as its not exactly as simple as it may appear. In fact, the researchers apparently spent a full $20,000 just to develop the folding rotor mechanism.

Sony's 'Welcome Back' campaign apologizes to distraught PSN users with free games, good vibes Posted: 16 May 2011 03:13 PM PDT Remember the recent PlayStation Network outage? You know the one, right? It started in late-April and lasted up through this weekend's phased restoration (and continues on for many un-phased users). Well, Sony would like to sincerely apologize for the whole thing the best way it knows how: free video games. The company today announced its "Welcome Back" program, which is letting all existing PSN and Qriocity users in North America pick two of the following games: Dead Nation, inFAMOUS, LittleBigPlanet, Super Stardust HD, and Wipeout HD + Fury. PSP users, meanwhile, can chose two from LittleBigPlanet, ModNation Racers, Pursuit Force, and Kill Liberation. You can claim the games at some point in the next 30 days, and once you've downloaded, they're yours to keep. The gesture may well prove too little, too late for many disgruntled users -- but even they'll likely have trouble staying angry at Sackboy's adorable little dirt-stained mug.

Select AT&T Android devices may get app sideloading as early as today Posted: 16 May 2011 02:50 PM PDT It's a classic romantic tale of "network meets OS, network disables OS," and just like any love story, this one is building up to a happy ending. Fourteen months after AT&T introduced a lineup of crippled Android phones that weren't allowed to install third-party apps, the carrier extended an olive branch to fans of the OS by quietly slipping the sideloading capability onto the Samsung Infuse 4G; now, the network is reportedly updating three members of its Android lineup -- the HTC Inspire 4G, HTC Aria, and Samsung Captivate -- sometime today. We're sure there were many Atrix users scanning this short list with fingers crossed, but unfortunately your phone did not make the cut this time. No word on why your favs were left out, but at least four devices with Amazon Appstore access is still better than zero. At present time we haven't seen the updates get pushed to our phones, however, so we'd love to hear if any of you have seen differently down in comments below.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 review Posted: 16 May 2011 02:01 PM PDT For weeks now, Lenovo aficionados have been salivating. Thanks to a series of leaks, more than a few of you have been awaiting the ThinkPad X1, the skinny, girlfriend-proof follow-up to the company's vaunted X series. One problem: it didn't officially exist. Well, the jig is up, and the X1 is at last a real, whirring product, on sale tomorrow with a starting price of $1,349. As expected, it marries that iconic red nub and rock-solid construction with some flourishes you haven't yet seen on a ThinkPad, including a 13.3-inch Gorilla Glass display, integrated, fast-charging battery, and a buttonless trackpad. And, as you may have gathered from those leaked shots, it's the slimmest ThinkPad yet, measuring just 16.5mm (0.65 inches) at its thinnest point. Throw in Intel Core 2011 processor options and you'll see Lenovo has made one lofty promise: a svelte system that performs like a heavyweight and whose design is modern, but not too much of a departure from the classic ThinkPad uniform. So how close does the X1 come to living up to these towering claims? Let's find out. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 review Look and feel Even with some contemporary touches, the X1 still looks -- and feels -- like a ThinkPad. It comes decked out in a soft, rubbery finish that should seem familiar to anyone who's handled an X Series notebook. This time around it coats each and every surface, including the sides, making the design feel that much more seamless. While that finish isn't a big part of the durability equation (more on that in a bit), it goes a long way in making the X1 feel like the premium notebook it is. Lenovo also took ThinkPad's classic boxy shape and chiseled it down into something more tapered. The chassis (13.3 x 9.1 x 0.65-0.84 inches) isn't as cartoonishly thin as the MacBook Air, and because of its wedge profile the X1 will particularly suffer in comparisons that dwell on the back end of the chassis, near the hinge. Still, it's near-impossible to look at it and not appreciate how trim it is, especially toward the front where the lid opens. At 3.7 pounds, it feels heavier than we gathered from those leaked shots (especially this one). But let's be clear: this thing is easy to grab one-handed. On the inside, the X1 uses the same RollCage construction as previous ThinkPads to make the chassis rigid. This laptop does do away with a latch enclosure, though. On the one hand, this helps the notebook achieve that clean look, but we can see it disturbing folks who take comfort in hearing their lid click into place. Given how solid the body feels, though, we didn't notice ourselves handling it any more gingerly than we would have it there were a latch. Should the notebook not hold up, it's covered under a three-year warranty -- fairly standard for business machines. Lenovo also took the volume and mute controls you're used to seeing above the keyboard and instead placed them along the right side of the deck. With the exception of a memory card slot and covered 3.5mm headphone jack and USB 2.0 ports, you won't find any openings on the sides or front lip of the laptop. The rest -- a 20V AC port, USB 2.0-eSATA combo, USB 3.0 port, HDMI-out, a DisplayPort, and a covered SIM card slot for optional 3G connectivity -- neatly line the back edge. The bottom of the notebook is fairly clean, thanks to that non-removable battery, though you'll still find a smattering of screws and assorted openings. The back side is studded with four rubberized feet, which make the laptop comfortable to type on when placed on a flat surface. The X1 also steps up to a 720p webcam. As you can see in the still photo below, the image quality is bright with vibrant, accurate colors. The camera also picked up a fair amount of detail, such as the shine in our hair and the texture of our skin, though even after we resized the picture for this website, you can still see graininess in the dim hallway in the background. Keyboard and touchpad Although not much has changed in the way of materials and durability, the X1 does get a facelift in the form of a chiclet (and backlit!) spill-resistant keyboard, coupled with a buttonless touchpad. Rest assured, though: Lenovo hasn't mucked with the secret sauce that makes its keys so comfy to type on. Everything about them -- their concave shape, the sturdy panel, the officious click they make -- remains superb. And while you might feel ambivalent about Lenovo once again going with an integrated touchpad, know that this is one of the better ones we've tested. The textured pad feels wonderful and makes a satisfying low-pitched sound when you press it -- one of our favorite details. And the two-finger scrolling just works in a way that it too often doesn't on other gesture-enabled trackpads. That's not to say the touchpad is perfect, though. It incorporates the same Synaptics technology found in scads of other laptops, including the Toshiba Satellite E305, whose imprecise trackpad cost it points in our review. With the X1, too, we had occasional moments where the pad registered a right click instead of a left. On the whole, though, we felt in control of both our clicks and our scrolling. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 In fact, though, by the end of our testing period we had come to prefer the pointing stick and its accompanying mouse buttons. The nub has a pattern of fine raised dots and was wide enough to cradle our finger comfortably. It also has a low rise -- lower even than the keys surrounding it - so we didn't struggle with our finger falling off the nub while we moved the cursor around. The pointing stick is also well-spaced from the matching buttons, which meant clicking with the thumb of that hand felt natural. As for the buttons, they provide good tactile feedback and make nary a sound -- all without feeling mushy. As an added convenience, you can disable the trackpad by pressing a function key built into the left side of the space bar. Display and sound As we said, the X1 has a 13.3-inch, 350-nit display fashioned out of edge-to-edge Gorilla Glass. We think that scratch-resistant panel is a brilliant addition, and hope more notebook makers start incorporating it. The one trade-off, though, is that in adopting Gorilla Glass, Lenovo traded a matte, easily viewable display for a highly reflective one. The screen is glossy in a way that's likely to irk and disappoint a lot of people -- not least among them, ThinkPad loyalists. While we were watching a movie, the screen was too reflective from the sides, and appeared washed out when we viewed it head-on, with the lid pushed down. Worse, it'll pick up fingerprints just from you opening and closing the lid. To Lenovo's credit, of course, it appears to have opted for a reflective panel for the sake of durability -- a noble cause if ever there was one. In other words, there's no evidence its design team jumped on the glossy-is-sexier bandwagon. Unfortunately, the X1's resolution is limited to 1366 x 768. It's a shame, especially since the X301 was offered with a 1440 x 900 option. The X1's pixel count will be sufficient for web surfing and word processing, but it's disapointing that the company would cut the pixels on a laptop it hopes will be sexy and versatile enough to strike a chord beyond the boardroom. The X1's Dolby speakers are loud enough that even with the sound set to the median volume setting we often felt compelled to take it down a notch (or several). The quality ain't bad either -- especially for a laptop this small. Songs by Michael Jackson, James Brown, and Sam Cooke sounded lively and multi-faceted. Jim Morrison's vocals in "Touch Me," meanwhile, come through as forcefully as The Doors surely intended them to. In short, this isn't the overwhelming tinniness you might have resigned yourself to. Particularly because this system can withstand spills and manhandling, we'd have no qualms about trotting it out to play DJ at our next party. Performance and graphics Our $1,399 test unit came armed with a 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-2520M, integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics, Windows 7 Professional (32-bit), 4GB of RAM, and a 320GB 7,200RPM hard drive. Throughout our testing, we had no problem juggling email, web video, Twitter, Facebook, and blogs, all while downloading movies and a slew of Word documents and PDFs. Our test unit booted up in 49 seconds, which is decently fast for a Windows laptop. Indeed, the X1's score of 7,787 on PCMark Vantage, a performance benchmark, is in the same ballpark as -- if not slightly higher than -- what we've seen from other Core i5 systems we've tested recently. The X1 has an integrated Intel HD 3000 cards, which notched 3,726 on 3DMark06. That was good enough for us to play Angry Birds at full-screen without any stuttering, though it's a lower score than we've seen from other laptops with thee same graphics card, such as the Toshiba Satellite E305, which garnered a 4,547 on the same test. Then again, we assume for anyone considering this system, gaming is not priority numero uno. PCMarkVantage 3DMark06 Battery Life Lenovo ThinkPad X1 (Core i5-2410M) 7,787 3,726 3:31 / 6:57 Samsung Series 9 (Core i5-2537M) 7,582 2,240 4:20 13-inch MacBook Air (Core 2 Duo, GeForce 320M) 5,170 4,643 4:45 ThinkPad X220 (Core i5-2520M) 7,635 3,517 7:19 ASUS U36Jc (Core i5 / NVIDIA GeForce 310M) 5,981 2,048 / 3,524 5:30 Dell Vostro V13 (Core 2 Duo) 2,687 556 2:39 Toshiba Portege R705 (Core i3-350M) 5,024 1,739 / 3,686 4:25 Notes: the higher the score the better. For 3DMark06, the first number reflects score with GPU off, the second with it on. Configuration options It's important to know that while you can customize the RAM, storage, and wireless options, the processor is non-negotiable. Lenovo confirmed that US customers can only buy the X1 with that Sandy Bridge Core i5 processsor, although it'll be available in other countries with 2.1GHz Core i3-2310M and 2.7GHz Core i7-2620M CPUs. In case you're curious, the most tricked-out configuration you'll be able to buy in the states -- one with 8GB of RAM, a 160GB SSD, and Gobi broadband module -- will ring in at $1,799 without the slice battery. Battery life and software According to Lenovo, the X1's non-removable battery will last about 1,000 cycles, after which point it should reach 80 percent capacity. Like the rest of the hardware, it's protected by a three-year warranty. Although the company promises you can squeeze up to ten hours of battery life out of the X1's svelte body, you'll have to attach a 35.5Wh slice battery ($150) before you even think of testing that claim. As it is, the six-cell / 38.4 Wh standard battery promises a modest max of 5.2 hours. In our battery rundown, which entails playing a movie at 65 percent brightness with WiFi on, we got three and a half hours of juice with the standard battery. That's more than an hour less than what we got out of the most recent MacBook Air on the same test, though admittedly, the Air didn't fare nearly as well in PCMark Vantage. The slice boosted the X1's longevity to seven hours, but that extra piece of hardware makes the system even thicker than a two year-old ThinkPad T400s we happen to have lying around. That's a taxing test, of course, and not necessarily indicative of how you use your notebook. When using the X1 to surf the web, read blogs, and play Angry Birds for Chrome at full screen, we got around four and a half hours of with the six-cell battery. Still, we noticed the battery life rating in the system tray plummet as soon as we even clicked on the browser tab for Angry Birds. After ten minutes of play, the estimated amount of time we had left dropped by 40 minutes. Skype calls, too, drained the battery faster than garden-variety web surfing -- after a 45-minute call, our remaining battery life rating had sunk about 30 percent. But as soon as we switched to a less intensive activity, such as responding to emails, the battery life estimate started to tick up. On the plus side, Lenovo wasn't kidding about the fast-charging battery. The company's RapidCharge technology promises to rebound from 0 to 80 percent in just 30 minutes. Indeed, in our test we saw the battery life shoot up to 62 percent in under 20 minutes. It's just too bad that AC adapter will be a necessity for so many people using this thing while out and about. As you'd expect with a business machine, the X1 is nearly devoid of bloatware, though it does come with a few pre-installed programs, including Skype 4.2 for Business, Microsoft Office 2010 Starter, Norton Internet Security 2011, and Windows Live Essentials. And, as you'd expect, Lenovo bundled its ThinkVantage suite of utilities, which monitor system problems as well as metrics like power management. These programs are easy to navigate -- and not too intrusive. Wrap-up As you can probably tell, we like the X1. A lot. It's as thin and durable as it is ergonomically sound, it performs briskly, and particularly thanks to those strong speakers, we can see people snapping this up even if their lives aren't scheduled around meetings and business trips. But for some people, that short battery life -- and, to a lesser extent, the glossy display -- could be heartbreaking deal-breakers. On the one hand, we'll be the first to admit that our battery test is more grueling, perhaps, than your daily routine. And the slice helps, though it piles $150 on top of the price, and gives the laptop a chunkier profile, which defeats the purpose of splurging on a notebook this slim. Despite this flaw, we found ourselves interacting with it as more than just a corporate black box, but our personal notebook. In that regard, the X1 hits its mark.

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