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Monday, July 4, 2011

Engadget News

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Engadget News

Leaked AMD roadmap reveals next-gen Fusion tablet chips

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 11:07 AM PDT

AMD Tablet Roadmap
Until recently, AMD has kept pretty mum on its tablet plans, with it only officially entering the fray last month. It's clear that the first batch of Z-Series chips, codenamed Desna, are are not terribly different from the rest Fusion line but, according to a leaked roadmap, that will all change with its successor -- Hondo. Supposedly the next gen of tablet APUs will ditch a number features that aren't essential to burgeoning form factor, including VGA output, PCIe support, and couple of USB pathways. It will also add an "active standby" mode for maintaining connectivity while reducing power draw and cut TDP by about a third. Hondo is expect to enter production in Q2 of next year, and be succeeded by Samara which will feature a new graphics core. Check out the source link for a few more slides.

Apple to allow license-free virtualization with OS X Lion, developers roar with delight

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 10:04 AM PDT

Developers and IT managers have reason to smile today, because it looks like Apple is changing its approach to virtualization. According to Mac Rumors, users who download the client version of OS X Lion will be able to run one or two virtualized copies on a single Mac, using tools like VMware or Parallels. This functionality first surfaced with Leopard, but was only available to users who obtained a pricey OS X Server license. The EULA for 10.7, however, suggests that Lion owners won't need any extra licenses to tinker away in an alternate OS universe. It's news that the enterprise community will certainly welcome, but we'll have to wait a little longer before riding the Lion into a virtual realm, later this month.

Sony PSN 'Welcome Back' promotion extended... for one more day

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 09:00 AM PDT

Welcome back. Again. Chances are, anyone planning to grab those PSN freebies took their share when the promotion launched last month, but just in case you've been holding out, Sony's giving you another 24 hours (from now) to download your pair of free PS3 and PSP games, 100 virtual items from PlayStation Home, and 30 days of PlayStation Plus. After then, you better be prepared to pay up for your copy of Dead Nation or LittleBigPlanet. The whole gratis shebang goes offline for good at 9AM Pacific Time tomorrow -- just before the PlayStation Store is set to open for business in Japan.

Google Circles knockoff hits Facebook courtesy of unofficial plug-in

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 08:02 AM PDT

Have a bad case of Google+ envy? Here's a little something that should help hold you over until the site fully opens its flood gates. Circle Hack is a self-described "one-night experiment with Javascript" created by a few Facebook engineers in a non-affiliated capacity, which unofficially brings Google Circles-like functionality to the top social network. The creators of the Facebook plug-in have borrowed liberally from Google on this one (turnabout is fair play, perhaps). Once you log in with your Facebook account, you can drag and drop rectangles of your friends from that site into circles at the bottom of your page -- a quick method for curating your Facebook lists. Given the short development of the plug-in, the functionality of the site is, not surprisingly, a bit limited. Certain things like, say, deleting circles, are absent at present -- perhaps its creators are too busy working on the Facebook Hangouts hack.

Windows Phone 7 Foursquare app re-released, tweet counts rise rapidly

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 06:51 AM PDT

Bummed about the myriad issues surrounding the original Foursquare app for Windows Phone 7? The troublesome program was pulled due to lacking features and a rather sub-par user experience, leaving mayors everywhere unable to verify their credentials for hard-earned discounts. Well fret no more, friends. A new version of the mobile check-in application has been released, showing off a retooled interface that takes full advantage of Microsoft's panoramic UI. Among other features are live tile, tap-and-hold check-in, and a map that shows friends' check-ins alongside nearby specials. Version 2.0, as it's being called, is now available in the Windows Phone Marketplace -- your Twitter followers have probably missed all of your Taco Bell Fourthmeal check-ins anyway.

SleepWell forces WiFi to wait its turn, keeps gadgets well-rested

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 05:52 AM PDT

SleepWellEver feel like your WiFi devices' battery-lives are better off when not surrounded by peers and passersby? According to Duke University grad student Justin Manweiler and assistant professor Romit Roy Choudhury, this phenomenon is due to gadgets constantly fighting to retrieve the same data. Their Systems Networking Research Group has created a program dubbed SleepWell to alleviate the congestion; it puts WiFi to rest until the path is clear for accessing the specific data it needs, and provides improved power management all the while. The tech was shown off at MobiSys 2011 this past week and reportedly works well "across a number of device types and situations." Notably, Microsoft and Nokia (amongst others like Verizon) are backing up the project, which makes us cautiously optimistic that it could be headed for WP7 (or Windows 8, for that matter) in due time. There's no info on whether SleepWell will ever be distributed commercially, but may we suggest an LTE version to help out big V's poor ol' T-Bolt?

Zune Originals shut down, humans revert to being average and uncreative

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 04:47 AM PDT

Hard to believe that Microsoft's been offering consumers the ability to customize their Zune purchases for the better part of four years now, but as they say, all unbelievable things must one day face reality. Er, something to that effect. Without so much as a heads-up, the designers in Redmond have apparently decided to shutter the Zune Originals storefront. As of this weekend, no new orders for highly personalized Zunes are being taken, with interested Earthlings encouraged to throw creativity to the wind and opt for a mass produced alternative within Best Buy or Walmart. So, you're looking at two tidbits of import: if you placed your Originals order at 5PM PT on July 1st, you likely have quite the coveted device headed your way, and if you ever needed evidence that Microsoft was making WP7 its next Zune, well... you're welcome.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Cellphones are dangerous / not dangerous: cancer experts say 'What, me worry?'

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 03:19 AM PDT

If you haven't already gotten whiplash from the ongoing cellphone-cancer debate, a freshly released scientific review might just do the trick. In the paper, published Friday, a panel of experts from Britain, Sweden and the US conducted a thorough survey of previous studies, before concluding that existing literature is "increasingly against" the theory that cellphone use causes brain tumors in adults. The researchers also questioned the biological mechanisms underpinning this hypothesis, while acknowledging some lingering uncertainties, since data on childhood tumors and longer-term research are still lacking.

The results come just a few weeks after the World Health Organization released its own literature review, in which it claimed that cell phones should be considered "potentially carcinogenic." But Anthony Swerdlow, a professor at Britain's Institute of Cancer Research and leader of the most recent investigation, said his group's work doesn't necessarily contradict the WHO, since the latter was simply seeking to evaluate cancer risks according to its own "pre-set classification system" -- under which things like pickled vegetables and coffee are also considered "potentially carcinogenic." Unfortunately, this doesn't mean that the debate will die down anytime soon, though Swerdlow expects more definitive conclusions within the next few years -- assuming, of course, that all of our brains haven't turned to oatmeal by then.

PlayStation Store, Qriocity returning to Japan this week, completing global PSN restoration

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 02:37 AM PDT

Sony's 'Welcome Back' campaign may have drawn to a close a bit early, but the PlayStation Network won't make its full return to Japan until later this week. As of July 6th, Japanese gamers will once again be able to access the PlayStation Store and Qriocity, bringing an end to a nearly three-month suspension enacted after April's widespread data breach. These services have already been reintroduced across other parts of the globe, but Sony encountered notably stiffer resistance in its homeland, where authorities demanded assurance of the PSN's security before allowing it to relaunch within their borders. The PlayStation Store remained down throughout Sony's negotiations with government officials, but company spokesman Satoshi Fukuoka says those discussions have advanced far enough for full services to resume. The PSN's long-awaited return to Japan will also signal its full global restoration, meaning that Sony may finally be able to put the saga to rest -- and try to forget about that $170 million it lost in the process.

Caffenol turns Folgers into DIY film developer -- decaf won't do (video)

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 01:44 AM PDT

Caffenol turns Folgers into DIY film developer -- decaf won't do (video)We knew instant coffee was good for something. The folks at Make just demoed a rather novel method for developing negatives from a roll of black and white film -- you remember film, don't you? Known as Caffenol, the process involves a smattering of household substances, including Vitamin C powder, instant coffee (caffeinated only), good ole H2O, and Cascade. Of course, it's not as simple as throwing this stuff in a slosh bucket with a roll of film and mixing it up, but it's not that complicated, either. If you're looking for something to do with those instant crystals, and still have a non-digital camera laying around, hop on past the break for a homebrew tutorial.

Toshiba Thrive WiFi tablet hitting Best Buy on July 10th?

Posted: 03 Jul 2011 11:30 PM PDT

Toshiba Thrive
Toshiba's Thrive -- the Honeycomb tablet that went so long without a name -- has evidently snagged itself a July 10th street date courtesy of Best Buy's inventory database. If you'll recall, pre-orders for the 10.1-inch pad got underway June 13th, but its release date was only loosely slated for mid-July. Our tipster's informed us that their particular location's gotten "quite a few" 16-giggers in-stock, and they're just waiting to shine under the fluorescent showroom lights. So, it'll still be about a week's time until you can get your paws on one, but in the meantime, scoot past the break and you'll find some Thrive packages in the flesh, er, cardboard.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Toshiba Thrive

Quadrocopters reined in by Kinect leash, we feel safer already

Posted: 03 Jul 2011 10:01 PM PDT

Kinect controlled quadrocopter
It seems like the folks over at the Flying Machine Arena are finally starting to catch on -- those quadrocopters are going to kill us all. Thankfully, after teaching them to juggle and tap out some tunes, the researchers came to their senses and put the flying machines on a Kinect-controlled leash. Instead of flitting about autonomously, the four-rotored nightmares are directed by a puppeteer waving his hands. Movement is controlled by the right hand, while raising the left one tells the copter to do a little flip for its master's amusement, and a commanding clap makes it sit down like a good little pup. Best of all, if you don't give it any arm-waving instruction it just hovers and waits until you tell it otherwise. On further consideration, maybe we haven't been creating our own murderers, but a new man's best friend -- after all, they don't eat much and can't chew up your remotes. Check out the video after the break.

LG RoboKing vacuum bot can self-diagnose, ask for help after colliding with your Roomba

Posted: 03 Jul 2011 08:39 PM PDT

Sick of all those one-way chats with your Roomba 700? LG's got you covered with its latest self-diagnosing robotized cleaning assistant. The newest RoboKing -- the VR6172LVM -- will set you back 779,000 Won (around $730), and apparently sports a low noise 48dB design (when it's not talking, we presume). Most intriguing to us, however, is the bot's ability to run diagnostics at the press of a button, enunciating its ailments if any one of the fourteen testable components are in-fact broken. We imagine your carpet would be happy to welcome Robo to the family, but when you have two pets to brush and all kitty can do is meow, we surmise the vacuum will come forth as King.

How would you change Samsung's Series 9 laptop?

Posted: 03 Jul 2011 07:25 PM PDT

We know, Samsung already took the wind out of your "price cut!" sails, but hey -- we're pretty certain you've still got a few things you'd like to see changed on the altogether lovely Series 9. Sammy's sexiest laptop to date has surely found its way into the homes of quite a few ultraportable aficionados, boasting a Core i5 chip, USB 3.0 and lovely all-in-one trackpad. 'Course, even those enamored with the design have probably found a few chinks in the armor after a few month's use, so we're anxious to hear what you'd recommend Samsung do with revision B. Would you tone down the gloss? Arrange the ports any differently? Toss in a magnetic power connector? Boost the screen resolution? Voice your opinions down in comments below -- it's a free country, you know?

Inhabitat's Week in Green: IKEA's massive solar array, climate-controlled clothing and ultra-green yachts

Posted: 03 Jul 2011 06:07 PM PDT

The summer sun supercharged green technology this week as Inhabitat reported that IKEA flipped the switch on a massive 65,000 square foot solar array and designer Markus Kayser unveiled an awesome self-sufficient solar-powered laser cutter. We also spotted a clever off-grid Tropicana billboard that is juiced by oranges, and we learned about a new piezoelectric film that could lead to laptops powered by typing. Energy-generating architecture also made headlines as SMIT announced plans to roll out their Solar Ivy system on several buildings and one designer unveiled plans for a green energy island large enough to power Copenhagen.

Green transportation also reached for the sky this week as the sun-powered Solar Impulse airplane made its public debut at the Paris Air Show and EADS unveiled plans for an innovative all-electric commercial aircraft. Efficient autos also hit the streets as the Nissan Leaf became the first electric car to tackle Pike's Peak, and we learned that Porsche is working on a new breed of cars that are able to drive themselves. If pedal-powered transportation is more your speed you won't want to miss this beautiful kinetic energy-storing Potenza vehicle, and we were wowed by the solar panel-clad Emax Excalibur hybrid yacht.

In other news, we shined a light on green consumer electronics this week as we brought you a lunar LED light modeled after the moon and Peter Rojas explained how wasteful it is to keep gadgets chargers plugged in as part of our Ask a Tech Geek column. We also shared a low-tech tablet that's perfect for kids, and we showcased a new type of climate-controlled clothing that beats the summer heat. Finally, we were excited to see Sprint launch a contest where you can recycle your old cell to score a Vespa scooter and an eco smartphone, and we brought you seven sustainable designs for a greener Fourth of July.

Galaxy Tab 10.1 update coming soon, ushers TouchWiz into the Honeycomb era

Posted: 03 Jul 2011 05:11 PM PDT

Galaxy Tab 10.1 Update
That "future software upgrade" Samsung promised us for the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is "coming soon" according to the company's site, though, when exactly "soon" might be is anyone's guess. When it does start trickling its way on to Sammy's slate, it'll be bringing with it a host of new features, including that Honeycomb edition of TouchWiz that's sure to be just as divisive as its smartphone ancestor. It does, however, pack in some nice functionality, like a multimedia clipboard for copying and pasting pictures and videos as well as text, and a Live Panel widget for pulling in news, weather, and updates from your social networks. Other features that you're used to on Samsung devices are also coming along for the ride, including the Media Hub for purchasing videos and the latest, intense version of Swype. There's also a remote tracking and wipe function for those who have a tendency to leave their gadgets behind at Starbucks, and it unlocks USB, SD card, and HDMI functionality -- with the appropriate accessories of course. Check out the source link for a few more details.

Switched On: webOS wherever

Posted: 03 Jul 2011 03:59 PM PDT

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

This week's release of the HP TouchPad, the first device other than a handset to feature webOS, aptly demonstrates the promise and perils of HP's adopted operating system. The 4:3 tablet provides the large canvas that webOS seemed born to cover. However, like the Xoom and PlayBook before it, the TouchPad suffers from an impoverished app library among other holes. To help share development costs of webOS and expand the market for its developers, HP has warmed to the idea of licensing the Palm-developed operating system.

HP's willingness to license webOS while continuing to make devices based on the operating system serves up a healthy helping of déjà vu for those who followed the history of Palm, Inc. The PDA pioneer sought to take advantage of its dominance in handhelds, and stave off rival Pocket PCs powered by Windows CE, by licensing the Palm operating system while continuing to use it.

The decision proved to be Palm's short-term salvation and long-term ruin. One of the first companies to license the Palm OS was Handspring, founded by former Palm executives. Handspring created the Treo, which became Palm's entry into smartphones when Palm acquired Handspring. A few other companies licensed the Palm OS for smartphones, including Kyocera and Samsung, but the inherent conflict created by competing with licensees forced Palm to spin Palm OS out into a company called PalmSource, which folded three years later.

That distraction (and Palm OS' failure to advance) forced Palm to rebuild in much the same way that Microsoft has with Windows Phone 7 and RIM with QNX. Despite Palm's small size relative to those companies, it was out the door first with webOS. Ultimately, though, it was too little too late, and the company had to sell itself to HP.

WebOS brings hope anew to HP's smartphone efforts. It had previously only dabbled in the space with a handful of Windows Mobile devices aimed mostly at business customers. While HP will likely stay in the phone business, its unwillingness to invest in that market at the level of the likes of Apple, Google and Microsoft may have been what former HP CEO Mark Hurd meant when he said last year that HP "didn't buy Palm to be in the smartphone business." Per se.

However, in contrast to MeeGo, the once next-generation OS for Nokia that has now been relegated to R&D, HP has pledged to bring webOS to a wide swath of HP products -- perhaps too wide. While it's easy to see how TouchPad and smartphone sales would symbiotically attract developers, it's less clear how much apps for those products would have in common with, say, those on a printer front panel or on a layer living on top of Windows on a PC -- two possibilities that HP has raised for device markets where it is particularly strong.

Where HP's work bringing webOS to new platforms and architecture could pay off, though, is in licensing webOS. Effective licensing ultimately requires supporting a broad range of hardware configurations, a burden that Nokia, for example, has pledged to help Microsoft with as the phone maker brings Windows Phone 7 to less costly hardware. With HP's primary play in webOS being outside the smartphone market, it creates more room to license webOS in that high-volume category --a place where the OS really needs to attract developers. The open question, though, is what company would be willing to give webOS the attention that HP wants while delivering the high volumes that webOS needs. The next Switched On will look at the field of contenders and discuss which handset company might be ready to spin its own webOS handset.

iPhone 4 prototype surfaces on eBay: A+++ condition, would buy again

Posted: 03 Jul 2011 03:25 PM PDT

And with that, the tradition continues. Every year or so, it seems that an iPhone prototype of some description manages to find its way onto eBay, and just over a year after the first iPhone 4 prototype made its way into public view, the precious item you see above is now available on a public auction site. To our knowledge, this is the first iPhone 4 prototype to be offered for sale on eBay -- at least from someone who actually appears to be legitimate and in possession of the device he / she claims to own -- boasting an etched 'DF1692' label in the lower right, omitted volume button markers and a mysterious 'XXGB' label around back. Unfortunately, we're told that it can't be activated through iTunes, and popping in an AT&T SIM did the seller little good. 'Course, at $810 and rising, we highly doubt such trivial matters will deter collectors from ponying up. Hit the source link to get your bid in -- you know, before Apple's henchmen convince Mr. Donahoe to pull the plug.

Update: As of 12:58am ET on July 4, 2011, this phone now sits at $70,100. Let freedom ring.

Update 2: As of 1:11am ET on July 4, 2011, this phone now sits at over $100,000. We highly doubt the buyer's coming through on this one.

Update 3: As of 8:44am ET on July 4, 2011, this phone now sits at just over $2,000. The seller has apparently cancelled numerous false bids.

Kinect / iPad hack should help you get Obi-Wan's attention (video)

Posted: 03 Jul 2011 01:50 PM PDT

You know the old story, right? You come into possession of plans for the Empire's moon-sized space station, and now they've come to capture you. What to do? Well, if you've got access to a Kinect, an iPad, and the String SDK, you're in luck. The folks at LAAN Labs demonstrated a nifty little hack that can turn 3D data recorded using the Xbox 360 peripheral into a Princess Leia-esque augmented reality image playable on the Apple tablet. Check the video below -- unless you're a scruffy-looking nerf herder, that is.

at 11:51 AM

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