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Sunday, July 3, 2011

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Engadget News

Nexus S mini-game adds whimsy to list of must-have specs

Posted: 03 Jul 2011 11:14 AM PDT

In an effort to help force your ambivalent hand at the checkout, Google's taken a decidedly whimsical approach to Nexus S marketing. The end result: an interactive, YouTube-hosted mini-game that lets you bounce and blow four Google app-labeled balls through a funnel to the Nexus S. Sound fun? It kind of is, but before you wonder where the last half-hour went, keep in mind there's no free handset at the end of this Android rainbow -- just pure fun. It's a cute distraction that probably won't have you forgetting about dual core processors anytime soon, but could still sway your credit card if you're the silly type. Check the source below to get your Google-gaming on.

Samsung's Galaxy S II becomes company's quickest selling phone: three million in 55 days

Posted: 03 Jul 2011 10:04 AM PDT

Samsung sold three million of its original Galaxy S phone in 85 days. A few months later, a full ten million had been moved. Now, it looks as if the superphone's proper successor may put that latter statistic to shame. The outfit just announced that it took but 55 days to move three million Galaxy S II handsets, which works out to one phone every 1.5 seconds. It's Sammy's briskest-selling smartphone ever, and we're guessing that it'll keep up the pace once that AT&T variant lands on US soil. Which is coming soon, right Samsung?
Show full PR text
Samsung GALAXY S II reaches 3 Million global sales

SEOUL, KOREA--(Korea Newswire) -- Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced that the Samsung GALAXY S II(Model: GT-I9100), has reached global channel sales of 3 million units.

The GALAXY S II is Samsung's flagship smartphone device; a beautifully thin (8.49mm) and lightweight, dual-core smartphone that combines an unmatched Super AMOLED Plus viewing experience with incredible performance, all on Android, the world's fastest-growing mobile operating system. The next generation smartphone also includes exclusive access to Samsung's four new content and entertainment hubs, seamlessly integrated to provide instant access to music, games, e-reading and social networking services.

"Announced at Mobile World Congress 2011, the GALAXY S II represents our most advanced smartphone to date and demonstrates Samsung's commitment to deliver premium, market-defining devices,"and "This milestone reflects the continued strong support from our carrier partners around the world who have chosen the GALAXY S II as their flagship Android device." said JK Shin, President and Head of Samsung's Mobile Communications Business.

Quadrocopters: blooper reel edition

Posted: 03 Jul 2011 08:19 AM PDT

We have a gut feeling this is the video that'll be playing when 'the hive' takes over -- a sentimental, 'look how far we've come' victory reel for the Quadrotor nation. But for now, let's just keep the focus on the softer side of our future nemesis' training-room foibles. Playing like an über-geek version of America's Funniest Home Videos, we admit we cracked a smile watching these insect-like bots from the University of Pennsylvania's GRASP Lab take a few hard knocks in the humility ring. Fear of the swarm aside, it's a humorous twist on an otherwise droning research project. The take away? Schadenfreude -- it's not just for humans.

[Thanks, Daniel]

Droid Bionic seemingly clears the FCC, may finally be headed for (US) glory

Posted: 03 Jul 2011 06:20 AM PDT

Is this the Droid Bionic, eager to make its US debut at long last? After a false start, it's looking more and more like Motorola's next superphone could be inching ever closer to that elusive "summer release," with a new FCC filing showcasing a cellular communications device with EVDO, LTE, 700MHz radios, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n WiFi and an inductive charging battery cover. 'Course, a few things are still under wraps until August 7th, so it's fairly impossible to tell with any level of certainty what handset we're peering at. The clues most certainly add up, however, and if you were thinking of holding out just a wee bit longer, maybe the outline above is just what you needed to find patience (and all her friends).

South Korea plans to convert all textbooks to digital, swap backpacks for tablets by 2015

Posted: 03 Jul 2011 03:39 AM PDT

Well, that oversized Kindle didn't become the textbook killer Amazon hoped it would be, but at least one country is moving forward with plans to lighten the load on its future generation of Samsung execs. South Korea announced this week that it plans to spend over $2 billion developing digital textbooks, replacing paper in all of its schools by 2015. Students would access paper-free learning materials from a cloud-based system, supplementing traditional content with multimedia on school-supplied tablets. The system would also enable homebound students to catch up on work remotely -- they won't be practicing taekwondo on a virtual mat, but could participate in math or reading lessons while away from school, for example. Both programs clearly offer significant advantages for the country's education system, but don't expect to see a similar solution pop up closer to home -- with the US population numbering six times that of our ally in the Far East, many of our future leaders could be carrying paper for a long time to come.

PlayStation magazine lets you look at Japanese actresses in 'ultra-high' resolution

Posted: 03 Jul 2011 12:28 AM PDT

What's killing the magazine industry? Could it be the lack of PlayStation compatibility or maybe the absence of "ultra-high" resolution? These are the questions Lucent Pictures Entertainment plans to put to the test with its upcoming iQueen magazine, a publication distributed for the PS3 via the PlayStation Store, offering up images of Japanese actress Masami Nagasawa in a staggering 4,096 by 2,160 resolution -- it's sure to make real life look downright lo-res by comparison. The magazine will be available in August for around $25 or so -- which is a bit of a steal on a per-pixel basis.

Skype 2.0 hotfix enables video chat on Sprint's Nexus S 4G

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 09:34 PM PDT

Looks like some of the Skype crew might've had a sleepless night to please owners of the Nexus S 4G. If you'll recall, June 30th saw a major update to its Android app enabling video chat on four devices; although the Nexus S was part of the club, its door was locked for Sprint's 4G variant. That's quickly changed, however, as the team's set loose a hotfix to grant it access -- this despite initially stating we'd have to wait for a "future release." You can grab the app from the Android Market if you haven't yet, and be sure to let us know how it goes in comments. Oh, and for those anxious Thunderbolt owners? We'd recommend not holding your breath until after the 4th of July holiday.

Ask Engadget: best prefabricated gaming desktop?

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 07:19 PM PDT

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Wilfred, who needs a new gaming rig (but ain't interested in buying the time to build one). If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

"I'm going to buy a powerful computer, so naturally, I am looking to buying a gaming computer. I know about Alienware and iBuyPower desktops, and while I know others exist, I don't know which one is superior. Looking for a Core i7 and enough horsepower to chew through today's latest titles, but I'd prefer a company that's reputable and known for above-average service. Thanks!"

We know you're probably passionate about [insert PC builder here], but let's keep the banter civil down there, cool? Cool.

Google bids pi for Nortel's wireless patent stash, brings comedy to places you never thought possible

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 05:09 PM PDT

Enabling surfers to play Pac-Man instead of actually initiating the search they showed up to complete? Taking a stroll through an episode of Burn Notice? Throwing internet on a magical Indian bus? All relatively normal things from one Google, Inc., but it seems that Larry Page's deadpan demeanor is actually covering up quite the character. During the outfit's recent attempt to outbid the likes of Apple, EMC, Ericsson, Microsoft, RIM and Sony for a sliver of Nortel's coveted wireless patent portfolio, Reuters is reporting that Google's plays were... less than conventional. Reportedly, the company bid $1,902,160,540 and $2,614,972,128, better known by mathematicians as Brun's constant and Meissel-Mertens constant, respectively. Funnier still, Google decided to offer $3.14159 billion (you know, pi) when the bidding reached $3 billion. One of the unnamed sources summed up the bizarreness quite well:

"Google was bidding with numbers that were not even numbers. It became clear that they were bidding with the distance between the earth and the sun. One was the sum of a famous mathematical constant, and then when it got to $3 billion, they bid pi. Either they were supremely confident or they were bored."

Or, perhaps they're just supremely awesome?

Games for Windows Marketplace, Xbox.com becoming one big, game-obsessed family

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 03:28 PM PDT

Games for Windows Marketplace will no longer have to drift through life alone. Microsoft announced this week that the Steam competitor will be absorbed by Xbox.com -- a seemingly logical merger, given the site's association with Xbox Live. The move comes in spite of an attempt on Microsoft's part to completely revamp the service late last year. The Marketplace is set to move into its new digs on July 11th, so here's hoping it takes advantage of its last few days of freedom in style -- by sitting around in its underwear playing video games, naturally.

Facebook to launch in-browser video chat powered by Skype?

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 02:02 PM PDT

Microsoft's $8.5 billion acquisition of Skype hasn't closed yet, but it looks like Redmond is already working behind the scenes to make the service even more ubiquitous. According to an anonymous source interviewed by TechCrunch, Facebook is going to introduce video chat next week, and that service will be powered by none other than Skype. And while the service will be browser-based, it's also said to include a desktop component. We'd say none of that sounds too fantastical -- video calls would be a logical extension of Facebook chat, and let's not forget about the $240 million Microsoft invested in the site back in 2007. What's more, Facebook sent out invites for an event next week, where Mark Zuckerberg was clear the outfit would unveil a new product from its Seattle team. That's in Microsoft's backyard, of course, the invites themselves have chat icons on 'em, and, most tellingly, that Seattle office has been snapping up engineers specializing in desktop software. All told, that adds up to a likely true story to us, but we won't know for sure until the long, beachy weekend is through.

Verizon data charges leak continues, $30 tethering for 4G customers

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 12:35 PM PDT

The scan above purports to show a Verizon customer brochure that will appear in stores next Thursday, revealing nothing beyond the detailed leaks we've already reported but at least providing some reassuringly crinkled corroboration of the salient details. New customers will barred from the happy land of unlimited data, and will instead have to cough up tiered monthly fees ranging from $10 for 75MB up to $80 for 10GB, plus an extra $20 for tethering rights. In a separate turn to this tale, we hear that customers who want to tether to a 4G handset will have to pay $30 per month to keep Big Red happy. This might come as a shock if you've been living it up on the free tethering offer that ends next week, but we had a strong inkling it was coming. Besides, it's not all bad: those 30 bucks will get you unlimited data on the fastest LTE network around, whereas $20 crew must make do with a mere 2GB monthly.

[Thanks, Verizon Guy]
at 11:38 AM

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