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Thursday, July 14, 2011

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Apple forced to cough up cash over iPhone location tracking in South Korea

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 11:21 AM PDT

iPhone Tracking Payout
You probably thought all the drama surrounding the iPhone location tracking fiasco was over. Oh, how wrong you were. In fact, the controversy seems ripe for a resurgence after a Korean court ordered that country's Apple arm to pay 1 million won (about $946) to Kim Hyung-suk. The payment was awarded last month, but now Kim's law firm is prepping a class action suit that could put further pressure on the Cupertino crew -- especially in the home of Samsung. This could just be the first in a series of pay outs, as even American courts may look to the decision when considering the fate of other plaintiffs looking to ring a few bucks out of iDevice purveyors. Hit up the source link for a few more details and a host of non sequiturs.

[Thanks, Wesley]

Gogo launches in-air multimedia platform, details international expansion plans

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 11:00 AM PDT

It's at least six months behind schedule at this point, but we guess late's better than even later. We'd known that Aircell Gogo (yeah, it's officially changed!) was aiming to get into the in-flight entertainment business, and today it's dishing the real dirt. It's hoping to "extend the company beyond internet connectivity," and apparently that means introducing an in-air multimedia platform. Per the company, it'll allow users to tap into "real-time travel information, destination content, news / information and exclusive shopping deals" right within their web browser, and it'll also give airlines the opportunity to offer passengers access to the latest movies and TV shows through Gogo's new streaming video product. We're guessing that last bit is what'll make legacy outfits think twice before shelling out for another round of Panasonic in-seat head units, particularly since there's no air-to-ground connectivity needed.

Even today, average JPEGs are compressed when downloaded and uploaded, making it just about impossible for folks who actually work with images to get anything finalized in the sky. Upon hearing of its initial plans, we wondered one thing: if Gogo can't handle uncompressed JPEGs, how the heck is your streaming video going to look with every other middle-seater trying to load the latest episode of Weeds? Thankfully, our fears were pushed aside after hearing that the IFE portion (read: the service that serves up multimedia) will be locally based on the plane, with an undisclosed protocol pushing material from the cockpit to your display. Executives confirmed that the goal is to serve an entire plane, but it sounds as if there will certainly be some limits in place at first -- though, unless the entire plane hops onboard with the new program on Day 1, it probably won't become an issue.

Read on for more...

It's a fairly interesting concept. On one hand, we're elated to hear that an already constrained pipe won't be further pressured by streaming video from the ground, but assuming that folks will a) have a laptop with enough battery power to last through a movie marathon and b) folks in coach will have enough room to actually take advantage seems like somewhat of a stretch. For those wondering about usability on short flights, we're told that users will have 24 hours to pick up where they left off if a film gets cut short due to flight time -- a genuinely nice solution, we must say. Of course, pricing remains a mystery; execs briefly displayed a beta window with a few $3.99 price tags during today's webcast, but they were quick to point out that they're still playing around with figures to get it right. The good news is that some content will be gratis, and they shouldn't have to try too hard to best the $6 that Delta charges for a flick today.

Beyond content, the forthcoming Gogo landing page will also enable passengers to engage in games, magazines, podcasts and shopping -- most of which will be free to access and won't require a live Gogo internet connection. If it hasn't been made abundantly clear by now, Gogo's aiming to become a one-stop in-flight entertainment destination, and from what we've seen, it's well on its way to accomplishing just that. When asked about working with partners that are already heavily invested in in-seat panels (read: Virgin America), they seemed to think that both could exist in parallel, at least for now. Being frank, execs stated that they didn't think in-seat modules were "long for this world," but given that we're still flying around on birds built before the birth of the Pope... well, you catch our drift.

The company's currently beta testing things with American Airlines, and it confessed that Delta wouldn't be too far behind. As for the rest? It's hoping to get all of its existing domestic partners onboard by Q1 2012, and with that, it's probably appropriate to mention Gogo's international aspirations. To date, there's really only one way to get connected when flying from NYC to Berlin, and it's on Lufthansa. Thankfully, execs in today's press event affirmed that it's working diligently to find a connectivity solution for intercontinental flights, and moreover, there's no real hindrance to offering just entertainment solutions on offline 777s heading from LAX to SYD. They stopped short of confirming, but they definitely insinuated that they'd consider selling the streaming IFE solution as a separate beast.

So, looks like the future of in-flight entertainment starts this winter -- bring your batteries!
Show full PR text
Gogo Soars to Unexplored Heights with New, In-air Multimedia Platform

New platform to offer engaging flight, destination, e-commerce, video, gaming and news experience for travelers in-air, online

ITASCA, Ill., July 15, 2011 – Gogo today announced plans to launch a new, in-air multimedia platform that will extend the company beyond Internet connectivity to offerpassengers exclusive access to online services that include real-time travel information, destination content, news and information, exclusive shopping deals and social network integration. The platform will also give airlines the opportunity to offer passengers access to the latest movies and TV shows through Gogo's new streaming video product.

The new platform will be a unique in-air experience that passengers access via their own Web enabled device on any aircraft equipped with Gogo Wi-Fi internet service. The new site will also be customizable to allow better branding opportunities for Gogo's airline partners. The new platform will be available beginning in the third quarter of this year.

"This is the convergence of in-flight connectivity and entertainment. When we first started offering Wi-Fi connectivity, it became clear to us that we could offer travelers so much more to enhance their travel experience," said Ash ElDifrawi, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Gogo. "Today, travelers depend on Gogo to keep them connected in air and, while connectivity remains at the heart of our business, we are thrilled to offer travelers this new form of entertainment at 30,000 ft."

Over the last several months, Gogo has worked with design and innovation firm IDEO to define and build the new platform. Gogo engaged with IDEO to better understand the needs of travelers and the airlines. The next step was to determine how to best leverage its in-flight connectivity to address those needs.

Gogo has begun rolling out some of these new features including a new partnership with Gilt Groupe. Gogo's video service will also allow travelers to rent movies and TV shows for viewing in air. Gogo currently has an agreement with major Hollywood studios and will feature recently released movies and hit TV shows. .

"The introduction of this new platform will enable our airline partners to customize in air, online experiences to reflect their brand; it will offer passengers an engaging travel experience; and it will give advertisers access to a very unique audience" said ElDifrawi. "It offers the flexibility to provide a robust set of experiences – such as travel information, movies, shopping and social networking – that's relevant to each individual airline or specific journey. It also sends us farther down the path to making Gogo everyone's favorite part of flying."

International Atrix unlocked bootloader uncovered, hackers around the globe rejoice

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 10:47 AM PDT

Atrix Unlocked Bootloader
That Atrix unlocked bootloader that leaked last month had one nagging limitation -- it was only for the AT&T version of Motorola's dual-core device. Now, thanks to the tireless folks who haunt the XDA forums, all of our international friends rockin' the laptop-dockable handset will soon be free of Moto's chains. Project Cheesecake, as the quest was known, has dug up files from a forthcoming Orange UK firmware upgrade that can be applied to any Atrix across the globe. That means even our impatient neighbors to the north on Bell will be able to get in on the unlocking action early. If you can't wait for Motorola to officially get the update out the door, just keep an eye out at the source and more coverage links. The devs are doing some final testing to ensure it doesn't brick phones and creating localized builds, so you're just gonna have to wait a tiny bit longer.

[Thanks, Guillermo]

Olloclip three-in-one lens for iPhone 4 review

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 10:00 AM PDT


The age of lugging around a pricey DSLR kit just to capture casual fisheye, wide-angle and macro photos may be nearing its end -- for some of us, at least. Designed by a startup duo in California, the Olloclip was the first project featured in our Insert Coin series, and we were thrilled to learn not only that it was successfully funded, but that the device is ready to ship to both early supporters and new customers just two months later. The accessory brings the functionality of all three lenses to the iPhone 4, and it does so well enough to warrant leaving your pro kit at home on occasion -- assuming, of course, that your photographs aren't responsible for putting food on the table.

While a bargain compared to its professional equivalents, $70 is a lot to spend on any iPhone accessory, so the lens's price tag may not sit well with some users. Also, design limitations mean you won't be able to use the lens with other devices, and there's no way to guarantee compatibility with future iPhones as well. Nonetheless, we had a blast shooting with the Olloclip, and we think you will too. Head past the break to find out why.
Olloclip Three-in-One Lens for iPhone 4 review

Design and appearance

At first glance, the Olloclip only appears to include two lenses, but unscrewing the wide-angle reveals the cleverly hidden macro. To use any of the built-in lenses, simply slide the clip onto your iPhone. The fit is quite snug, so you can rotate the phone, walk around, and even slip your phone into a bag without worrying about the lens slipping off. It's also easy to reposition -- to swap the wide-angle for the fisheye, for example, just flip the entire clip around so that the lens you want to use is facing forward. As with all sub-$100 optics, it doesn't have the sturdy, metal construction of, say, a $2,000 professional-class Canon L-series lens, but for a pocketable accessory with a potentially limited shelf life, we're more concerned with the device's performance than we are with how it feels in our hands. The plastic lens mount is also less likely to damage the glass body of your iPhone 4, so we don't mind that the clip itself isn't made of metal.

Though it's small enough to fit inside your front pants pocket, the lens still protrudes from the iPhone in a big way. The rather obnoxious product branding also makes it conspicuous, but that, at least, is removable (we chose to detach it for our product photos, and new Olloclips ship without the logo sticker). Even without the branding, it's an eye-catching device, prompting several locals to approach us with questions during our testing in New York City. One woman even asked us to demo the lens for her. As it happens, she tried out the fisheye lens, and was very impressed with the results.

The Olloclip ships with lens caps for both primary lenses, and a small carrying pouch that also doubles as a microfiber cleaning cloth. Because of its size, we found ourselves constantly touching and smudging up the lens accidentally, so that microfiber cloth will certainly come in handy. The device is available with either black or red barrels -- both constructed from anodized aircraft-grade aluminum. A ridged simulated filter mount surrounds the fisheye lens's front element, complimenting the lens aesthetically, though clearly not serving any functional purpose, as you won't be adding any filters to the Olloclip. The multi-element lenses are constructed of precision-ground glass, and that's clearly reflected in the image quality we were able to achieve here.


Ease of use

The Olloclip is incredibly easy to use. You don't need to install any software, though it's compatible with any and all iPhone apps. And mounting or swapping lenses just takes a second, as you can see in our hands-on video. We did have some trouble using one hand to remove the wide-angle lens to expose the macro, as we were using the other hand to hold the iPhone, though unscrewing the lens while it's mounted on the phone is less of a challenge. It's also important to note that because of the iPhone's higher multiplication factor in video mode, the wide-angle and fisheye lenses will present a completely different perspective when shooting video than they do when capturing stills. Don't be discouraged, however -- the video crop factor actually eliminates much of the distortion we experienced with the wide-angle lens (more on that below).


Image quality

Since the optic functions simply as an extension of the iPhone's existing lens, the quality of the images it captures are limited by the sensor itself. Fortunately, the iPhone 4's camera offers a huge improvement over its predecessor, enabling the Olloclip to capture some pretty fantastic photos. Pics we shot with all three lenses were sharp and vibrant, and were clearly distinctive from those captured with the iPhone's native lens. Most wide-angle lenses suffer from minor barrel distortion, but unfortunately we found distortion with the Olloclip's wide-angle lens to be far more noticeable than what we've experienced with a wide-angle lens on a DSLR. These distortion issues are clearly visible in our gallery of sample images. As with any fisheye lens, you'll notice some significant barrel distortion here, too, but that's to be expected -- after all, that stretching is kind of the whole point of fisheye photography.

We were perhaps most impressed with the macro lens, which essentially functions as a very powerful magnifying glass for your iPhone. We were able to capture incredible detail with this lens. In a photo we shot of our high-density notebook display, we could clearly make out individual red, green, and blue pixels. This capability alone is enough to justify the expense of adding the Olloclip, especially for anyone who enjoys macro photography but doesn't have the luxury of having a pro kit nearby at all times.
Olloclip Three-in-One Lens for iPhone 4 sample images

Wrap-up

Apart from the barrel distortion we mentioned earlier, we were exceptionally pleased with the photos we took with the Olloclip. Sure, the compact, dual-sided, three-in-one lens won't match the image quality of a pro rig, but considering its size and versatility, it may just become the next must-have accessory for Apple's iPhone 4. You may also argue that a handful of the thousands of available photo-enhancing iPhone apps can duplicate some of the lens's functionality, but none will ever be able to match the caliber of images you can capture with the help of some high-quality hardware components. Aside from the distortion, our primary concern with the Olloclip has to do with the product's shelf life, considering it's tied to a device that's unequivocally nearing the end of a cycle. We imagine the company will be able to adapt future versions to accommodate new iPhone models (and perhaps even smartphones from other manufacturers), but the current version will likely be replaced whenever the next iPhone is released. Keeping that in mind, we love the Olloclip, and plan on shooting with it as long as our hardware allows.

iRiver's Vanilla Android phone and tablet leak out, a few cubes short of 80s infamy

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 09:42 AM PDT

Remember that iRiver MX100 we spotted a few weeks ago? Yeah, well it's about to hit Korean retail shelves soon with a new name, more specs and a smaller Android-based smartphone stablemate. The marketing snapshots taken by Cetizen show off both the wildly titled Tab (really?) and little brother Vanilla (really?) rocking Android 2.2 like it's still 2010. Clearly iRiver's not employing the best in branding here, opting instead for a middle-of-the-tech-road, "Clear Glass Look" me-too approach. Just look at these specs: the 3G, Flash-ready, 7-inch LCD tablet's running a rumored 1GHz Hummingbird processor with a 5 megapixel camera, up to 32GB of expandable storage and Bluetooth. While its handset bretheren putters in with a 3.5-inch WVGA LCD display, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, 4GB of storage and unknown processor. These new additions to the Google mobile army won't be topping nerds' must-have wish lists, but they should do for Moms and other less tech-obsessed denizens of our free world. Hit the source for additional shots of these white-washed beauties.

Ten One Design's Fling mini now delivering tactile control to touchscreen gamers

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 09:22 AM PDT

Ten One Design Fling-mini
Improved gaming controls or a full-screen view? That's the conundrum you'll soon be able to face if you pre-ordered Ten One Design's Fling mini, which is now shipping. To refresh your memory, the $25 pair of springy capacitive joysticks for mobile devices -- specifically iPhone and iPod Touch -- cling onto your device's touchscreen, and aim to add tactile feel and added precision. We've used the larger iPad variant in the past and found it worked pretty well, but we're certainly wary about how much space the mini looks to hog up in comparison. There's more info in the PR past the break if you're still thinking about giving these some thumbs-on time.
Show full PR text
iPhone Gamers' Anticipation Comes to an End; Ten One Design Fling mini Game Controller Now Shipping

Touch screen tactile game controller for iPhone, iPod touch, Android and other Smartphones improves the mobile gaming experience

Montclair, NJ (July 13, 2011) – Ten One Design, creators of the first capacitive touch-screen stylus for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, is now shipping the "mini" version of its revolutionary tactile game controller – Fling mini.

Expanding on the success of the Fling for iPad announced at this year's CES, the mini controller adheres to any smartphone on top of the directional pad of any applicable game to deliver ultimate control and superb response for full gaming immersion.

Fling mini's unique spiral design creates actual physical resistance so gamers are assured of greater directional control. It works with any iPhone or iPod touch game with a directional pad, or virtual joystick, including Meteor Blitz, Aralon: Sword and Shadow, Super Mega Worm, Robokill, Blade of Betrayal and Dink Smallwood, to name a few.

Similar to Fling for iPad, to use Fling mini, launch the game of your choice and secure Fling mini's center control over the game's directional pad. Then simply place your thumb on the center control to navigate easily through the game.

The translucent and flexible design provides an unrestricted view of all on-screen action. Plus, the suction cups allow simple attachment and detachment for spontaneous gaming sessions.

The included microfiber bag is ideal for on-the-go storage and doubles as the perfect screen cleaning cloth to eliminate unwanted smudges and fingerprints.

Available in Ninja, the 2-pack Fling mini is available and shipping now for just $24.95 at www.tenonedesign.com.

ABOUT TEN ONE DESIGN, LLC
Ten One Design, LLC, is a New York-based design firm established in 2007 to create innovative solutions for and enhance the quality of the ever-changing mobile lifestyle. By striving to improve the status quo and develop groundbreaking products like the Pogo Stylus, the Ten One Design brand is dedicated to being first and best. For more information about Ten One Design, please visit www.tenonedesign.com.

Cellphones are dangerous / not dangerous: Danish chatterbox edition

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 08:58 AM PDT

Concerned that a decade and a half of regular cellphone will have a long-term effect on your health? Hopefully the latest study conducted by members of the World Health Organization (WHO) will put your mind at ease. The examination followed nearly 3 million Danish adults, studying links between phone use and the formation of acoustic neuromas -- non-cancerous, slow-growing brain tumors that form on the main nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain. The study concluded that people who've used a handset for 11-15 years weren't any more likely to develop a tumor than those who don't use cellphones at all, though scientists are unsure that this is a long enough period of time to determine a significant correlation (or lack thereof). Still, this comes as refreshing news two months after the WHO released a study revealing that RF waves coming from phones are "potentially carcinogenic," due to a limited link to glioma and acoustic neuroma. Of course, none of these reports can actually conclude that cellphones cause cancer -- only that the two may be correlated. So, what does this latest study really do? It legitimizes the need to conduct more studies.

Microsoft promises Mango phones in September for Imagine Cup finalists

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 08:35 AM PDT

Another year, another Imagine Cup. The annual competition, sponsored by Microsoft, gives students the opportunity to apply technology to tackle hunger, poverty, and other global problems, thereby making the world a better place (for you and for me, and the entire human race). We'd say the finalists deserve a pretty cool reward for their efforts, right? According to a status update on the Cup's Twitter account -- an update that's conspicuously been pulled -- one of the prizes for finalists is a Windows Phone with Mango pre-loaded, a jackpot they'd receive by September. We're not completely certain if this will be a pre-release version intended for developers or if it's an indication that the final iteration will be ready for public use by this time; we've only heard that Mango's slotted for a fall release, so both are definite possibilities. Since many of these students are developers, however, it's entirely possible they'll receive a prototype device with an early version of the firmware. No phone could replace the warm feelings in their heart for such a great accomplishment, but at least they can share their joy with built-in Twitter integration.

Microsoft licenses GeoVector's augmented reality search for local guidance (video)

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 08:13 AM PDT

After the ho-hum AR demonstration of Windows Phone Mango, Microsoft appears to be stepping up its game by licensing a mature set of technologies from GeoVector, (a company previously known for its defunct World Surfer application). While the details remain elusive, Ballmer's crew was granted a multi-year, non-exclusive right to use and abuse the pointing-based local search and augmented reality elements of GeoVector's portfolio -- surely capable of bringing Local Scout to the next level. While much of the technology relies on GPS and a compass for directional-based discovery, the licensor also holds intellectual property for object recognition (à la Google Goggles), although it's unclear whether this element falls within the agreement. Of course, Microsoft could have turned to Nokia's Live View AR for many of the same tools, but that would have been far too obvious. Just beyond the break, you'll find the full PR along with an (admittedly dated) video of GeoVector's technology.

Show full PR text
Microsoft Licenses Unique Technology for Augmented Reality and Pointing-Based Mobile Local Search from GeoVector

Licensing Agreement Provides Microsoft with access to GeoVector's Substantial Portfolio of Patents for Spatially Aware Mobile Computing

July 13, 2011 07:58 AM Eastern Daylight Time

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) has entered into a licensing agreement with GeoVector® Corporation, the world leader in Augmented Reality and pointing-based local search solutions for mobile devices. The non-exclusive multi-year agreement gives Microsoft rights to use concepts covered by GeoVector's patents.

"We are thrilled to have Microsoft join the growing number of GeoVector licensees," said John Ellenby, GeoVector's President and CEO. "This agreement further validates GeoVector's industry-leading patent portfolio and enables us to focus on additional licensing opportunities as we bring our location-based technology to market through our partners and licensees."

The patents included in the agreement cover Augmented Reality, pointing-based local search and other aspects of spatially aware mobile computing. Other terms of the agreement were not released.

PSA: Got a Nook Color? Then you can get dual-booting Nook2Android

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 07:53 AM PDT

Here comes a public service announcement: Eat slower and you'll feel fuller. Oh sorry, wrong one. We meant: Nook Color owners, you can now dual-boot your slate using the specially-created Nook2Android SD card. The card makes installing Android 2.3 a snap and it's now shipping with a dual-boot file courtesy of XDA developers, which means you can choose to boot into the original Nook OS without having to remove the card. You're looking at $35 for an 8GB card, rising to $90 for 32GB. Alternatively, if you're happy to get a bit of oil on your hands, you can try the manual approach. Mmmm, Gingerbread, chew every mouthful.

Keepin' it real fake: Xiaomi M1 melds iPhone and Galaxy S II with custom MIUI ROM

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 07:34 AM PDT

Granted, what you're looking at is nothing more than a skillful render, but if Apple and Samsung ever made beautiful babies, this is what would be bestowed upon the world -- pesky lawsuits notwithstanding, that is. The KIRF in question is the Xiaomi M1, a smartphone designed specifically for the MIUI custom Gingerbread ROM. It's sporting a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm CPU, along with a four-inch, 854 x 480 Super LCD capacitive touchscreen display, and the usual assortment of Bluetooth, GPS, and WiFi. Users will find quadband GSM among the mix, but 3G support remains a mystery -- likewise for the RAM, internal storage, and battery capacity. Pricing is an unknown quantity too, although earlier reports suggest we'll see something in the range of RMB 1,600 (approximately $250). This potential KIRF'ers paradise is expected to ship between mid-August and early September in a variety of colors, which will be eclipsed only by the sweet smell of its unboxing.

Car2go brings North America's first all-electric carsharing program to San Diego

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 07:18 AM PDT

When we tried out car2go's carsharing program earlier this year, we knew it was only a matter of time before the service rolled out to other parts of the country. Little did we know, however, that it would be doing so atop a flotilla of EVs. Yesterday, the Daimler subsidiary announced that San Diego will be the next city to adopt car2go, making it the first in North America to boast a completely electric carsharing system. The program will kick off sometime before the end of this year, when 300 Smart Fortwo plug-ins storm the city, each powered by a 30 kW electric propulsion system and a lithium ion battery that promises to last for up to 84 miles on a single charge. Whenever the cars run out of juice, drivers will be able to recharge at any of the 1,000 Blink EV charging stations (due to be installed by the end of 2011), before heading off to windsail, buy white linen pants, or whatever people do under perennial sunshine. Curiosity piqued? Steer past the break for the full press release.
Show full PR text
car2go Announces First All-Electric Carsharing Fleet in North America

San Diego/USA, July, 13, 2011

car2go to introduce first North American all-electric carsharing program
in San Diego

300 zero-emission smart fortwo electric drive vehicles arrive in San Diego by the end of 2011

car2go N. A. LLC, a subsidiary of Daimler North America Corporation, announced that San Diego will be the first North American city to have a 100-percent electric vehicle (EV) carsharing program. San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, Nicholas Cole, President and CEO of car2go N. A. LLC, and Jonathan Read, CEO of ECOtality, made the official announcement at a news conference at the El Cortez this morning.

The all-electric car2go program in San Diego is going to start operations before the end of 2011 with 300 smart fortwo electric drive vehicles.

All smart fortwo electric drive cars will be equipped with the latest car2go telematics technology, allowing fully automated, easy and convenient rental operations. As the world's first free-floating carsharing service, car2go provides its members with the possibility to rent the cars spontaneously without having the burden to commit to a specific return time or location.

The car2go program is already very successful in four cities with a total of more than 40,000 members and 1,000 smart fortwo vehicles with low-emission gas engines.

The smart fortwo electric drive is powered by a 30 kW electric propulsion system. It is economical, quiet and emissions-free. In San Diego, the high-efficiency lithium-ion batteries can be recharged at designated EV charging stations. On a single charge, the car can travel up to 84 miles. Battery recharging time from 20 percent to 80 percent of battery full capacity is just three and a half hours. Recharging a completely discharged battery takes no more than eight hours, which makes it possible to recharge overnight. Past experience shows that this is seldom necessary, as the daily stretch covered by car2go drivers in urban areas rarely exceeds 6 miles.

The electric car2go vehicles will be charged at Blink EV charging stations developed by California-based technology provider ECOtality. The company is currently in the process of siting and installing the charging stations, and approximately 1,000 Blink commercial charging stations are expected to be installed by end of 2011 for public use in San Diego.
The electric car2go service in San Diego will be operated by car2go N. A. LLC. Further details of the service such as business area, parking and charging concept as well as start of customer registrations will be announced in the near future.

Verizon's Innovation Center opens its doors to LTE product development

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 07:02 AM PDT

Not sure if you've noticed, but there's an LTE race going on and VZW's wasting no time sprinting to the lead. Despite rival AT&T's February launch of a similar R&D space in Texas, Verizon's cutting its first big red bow on the two years in the making Innovation Center. Located just outside Boston, the Waltham, Massachusetts-based labs began churning out LTE-friendly products in October of 2009, developing 30+ products to date. While most of these may never ride along the borderline blazing speeds of real-world LTE, the environment does give small startups a leg-up in a collaborative, deep-pocketed space (insert emphasis here). The research center also does double duty for the operator's bottom line, offering its Verizon Ventures group first dibs on investment opportunities -- like it did with Nomad Innovation's LiveEdge TV product. Construction on a second mobile applications-focused facility is already underway in San Francisco with its very own opening ceremony slated for late summer. We're glad to see Verizon spreading the bills to spur tech forward, but there's one major thing the carrier forgot -- an emergency room wing for all its crapware-bloated products. Official PR after the break.

[Image credit via PCMag]
Show full PR text
Verizon Wireless Features Five Companies that Collaborated on 4G LTE Infrastructure, Products and Solutions Shown at New Center

07/12/2011

BASKING RIDGE, NJ, and WALTHAM, MA - To mark the official opening of the Verizon Innovation Center in Waltham, Mass., Verizon convened a panel discussion highlighting the value of collaboration and the power of the 4G LTE network in developing and bringing new products to market.

"The Verizon Innovation Center is all about collaboration and bringing companies and ideas together to help deliver the next-generation of products and solutions for the 4G LTE network," said David Small, chief technical officer, Verizon Wireless. "We have nearly 80 companies already participating in the Center, and the stories these five are sharing today are a great representation of the kind of innovative thinking and work that is happening here."

Executives from several Innovation Center participant companies spoke about their company's role in the 4G LTE ecosystem, and their relationships with the Verizon Innovation Center.

Companies speaking included:

Alcatel-Lucent: Alcatel-Lucent is a founding participant in the Verizon Innovation Center. Represented by Ken Wirth, president of End-to-End Network Solutions, the long-trusted partner of service providers, enterprises, strategic industries and governments around the world, Alcatel-Lucent is a leader in mobile, fixed, IP and Optics technologies, and a pioneer in applications and services. Alcatel-Lucent includes Bell Labs, one of the world's foremost centers of research and innovation in communications technology. With operations in more than 130 countries and one of the most experienced global services organizations in the industry, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with global reach.
Ericsson: Ericsson is a founding participant in the Verizon Innovation Center. Tim Moss, senior vice president, Head of Engagement Practices spoke about Ericsson's commitment to address the rapidly expanding ecosystem and bring innovative business ideas to market quickly. Ericsson is the world's leading provider of technology and services to network operators, connecting over 2 billion subscribers. Ericsson believes the world is in the midst of a technology revolution in which IT and telecommunications are coming together to create a Networked Society. Just as it did for voice, Ericsson has the ambition to make broadband available and affordable to everyone. When one person is connected, their life changes; when everything is connected, the world changes.
LiveEdge/Nomad Innovations: LiveEdge, which is on display in the Enterprise Lab at the Innovation Center, is the first embedded 4G LTE wireless solution for the transmission of live coverage of news, sports, and other events. The 1.5 pound unit attaches to cameras and provides real-time, high-definition video and audio for broadcast, cable or the Web. LiveEdge offers broadcasters, the military or emergency personnel a two-way audio/video/data connection between personnel in the field and a studio or command center. Live events can be covered without deploying expensive microwave, satellite or production units. The technology company is based in Louisville, Ky., and will have its products commercially available later this year. Robert Klingle, chief executive officer of LiveEdge, spoke on behalf of the company today.
TouchTunes: TouchTunes Interactive Networks, the largest interactive, out-of-home entertainment network in North America, has been working with the Innovation Center for more than a year, and currently leverages the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network in its fleet of Digital Jukeboxes nationwide. TouchTunes brings entertainment and marketing solutions to more than 48,000 bars and restaurants. Last fall, TouchTunes released its myTouchTunes Mobile app allowing consumers to browse and search for music, access their personal playlists, play music from the jukebox, automatically post their plays to Facebook® and Twitter™ and more. Andrej Todosic, vice president technology at TouchTunes, spoke at opening day.
VGo: VGo has been working with the innovation center to provide the convenience of 4G LTE to its robotic telepresence product line. Tim Root, chief technology officer and founder, spoke about how people can establish their presence in a distant location such that they can interact and perform their job in ways not previously possible. VGo allows an individual to see, hear, interact and independently move around in any remote site-enabling anyone to be anywhere. VGo's industry-leading solution reduces costs while improving productivity for remote workers, health care providers and homebound students. With 4G LTE technology, VGo's telepresence robots will benefit from a wider operational range, no longer relying on established Wi-Fi networks, thus enabling deployment to a greater variety of businesses and locations while simplifying connectivity and setup considerations.

The products discussed are among the more than 30 that have been developed and demonstrated in the new building as well as at industry trade shows, customer meetings and other venues.

Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson are founding participants in the Innovation Center. Engineers and other subject matter experts work side by side with Verizon engineers on projects generated within the Innovation Center's labs, and each company has a permanent display highlighting 4G LTE technology and solutions for visitors to experience on the main floor of the building.

For more information about the Verizon Innvoation Center, including a list of all participating companies and information about how to become a participant, visit http://innovation.verizon.com. For more information about Verizon Wireless and its 4G LTE network, visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte.

Sony outs water-resistant Walkman NWZ-W260, is about to launch new high-end models

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 06:41 AM PDT

As far as unusual designs go, Sony's been having one productive week. First the tablet team showed off the funky S1 (and funkier S2) and today Walkman's managed to grab our attention. The outfit just announced the NWZ-W260 series, a music player baked directly into a pair of lightweight headphones -- all told, a bolder setup than this. In case it wasn't already obvious, Sony has its eyes set on the sweaty, gym-going type, and to sweeten the deal it's coated the player in a water-resistant finish. It's rated for up to eight hours of battery life, and also packs a quick charging technology that would allow you to rebound to an hour's capacity after just three minutes. The included software, meanwhile, allows you to drag and drop tracks from Windows Media Player and iTunes for Windows -- so long as they're not DRM-protected, 'o course. It'll go on sale next month, with a 2GB version (the NWZ-W262) fetching $59.99 and a 4GB number (NWZ-W263) going for $79.99.

Meanwhile, it's clear Sony's got some more players coming at the higher end of its lineup. The company just pushed four A860 series Walkmans through the FCC, with capacities ranging from 8GB to 64GB -- a new high for Sony. CNET has also been chatting up sources who say the player will have a large OLED screen, noise-canceling technology, and Bluetooth 2.0. Meanwhile, FCC documents also show Sony is prepping a pair of S760 series players with either 8GB or 16GB of storage, an LCD screen for video playback, and Bluetooth. As CNET notes, Amazon jumped the gun and listed them in Europe with converted prices of $225 to $494 for the A series and $182 to $211 for the S series. How much will they actually cost once they arrive stateside? Looks like we'll find out soon.
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MEDIA ALERT:

Sony introduces new lighter and smaller one-piece, water-resistant W Series Walkman MP3 player for sports enthusiasts

W Series Walkman® Model NWZ-W260

Lightweight, rinsable, wearable, water-resistant design
The W260 series weighs about 24% less and is about 2/3 smaller than previous models.
Quick charge function
Content transfer software
WHO: The new Sony Walkman® – NWZ-W260 Series, features a convenient lightweight,rinsable, wearable and water-resistant headphone-style design that is ideal for fitness enthusiasts.

WHAT: The new Sony Walkman W260 Series, the official music player of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series, is designed to conveniently and comfortably accompany its user to the gym, trail and treadmill. The water-resistant frame ensures it can withstand sweat from intense workouts in any weather condition.

The W series Walkmanplayer comes with Content Transfer software that allows users to easily drag and drop music files from iTunes® for Windows®, Windows Media Player or Windows Explorer (DRM free content only). A 2 GB and a 4 GB option will be available. The 2 GB W Series Walkman® player can hold approximately 470 songs while the 4 GB option can hold about 990 songs.1

Endorsed by world-class marathon runner and US Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflezighi, the NWZ-W260 series Walkman playeralso offers a convenient quick-charge function. With only three minutes of charge time, the player can run for up to 60 minutes and full battery life is up to 8 hours.2 The new NWZ-W260 series Walkman player is available in two colors, black and white.

WHERE: Available August 2011 at www.sonystyle.com, Sony Style retail stores and other authorized retailers nationwide. For images and information, please visit www.sony.com/news.

NWZ-W262 2 GB (black or white): $59.99
NWZ-W263 4 GB (black): $79.99

WALKMAN is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation.
iTunes is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners

*1: Based on 4 minute length at 128 kbps. 1 GB equals 1 billion bytes, a portion of which is used for data management functions.

*2: Actual performance varies based on settings, environmental conditions, and usage. Battery capacity decreases over time and use.

Sony exec says PSN hack was 'a great experience,' apparently means it

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 06:23 AM PDT

The following are what most humans would call "great experiences": eating gelato on a hot summer's day, riding a tandem bike with Anthony Hopkins, or, in the case of Sony executive Tim Schaaff, having your life's work nearly destroyed by a band of hackers. Because for Schaaff, president of Sony Network Entertainment, this spring's persistent PSN outage wasn't so much devastating as it was... enlightening. Here's how he described the hack (and ensuing epiphany) to VentureBeat's Dylan Tweney:

"I think for people running network businesses, it's not just about improving your security, because I've never talked to a security expert who said, 'As long you do the following three things you'll be fine, because hackers won't get you... the question is how do you build your life so you're able to cope with those things. It's been a great experience."

Phenomenal as it must've felt to get in touch with his inner defeatist, Schaaff admitted that he "would not like to do it again" -- probably because his mouth can only house one foot at a time.

SwiftKey X virtual keyboard launches for Android tablets, we go hands-on (video)

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 06:00 AM PDT

We're no strangers to SwiftKey here at Engadget HQ, and today TouchType is launching a major new version of everyone's favorite Android virtual keyboard -- SwiftKey Tablet X for devices running Honeycomb, and SwiftKey X for devices running Android 2.x. Both applications improve upon the original by using TouchType's Fluency 2.0 artificial intelligence engine, a unique predictive phrase system which learns how you write. New features include cloud learning, which analyzes how you type in Gmail, Twitter, Facebook, and text messages to predict phrases in your style, plus keypress technology which continually monitors your typing precision and adapts the touch-sensitive area for each key to improve prediction accuracy. SwiftKey now supports 17 languages (with more coming soon) and is smart enough to interpret three languages at once. There's also a handful of other enhancements, including support for themes which allow users to customize the look and feel of the keyboard. And that split keyboard option we first encountered at CES? It's there of course, in the tablet version.

We've been testing SwiftKey Tablet X on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 for a few days now, alongside SwiftKey X on a handful of phones (including the Nexus S and the EVO 3D), and it's probably the best virtual keyboard we've used on Android yet. In fact, it's now replacing the stock keyboard on all our HTC Sense-equipped handsets. Prediction accuracy improves quickly after you start using the keyboard, and we liked having the option to turn off the spacebar-triggered auto-completion of words and phrases. Another useful feature is the ability to display arrow / cursor keys on the phone version. The supplied themes are attractive (especially Neon), and the layouts are intuitive -- although we'd have preferred the numbers to be arranged in a row instead of mimicking a numpad. Both applications are available today only for $1.99 in the Android Market. Regular pricing is $4.99 for SwiftKey Tablet X, and $3.99 for SwiftKey X. Take a look at our screenshot galleries below, and hit the break for our hands-on videos and more.
SwiftKey Tablet X hands-on
SwiftKey X hands-on




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TOUCHTYPE INC. LAUNCHES FLAGSHIP SWIFTKEY X APP FOR ANDROID SMARTPHONES AND TABLETS

Award-winning Android Keyboard Extended to Tablet Form Factor

SAN FRANCISCO – July 14, 2011 – TouchType Inc. today announced the availability of SwiftKey™ X for smartphones and SwiftKey™ Tablet X, two new intuitive Android keyboard apps. The launch builds on the company's success with its original Android keyboard app SwiftKey™, which debuted one year ago and has since enjoyed more than 1.5 million downloads.

Among the key advances in both smartphone and tablet apps are:

• Fluency 2.0 language inference engine: the latest evolution in artificial intelligence-driven text entry. Fluency 2.0 uses machine learning to predict and correct by observing how a user composes text and then predicts what they will likely type next.
• Cloud Learning using Gmail, Twitter and Facebook: TouchType's cloud-based personalization service learns from a user's message history to offer a customYfit prediction and correction experience never seen before on mobile or tablet.
• Integration of Touch Interaction Modeling: a technology that conducts real-time analysis of the user's touchscreen typing precision to improve word accuracy and predictions.

In addition, SwiftKey Tablet X incorporates an innovative split key layout for thumb typing on the larger touchscreen tablet form factor. The concept, developed by TouchType ahead of a showcase at Google's Honeycomb launch in February, has already been recognized for its innovative approach with a CTIA Emerging Technology award.

"Our new apps for smartphone and tablet give consumers direct access to the world's most advanced language technology of its kind," said Jon Reynolds, cofounder and CEO, TouchType Inc. "We've built SwiftKey X and SwiftKey Tablet X closely with our very passionate community of users over the last six months to offer an unrivaled touchscreen typing experience. Finally, we're excited to offer it to the market as a whole.

Among the wide range of new features coming to both smartphone and tablet applications, notable additions include:

• Keyboard themes and new customizations for both apps;
• Options to choose from more than 20 languages;
• Flexibility to enable users to type in up to three languages at once, with auto-correction that is language-aware;
• Improved settings and installer user interface.

SwiftKey X supports all Android 2.X smartphones and retails at $3.99. SwiftKey Tablet X supports all Android 2.X/3.X tablets and retails at $4.99. Both apps are available via the Android Market and Amazon Appstore. To commemorate the first anniversary of SwiftKey's beta launch, TouchType will offer a 48-hour promotion of the SwiftKey X and SwiftKey Tablet X for $1.99 each.*

* Promotion runs from 6am PDT 7/14 until 6am PDT 7/16

Nintendo confirms Netflix on the 3DS hitting today

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 05:55 AM PDT

Last night's Netflix / 3DS news was more than just empty promises -- and now we have the official press release to prove it. Starting today, Netflix subscribers with unlimited streaming plans will be able to watch TV shows and movies from the service's selection of online content on their Nintendo 3DS, like the Wii before it. Movies will show up in 2D (darn) on the upper screen of the device, with 3D content coming soon to the glasses-free portable. The Netflix app will be hitting the Nintendo eShop today as a free download. The app doesn't appear to be in the store as of yet, but we'll let you know when it pops up. In the meantime, feel free to check out the press release below -- no glasses required.
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Netflix Streaming Now Available on Nintendo 3DS Hand-Held Systems

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starting today, Nintendo 3DS™ owners across the United States and Canada can download a free application that allows Netflix members with unlimited streaming plans to instantly watch TV episodes and movies streaming from Netflix. The attractive, easy-to-use service adds a huge value to the Nintendo 3DS portable system, and again demonstrates how Nintendo 3DS continues to present new and different experiences for owners almost every day.

Nintendo 3DS joins the Wii™ console in its ability to stream Netflix content. On an average day, more than 1.5 million Netflix members instantly watch TV shows or movies via the Wii console. Now available for download from the Nintendo eShop, the Netflix application makes it easy for people to enjoy big action films, award-winning documentaries or hit reality shows and sitcoms on the Nintendo 3DS system anytime, anywhere.

"The new Netflix application looks great, plays great and is a fantastic consumer experience," said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "It gives Nintendo 3DS owners access to an amazing wealth of movies and TV shows, which they can watch conveniently from thousands of free Wi-Fi access points across the country. Nintendo 3DS truly offers something for everyone."

"Nintendo is a terrific partner with Netflix," said Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO of Netflix. "We're excited to extend the partnership to include streaming on Nintendo 3DS."

The new Netflix application for Nintendo 3DS displays movies and TV episodes in 2D on the system's upper screen. Users will soon have access to an additional library of select movies that can be viewed in 3D without the need for special glasses.

Use of the Netflix application on Nintendo 3DS requires a broadband Internet connection and a Netflix streaming membership starting at $7.99 a month. Netflix members with unlimited streaming plans can instantly watch on their Nintendo 3DS systems and other devices, including the Wii console.

To download the free Netflix application or any other content from the Nintendo eShop, Nintendo 3DS users must first install the free system update that became available on June 6.

The Nintendo 3DS system's parental control settings can be used to manage access to the Netflix application. Parents who wish to manage the specific content their kids watch will be happy to know that the parental control settings associated with their Netflix account will be applied to the streaming content viewable on the Nintendo 3DS system.

Jawbone branches out from audio products, teases "Up" wristband that keeps tabs on your bad habits

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 05:47 AM PDT

According to our calendar, this is one of the least timely days of the year for us to harp on New Year's Resolutions, but that's no matter to Jawbone. The company, best-known for crafting those high-end headsets, is at TED talking up its first non-audio product: a wristband dubbed "Up" that tracks and analyzes your eating, sleeping, and exercise habits -- kind of like a bare-bones Fitbit or Nike+. As you can see in that photo up there, it's about the size of those ubiquitous rubber Livestrong bands and lacks a display (not to mention, wireless radios) -- all concessions made in the name of keeping the cost down, says Travis Bogard, VP of product marketing and strategy. So, this is a good 'ol wired product, with a bundled adapter connecting the band to your phone via the 3.5mm jack. Once you connect, you can view all your data on a website or through a mobile app. Or, if you thrive on public shaming, you can challenge people to fitness duels to the death (our phrasing, not Jawbone's). All told, this falls outside the outfit's comfort zone, but then again, it does know a thing or two about wearable tech. For now, the company's keeping mum on pricing and availability, though it says Up will be available in the states later this year. As for compatibility, well, Bogard tells us it's going to work with "all the relevant" mobile platforms. Make of that what you will, folks.
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Jawbone® Unveils Vision to Help People Live a Healthier Life
UP™ by Jawbone to Launch Later this Year

TEDGlobal, SCOTLAND – July 13, 2011 – Jawbone®, a leading innovator of products and services for the mobile lifestyle, today unveiled its vision to inspire people to live healthier with UP™ by Jawbone– a new product the company plans to launch later this year.

Lifestyle diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and some forms of cancer cause more deaths than communicable diseases, according to the CDC. Research shows eating healthier, getting quality sleep, and moving more can prevent most of these lifestyle diseases.

"We are excited to share our vision at TEDGlobal because this epidemic will take an entire community to affect a global change," said Jawbone CEO Hosain Rahman. "TED is a community of thought leaders that can help propel this idea into a global movement."

UP leverages Jawbone's expertise and partner ecosystem integrating robust computing and sophisticated sensor technology in the form of functional jewelry. UP by Jawbone is a new system that tracks your movement, sleep patterns, and nutrition so you can live a healthier life. This new end-to-end system consists of a small wristband that monitors your activity 24/7, a mobile app that analyzes the activity, and an open platform that motivates you with personal and social recommendations and challenges tailored to your goals.

"We're passionate about creating products for the mobile lifestyle that people love to use everyday. And now, we're harnessing that passion to approach a major global issue – health," Rahman continues. "We are focused on a creating a highly accessible solution for this particular space that integrates seamlessly into a user's daily life with the goal of making it absolutely easy for them to live better."

UP by Jawbone will be available later this year. To be alerted to the release of UP, sign up for email updates at http://up.jawbone.com/.

For more information, images and product demos, please visit: www.Jawbone.com/Press or follow @Jawbone on Twitter.

It's here! Spotify lands in the US (video)

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 05:21 AM PDT


We knew it was coming, but Europe's beloved music service just officially launched stateside, bringing with it 15 million tracks with on-demand access, MP3 import, an offline mode, and social media integration. The streaming music service is currently in an invite-only beta phase, but you can sign up for an invitation or jump the queue right into the service's Unlimited ($5) or Premium ($10) monthly subscription tiers. Groove on over to the source link to sign up, and start piping millions of free tunes directly to your desktop -- once Spotify sends the welcome nod to your inbox, of course.

Update: Logitech announced that it will be offering Spotify service on both the Squeezebox Touch and Squeezebox Radio. Hit up the source link for the full scoop.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Hello America. Spotify here.

Spotify, the largest and fastest growing music service of its kind, is available from today in the US. We're massively excited to be here.

Spotify is a new way to manage your music, discover new tracks and share songs and playlists with your friends. Now you can enjoy music whenever and wherever you like.

More than 10 million Europeans can't be wrong, surely?

OK, so they are wrong when it comes to spelling 'favourite' and 'doughnut'. But they know a great music service when they see it.

Spotify was launched in Sweden in 2008 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon, out of a desire to develop a better, more convenient and legal alternative to music piracy. Spotify is now the second single largest source of digital music revenue for labels in Europe (IFPI, April 2011), making sure that artists get a fair deal.

Spotify has more than 10 million registered users and more than 1.6 million paying subscribers across 7 countries in Europe; the US marks the 8th territory. With a ratio of well over 15% paying subscribers to active free users, Spotify is the largest and fastest growing service of its kind.

One lean, green, music machine

Spotify gives you on-demand access (with no buffering) to a library of more than 15 million songs. What's more, you can import the MP3s you already own with just one click, to create a mighty music player. And with Spotify, there's no need to skip tracks you don't like. Why? Because you choose the music in the first place.

It's super simple to create and manage all your playlists with Spotify – our users have made and shared over 250 million of them so far. You can also discover the most popular playlists on sites like www.sharemyplaylists.com and www.bbcify.com, or use clever sites like www.spotiseek.com to create playlists of new music based on your favorite artists.
Music is made for sharing. Simply drag and drop music to your Spotify friends, or share with them via Facebook, Twitter, email and SMS. See your friends' top tracks, artists and playlists via their Spotify profiles, subscribe to their playlists and drop tracks into their Spotify inbox. How very sociable.

Take your music with you by installing Spotify on your cellphone or iPod Touch. Wirelessly sync your MP3 playlists to listen offline and subscribe to Spotify Premium to combine your own music with access to our catalogue of over 15 million tracks. It's the perfect music player.

The Land of the Free, the Unlimited and the Premium

During our invite-only beta phase, Spotify offers three great services, from absolutely free to paid subscriptions. All of Spotify's services include the features listed above.

Spotify Free – the unsurpassed free music service. With an invite, enjoy on-demand, buffer-free access to over 15 million songs on your computer, great social features, manage your own music files through Spotify, and sync with your cellphone or iPod. Features occasional advertising.

Spotify Unlimited – all the special features of our free service but with uninterrupted, ad-free access to Spotify on your computer. All for only $4.99 a month.

Spotify Premium - the all-singing, all-dancing, top-of-the-range Spotify experience. Premium gives you access to all the music, all the time. Listen online or offline, on your computer, your cellphone and a whole heap of other devices. Enjoy enhanced sound quality and access to exclusive content, competitions and special offers. Premium costs just $9.99 a month (that's the equivalent of a few fancy coffees).

Daniel Ek, Founder and CEO of Spotify, said: "We believe that music is the most social thing there is and that's why we've built the best social features into Spotify for easy sharing and the ultimate in music discovery. Even if you aren't a total music freak, chances are you have a friend who is and whose taste you admire. I'm looking forward to connecting with some of you in Spotify and discovering some cool new tracks."

Spotify's US launch is in partnership with some of the biggest and most pioneering brands in the world, who want to help us spread the word of Spotify in the USA. Our exclusive launch partners are Coca-Cola and Sprite, Chevrolet, Motorola, Reebok, Sonos and The Daily. These brands will all be launching innovative campaigns in partnership with Spotify in the coming weeks and months.

Ken Parks, Chief Content Officer and Managing Director of Spotify North America, said: "Spotify was founded as a better, simpler alternative to piracy. So making sure that the people who create the music prosper is hugely important to us. We have full catalogues from all the major labels and a raft of independent labels including those represented by Merlin, which means all of their artists are being fairly compensated for their creativity every time people enjoy music through Spotify."

IDC and Gartner: US PC sales still sluggish, Apple, Toshiba see jumps in market share

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 05:01 AM PDT

IDC and Gartner have once again released dueling reports on the state of the PC market and, according to their numbers, the landscape's looking a little different. Gartner estimates that overall PC shipments during Q2 of this year increased by 2.3 percent from the same period last year, more or less concurring with the 2.6 percent global increase that IDC found. Things are looking a bit bleaker in the US, however, where quarterly year-to-year shipments are down (5.6 percent for Gartner, 4.2 percent for IDC), but have increased from Q1 of this year. On the corporate level, HP continues to dominate global shipments according to both reports, followed by Dell and Lenovo, which overtook Acer for third place.

Stateside statistics, on the other hand, show a bit more severe shuffling among the top five, with Apple's US market share jumping to nearly 11 percent (good for third place) and Acer tumbling to fifth, thanks to a greater than 20 percent year-to-year decline in market share (see the table, above). In fact, among the top five, only Apple and fourth-place Toshiba increased their market share from Q2 of 2010 -- something that both research firms attributed, in part, to a weak consumer PC market and the rising popularity of tablets, led by the iPad. For a more thorough statistical breakdown, head past the break for a pair of comprehensive press releases.
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PC Market Returns to Positive Growth in Line with Expectations, Though Gains Remain Small, According to IDC

13 Jul 2011
FRAMINGHAM, Mass., July 13, 2011 – Worldwide PC shipments increased 2.6% in the second quarter of 2011 (2Q11), according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker. The results are just short of IDC's May projections for 2.9% growth and represent a combination of a hangover from the more than 20% growth in the first half of 2010 as well as competition from smartphones, other consumer products and pressure from lackluster economic conditions. As in 1Q11, the United States and Western Europe were among the weaker regions, reflecting constrained demand in more mature markets, while emerging regions - particularly Latin America and Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) - fared better.

"These preliminary results continue to reflect pressure from competing consumer and business products as well as cautious spending," said Jay Chou, senior research analyst with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker. "Nevertheless, product refreshes and promotions in the second half of the year as well as easier year-ago data should boost growth in the second half of the year."

"The U.S. PC market continued to contract in 2Q11, largely as a result of three factors. The first is an ongoing contraction in the Mini Notebook (Netbook) market and related inventories. The second is the impact of 2Q10's difficult-to-sustain 12% growth. And third, demand has softened as corporate buyers continue to focus on increasing share of their IT budget in new IT solutions such as cloud and virtualization, and consumer interest shifts to media tablets," says Rajani Singh, research analyst, United States Quarterly PC Tracker. "Given the weakness of 2H10, we expect a better market environment in 2H11 with mid-single digit growth rates in the third quarter's back to school and fourth quarter's holiday season."

Regional Outlook

United States – With a decline of 4.2% year over year, the market was still downcast from a combination of exuberant consumption a year ago and a tenuous economic recovery, but the quarter also marked substantial growth from 1Q11, and total shipments topped over 17.8 million.

Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) – The EMEA PC market continued to contract in 2Q11, in line with IDC's forecast, as sustained high levels of inventory prevented stronger sell-in, particularly in Western Europe, where budget cannibalization from media tablets and smartphones continued to contribute to weak consumer demand and slow stock depletion. However, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Middle East and Africa (MEA) continued to expand and enjoyed positive growth overall.

Japan – The impact of the earthquake on PC buying proved to be limited, thus the market produced stronger results than expected, with 3% growth. Many commercial projects commenced as earlier fears of inventory shortage did not materialize. Coupled with continued average selling price (ASP) declines since the beginning of 2011, consumer shipments also fared better than expected.

Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) – returned to double-digit growth of just over 12% as the market came in slightly above forecasts. A weak consumer market weighed down India, but other key markets like China continued their momentum to help offset this, despite the ongoing inflation challenges there.

Vendor Outlook

HP grew 3% compared to the second quarter of 2010. The vendor saw good growth in key emerging markets and also EMEA, but also had a slight drop in volume compared to the previous quarter.

Dell saw growth of 2.8% worldwide. It managed to slow the pace of declines in key markets compared to the first quarter, with good gains in key emerging markets.

Lenovo outpaced Acer Group to become the number 3 vendor worldwide. It continued to reap the results of its channel expansion in markets outside of Asia/Pacific, garnering notable gains in the U.S. and Japan. All regions saw positive growth and total volume increased by nearly 23% on the year.
Acer shipments continued to decline from a year ago, but at a slower pace than in the first quarter as the company was affected by a review of inventory handling, as well uncertainties from its recent management shake-up.

ASUS grew 6% to overtake Toshiba for the number 5 spot. While the vendor has had some difficulties adjusting for the decline in Mini Notebook PCs, it mainstream notebooks did well, especially in emerging markets.

IDC's Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker gathers PC market data in over 80 countries by vendor, form factor, brand, processor brand and speed, sales channel and user segment. The research includes historical and forecast trend analysis as well as price band and installed base data.
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Gartner Says Worldwide PC Shipments Increased 2.3 Percent in Second Quarter of 2011
PC Market Is Still in a Period of Adjustment

STAMFORD, Conn., July 13, 2011-  
Worldwide PC shipments surpassed 85.2 million units in the second quarter of 2011, a 2.3 percent increase from the same period last year, according to preliminary results by Gartner, Inc. These results are below Gartner's earlier projection for 6.7 percent growth.

"After strong growth in shipments of consumer PCs for four years, driven by strong demand for mini-notebooks and low-priced consumer notebooks, the market is shifting to modest, but steady growth, said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner. "The slow overall growth indicates that the PC market is still in a period of adjustment, which began in the second half of 2010."

"Vendor's performances have become variable as they have had to deal with significant inventory buildup, changes to their product mix, and the fact that growth has been coming mostly from emerging markets. Vendors are having to shift resources away from mature consumer markets. They are also invested in developing media tablets, many of which launched in the first half of 2011."

HP continued to be the worldwide leader, as it accounted for 17.5 percent of worldwide PC shipments in the second quarter of 2011 (see Table 1). The company performed better than average in most regions, but it was pulled down by its performance in Asia/Pacific. Globally, HP achieved solid growth in the professional PC market, but it continued to face challenges in the consumer segment.

Dell moved into second place in the worldwide PC market for the first time since the fourth quarter of 2008. Dell did well in Asia/Pacific, where it has invested heavily lately. Professional PC refreshments definitely boosted Dell's growth. Lenovo experienced the strongest growth among the top-tier vendors, as shipments increased 22.5 percent. Lenovo achieved strong growth in Asia/Pacific, the U.S. and Latin America with both desktop and mobile PCs.

Acer dropped from No. 2 to the No. 4 position in the worldwide PC market in the second quarter of 2011. It had a great deal of inventory in the distribution channel in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. Acer's problems stemmed from its low-price, high-volume business model, which is no longer effective.

In the U.S., PC shipments totaled 16.9 million units in the second quarter of 2011, a 5.6 percent decline from the second quarter of 2010. The major inhibitor was clearly a weak consumer PC market.

"Given the hype around media tablets such as the iPad, retailers were very conservative in placing orders for PCs. Instead, they wanted to secure space for media tablets. Some PC vendors had to lower their inventory through promotions, while others slimmed their product lines at retailers," Ms. Kitagawa said.

"The professional PC sector was the bright spot in the U.S. market," Ms. Kitagawa said. "Large enterprises were in the middle of their refreshment purchase period, which started last year. Small and midsize businesses (SMBs) were also at the peak of their refreshment periods. Due to budgetary constraints, the public sector had a slow start in the second quarter of 2011, even though the second quarter is typically a period of high PC sales."

Based on preliminary results, Apple showed the strongest growth among the top-tier vendors in the U.S., as it climbed from fifth place to third, overtaking Acer and Toshiba (see Table 2). The preliminary findings show Apple's performance far exceed the industry average, partly driven by an iMac refreshment that attracted both consumers and buyers in the education sector.

"For the second consecutive quarter the PC market in EMEA showed decline," said Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner. "The PC market in the region remained weak due to slow consumer demand and lower sell-in with PC shipments. In addition, high inventory adjustments by Acer worsened the downside view of the market.

The impact of the Acer inventory clearance saw Acer shipments decline 34.9 percent year-on-year, as some 3 million mobile PCs were cleared out of distribution. Acer's weak performance contributed nearly 55 percent to the decline of the EMEA PC market in the second half of 2011. "If we remove Acer, the EMEA PC market would have showed a 3 percent growth year-on-year," said Mr. Atwal. "While this may be an impractical view of the market, it is important to separate supply issues of one vendor against the general trends in the market."

Demand in the professional PC market has picked up as organizations released budgets to migrate aging PCs to Windows 7. Dell in particular seemed to benefit from this upturn in the professional market.

Acer and Asus were the only vendors of the top five vendors ranking to show decline in shipments and market share in the second quarter of 2011. HP retained the No. 1 spot with encouraging growth in the professional PC market. Lenovo's takeover of Medion did not have any impact on the overall results this quarter but the professional market bolstered the vendor's growth. Overall shipments of media tablets took place late this quarter and volumes remained low, minimizing any impact of the media tablets for PC substitutions in the second quarter of 2011.

"There is no doubt that the continued weak consumer demand within Western Europe and economic issues in Southern Europe had some impact on consumer confidence across Western Europe," said Mr. Atwal. "The feedback from retail channels remained pessimistic, especially in most of Southern Europe, with only France and Germany reporting stronger end-of-quarter shipments as channels cleaned out inventory." Overall growth in the Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East and Africa markets could not compensate for the weak shipments in Western Europe.

In Asia/Pacific, PC shipments reached 30.5 million units in the second quarter of 2011, a 9.6 percent increase from the same period last year. The PC market continued to grow moderately, cushioned from the volatility in other regions. However, individual market performances were mixed, with indications of channel inventory issues and delivery postponements in some Southeast Asian countries. India showed weaker-than-expected consumer demand, while China's PC market grew 10.9 percent year over year. China's growth was attributed to the release of pent-up demand for consumer PCs.

The PC market in Latin America grew 15 percent in the second quarter of 2011, as shipments totaled 9.2 million units. Concerns over Brazil's overheating economy are abating with news that the country's gross domestic product (GDP) for the first quarter of 2011 grew by 1.3 percent. Inflation in May was down from the previous seven months. Able Brazilian PC vendors are trying to expand in response to increased foreign competition. Local vendors are looking to make up for lost growth in their home country by entering foreign markets where multinational PC vendors are unlikely to venture.

PC shipments in Japan grew 5.5 percent in the second quarter of 2011, with shipments reaching 3.9 million units. The biggest contributor to growth in the professional market in the second quarter of 2011 was a supply-side factor. Many of the shipments in the second quarter had been postponed from March due to the earthquake and tsunami. In the consumer segment, demand for PCs to replace desktop PCs was the main driver of growth. All-in-one desktops and notebooks with large screens sold well at retail stores.

These results are preliminary. Final statistics will be available soon to clients of Gartner's PC Quarterly Statistics Worldwide by Region program. This program offers a comprehensive and timely picture of the worldwide PC market, allowing product planning, distribution, marketing and sales organizations to keep abreast of key issues and their future implications around the globe. Additional research can be found on the Computing Hardware section on Gartner's website at http://www.gartner.com/it/products/research/asset_129157_2395.jsp.

NASA robotic gas station successfully installed -- our Jetsonian dreams (almost) fulfilled

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 04:28 AM PDT

So we won't be zipping around with wife and kids in a flying car anytime soon, but NASA brought us ever closer to a Jetsonian future, yesterday, with the installation of its Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM) experiment. Fifteen minutes into their spacewalk, Mike Fossum and Ron Garan successfully installed the appropriate hardware on the International Space Station for pumping fuel to satellites in space. Using the Canadian-born Dextre (aka Special Purpose Dextrous Manipulator) as a gas station attendant, the RRM will eventually be used to refuel and perform minor repairs to satellites in orbit, potentially extending the time they can stay aloft. Now that that's underway, how 'bout y'all get to work on making Rosie a reality?

Man builds turbine-powered Batmobile, brags about having the only one (video)

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 03:51 AM PDT

So you think you're a huge fan of the Dark Knight, huh? Not so fast. Do you own a full-sized Batmobile? Yeah... we didn't think so. But, auto restoration guru Casey Putsch does, and to launch himself further into super-fanboy status, he upgraded the engine with a Boeing turboshaft -- snatched out of a naval drone helicopter. According to him, this makes his collector's item one of a kind, in true Bruce Wayne fashion. Sure, these discarded movie props are usually powered by a standard 350 (especially the older models), but that wasn't enough for a dude's dude who appraises and designs all types of vehicles for a living. Mods were also made to the interior, including an iPad in the dash which serves as the avionics system and keeps track of the important GPS coordinates -- you know, stuff you'd expect Lucious Fox to toss in to track villains and such. For a look at this beast in action, check out the video after the break; meanwhile we'll try to figure out how to cram a jet engine into a Tesla Roadster.

Apple actually not looking for additional iPad manufacturers, still BFFs with Foxconn?

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 03:09 AM PDT

Earlier this week, DigiTimes alleged that Apple was considering an additional manufacturer to produce the supposedly looming -- but really more mythical -- next generation iPad. Fast forward to now, and the Taiwanese publication reports that Cupertino has had a sudden change of heart. Foxconn -- who is currently the sole producer of the slate -- has reportedly convinced Apple to keep its manufacturing exclusive until the end of this calendar year. All isn't lost for Foxconn's competition though: the rumormonger suggests Pegatron still has a shot at a ten million production run for the next iPhone, and whatever iPad's 2012 will bring. Unmentioned in the report, however, is whether enough salt exists in the world to cover the next round of claims, later this week.

Select IKEA stores to host Blink electric vehicle charging stations, Volts now suitable for furniture pickup

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 02:24 AM PDT

Need to pick up a foursome of Detolf display cases? Better know a pal with a pickup, bub. Unless, of course, your nearest IKEA happens to be one of ten situated in Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington. The famed furniture retailer has just nailed down a partnership with ECOtality, with a smattering of its western US stores to host Blink electric vehicle charging stations. Each of the sites be evaluated for feasibility and installation needs, and we're told that the first stations should become operational this fall. The pilot program is currently set to last through December of 2012, but we're guessing it'll end up surviving quite a bit longer -- after all, it was already tough enough to resist a weekly trip to this place. Now? Swedish meatballs just become a daily affair.
Show full PR text
IKEA To Host Electric Vehicle Charging Stations At Select Western U.S. Stores as Part Of ECOtality's EV Project

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IKEA, the world's leading home furnishings retailer, today announced a partnership with ECOtality, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECTY), a leader in clean electric transportation and storage technologies, to host Blink electric vehicle charging stations at select IKEA stores in the Western United States. IKEA locations being considered for hosting the charging stations include 10 stores in Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington. These sites will be evaluated for feasibility and installation needs; operational charging stations could be available as early as Fall 2011. This initiative represents the first project of its kind for IKEA.

"We welcome IKEA to The EV Project, as the company has a strong legacy of environmental responsibility and its stores are a destination for consumers"

IKEA will be responsible for preparing sites for installation, keeping them orderly and reporting charging information to ECOtality, who will oversee installation and manage ongoing charger operations. The select stores meeting key criteria will have a minimum of two stations and the pilot program between ECOtality and IKEA will last through December 2012.

"We are excited this partnership will make charging stations more accessible to the many people choosing to drive electric vehicles," said Mike Ward, IKEA U.S. president. "Hosting charging stations at IKEA locations known for regional draws furthers our commitment to a smaller carbon footprint and technological opportunities that help protect the environment. This project is part of a global effort to promote the sustainable transport of people."

ECOtality is the project manager of The EV Project, a public-private partnership funded in part by a federal stimulus grant from the U.S. Department of Energy made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to provide the necessary infrastructure to support the deployment of EVs. ECOtality is overseeing the installation of approximately 14,000 commercial and residential charging stations in 18 cities and major metropolitan areas in six states and the District of Columbia. IKEA stores are in four of those states.

"We welcome IKEA to The EV Project, as the company has a strong legacy of environmental responsibility and its stores are a destination for consumers," stated Jonathan Read, CEO of ECOtality. "Situated in highly visible and accessible areas, IKEA locations are ideal charging station hosts for EV drivers."

In addition to this sustainable project, IKEA U.S. has solar energy installations operational in eight locations – including a Denver-area store opening this year in Centennial, CO that also has a geothermal system – as well as solar projects underway at 12 other locations.

IKEA, drawing from its Swedish heritage and respect of nature, believes it can be a good business while doing good business and strives for its operations to minimize impacts on the environment. Globally, IKEA evaluates all locations regularly for energy conservation opportunities, integrates innovative materials into product design, works with Global Forest Watch to maintain sustainable resources, and flat-packs goods for efficient distribution. Specific U.S. sustainable efforts include: recycling waste material (paper, wood, plastic, etc.); incorporating environmental measures into the construction of buildings in terms of energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems, recycled construction materials, skylights in warehouse areas, and water conserving restrooms; and operationally, phasing out the sale of incandescent light bulbs and facilitating recycling of customers' compact fluorescent bulbs.

IKEA strives to be 'The Life Improvement Store,' and since its 1943 founding in Sweden, has offered home furnishings of good design and function, at low prices so the majority of people can afford them. There are currently more than 320 IKEA stores in 38 countries, including 37 in the U.S. IKEA, the world's leading home furnishings company, incorporates sustainable efforts into day-to-day business and supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment. For more information, go to IKEA-USA.com.

Line2 brings phone functionality to iPad for 10 bucks a month (video)

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 01:39 AM PDT


Remember that ridiculous Steven Slater rap video promoting Line2's in-flight texting app? Well, the VoIP company just dusted off the point-and-shoot and hopped back over to YouTube, this time peddling a complete telephony solution for iPad. Launching July 28th, the service will let you place phone calls using a wired headset or the built-in speaker and mic, listen to voicemail, and send texts from a single HD interface. After a one-week trial, you'll pay $10 per month (or $100 per year) for the privilege, though with free number porting and unlimited domestic calling that's a fairly solid deal. Many of us barely use our cell phones to place phone calls anymore, but if you're looking to extend that little-used functionality to your tablet, then Line2 for iPad may be ringing. We haven't had a chance to go hands-on just yet, but click past the break for a comprehensive video demo, complete with in-app email and an iTunes-like contacts carousel.

Viewsonic ships 7-inch ViewBook VB730 tablet for $230, sticks with Android 2.2

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 12:35 AM PDT

Looking for something a bit different to replace your Galaxy Tab with? Can't say for sure why such a yearning would be reasonable, but if we just rang your bell, Viewsonic's got a newcomer that's on sale now. Just a few months after passing through the FCC's database, the ViewBook VB730 is now in stock over at Amazon, with $229.99 netting you a 7-inch slate with Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, WiFi, a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage space, a microSD card slot and an 800 x 480 screen resolution. Unfortunately, there's no Android 3.2 to be found here; instead, Froyo's listed as the OS of choice, but it's fair to expect a bit of corner-cutting given that shockingly low price point. Hit the source if you're sold.

Twitter for Android gets push notifications, multiple account support

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 11:22 PM PDT

Having a hard time juggling your full-cast reproduction of Harry Potter masquerade Twitter accounts? No worries, the firm just sent out an update to its Android app that will let you switch between multiple accounts with ease. It's almost magical. Not saddled with the burden of weaving a complex narrative across multiple online identities? That's okay, there's something here for everyone; this update includes push notification, updated home screen widgets, and assorted bug fixes. Version 2.1.0 is live today, assuming you're rocking Android 2.1 or higher.

Hulu Plus Android app is now playing on Evo 4G, Thunderbolt, myTouch 4G and G2

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 10:34 PM PDT

Last month Hulu Plus finally arrived on Android however support was unfortunately limited to just six devices, but tonight the official blog has announced the count has reached double digits. Four HTC phones are on the list -- the Evo 4G, Thunderbolt, myTouch 4G and G2 -- bringing the total to ten models supported, featuring a mix of first and second gen Snapdragon chips clocked at varying speeds. Given shared architecture with some phones already on the list it's not clear why these had to wait, but Senior Product Manager Lonn Lee is quick to point out that the streaming video site isn't done yet. Even as it's on the auction block, there's at least some chance to pick up disgruntled Netflix subscribers and adding a few underserved handsets is as good a way as any to reach out.

Google's Photovine sprouts official teaser, begins rollout later this month (video)

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 10:17 PM PDT

Were you all jazzed up and ready to plant your first Photovine, only to have those gardening dreams crushed by a barren three page teaser? El Goog's Slide team isn't quite ready for you to grab that spade, but it is willing to transcribe your digits for the service's soft launch later this month. Judging by the brief demo, vines begin like a game of photo-sharing telephone: what starts as an innocent photograph of a "warm and fuzzy" pup, can easily transcend into friends sharing an equally snug and furry man. Sound like a party? See for yourself beyond the fold, and don't forget to hit the source link to join the queue.

LG's 20-inch DX2000 3D monitor don't need no glasses to be enjoyed

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 09:15 PM PDT

In our experience, soaking in the third dimension on a panel smaller than 40-some-odd inches isn't exactly a jaw-dropping affair, but if you're residing in cramped quarters... well, your options are somewhat limited. Outside of strapping something on your dome, you'll probably be in the market for a more diminutive set, and LG's DX2000 just might fit the bill. It's a 20-inch LED-backlit 3D monitor, but unlike the legions of alternatives, this one's of the glasses-free variety. It relies on parallax barrier technology (read: not the most sophisticated), but ups the ante by throwing in the world's first eye-tracking feature on a panel of this stature. In theory, said feature allows users to move about in front of the screen, perhaps expanding those exceedingly narrow "sweet spots" that have worried viewers for years now. We're also told that there's a 2D-to-3D conversion feature, and while it's destined to hit Korean streets later this month, other regions are slated to get it during the latter part of 2011.
Show full PR text
SEOUL, July, 13, 2011 – LG Electronics (LG) today unveiled the world's first glasses-free monitor utilizing eye-tracking technology to maintain an optimal 3D image from a range of viewing angles. The 20-inch D2000 (Korean model: DX2000) monitor was developed as a fully functional entertainment display capable of reproducing games, movies and images in all their realistic glory. "With a full line-up of 3D TVs, laptops, projectors and smartphones, LG Electronics is by far and away the industry leader in all things 3D." said Si-hwan Park, Vice President of the Monitor Division at LG's Home Entertainment Company. "LG's position has always been that 3D will and must eventually function without glasses. The D2000 is a look at what the future has in store."

The D2000's 3D effect comes courtesy of glasses-free parallax barrier 3D technology, and the application of the world's first eye-tracking feature to the monitor. The combination of parallax barrier and eye-tracking in a single unit promises to open up new horizons for glasses-free 3D products.

Existing glasses-free 3D technologies generally require viewers to stay within a tightly restricted angle and distance to perceive the 3D images. However, the D2000 has done much to resolve this issue, allowing viewer much freer movement and more comfortable viewing. Eye tracking in the D2000 works via a special camera sensor attached to the monitor which detects changes in the user's eye position in real-time. With this information, the monitor calculates the angle and position of the viewer and adjusts the displayed image for the optimal 3D effect.

In addition to playing back existing 3D content, the D2000 has a highly refined 2D to 3D conversion feature which adds a new dimension to existing movies and game playing.

The D2000, available in Korea this month, will be introduced in other markets around the world in the latter part of 2011.

Evolio's Neura making a foolio of other Android tablets (video)

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 08:36 PM PDT

Have you heard of Evolio? Neither have we, but it might be time we all start paying attention to this Romanian start-up if its grandiose claims of tech stardom prove true. Heralding it as the "most powerful Android tablet" -- and the one ring to rule them all -- the Neura is a 1GHz dual core Tegra 2 processor-packing, 9.7-inch full HD displaying, Flash-capable slab of Eastern European engineering. Since its been (self-)declared king of the little green robot OS hill, the company's aiming this market entry squarely at Apple's iPad 2 -- hoping its powers of 1080p and expandable memory can best that category titan. Unfortunately, the company's proud boast only covers its hardware specs, leaving Froyo to underpower what could be a truly premium experience. A September update to Honeycomb is loosely mentioned, but with 3.2 already rolling out to Xooms, this baby's starting to look dated. If owning an exotic tablet strikes your cooler-than-thou fancy, get your credit card set to import mode on July 25th. Informational video and its excellent Romanian-electro intro after the break.

T-Mobile Name ID finally brings true caller ID to your cellphone

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 07:44 PM PDT

Who Are YouIf you're still rockin' a landline you probably take caller ID for granted at this point and, if you're a mobile only kinda person, you might not even realize your cellphone lacks it. But, the truth is, until now true caller ID has never been available from America's wireless carriers. There were a number of technical hurdles that stood in the way, but today those are officially crumbling as T-Mobile is launching Name ID in conjunction with Cequint, the company behind City ID. Instead of just checking an incoming call against your list of local contacts, the number is also fed through a larger database of publicly listed ones. Any match is displayed when you receive the call and, if the person isn't already in your phonebook, you can easily add them with a tap. Of course, this sort of convenience doesn't come free -- T-Mo will be charging $3.99 a month for Name ID service. At first only Exhibit 4G owners will be able to sign up, but other handsets (including the myTouch 4G Slide) will be added to the list of compatible devices later. Check out the PR after the break.

Update: So looks like T-Mo was not first out the box with wireless caller ID here in the US: MetroPCS has offered it for some time and Sprint partnered with Privus Mobile back in March to offer similar features.


Show full PR text
Name Caller ID Introduced to Wireless by T-Mobile USA

T-Mobile Customers Gain More Control over Mobile Calling

SEATTLE, WA - July 13, 2011 - Cequint announced today the availability of Name ID from T-Mobile USA, Inc., the first implementation of Caller ID - one of the most popular features in the history of telecommunications - by a major wireless carrier in the U.S. Name ID is now available from T-Mobile on the Samsung ExhibitTM 4G, and will soon be available on additional handsets including the T-Mobile myTouch® 4G Slide expected to be available this month.

The enhanced Caller ID service is engineered by Cequint, a wholly-owned subsidiary of TNS, Inc. (NYSE: TNS). Similar to traditional landline Caller ID, Name ID securely accesses operator-validated name information managed by TNS, and displays it on the incoming call screen to reveal the name, city and state of previously unknown callers who are not stored in a mobile phone's contacts or address book. The service also allows T-Mobile customers to add new contact information to their mobile phone's contact list with a single click, making it easier and more convenient for customers to save contacts for future communication.

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"Before Name ID for mobile phones, deciding whether or not to answer an unfamiliar call often left customers guessing. Now Name ID allows T-Mobile customers to more easily determine which calls to answer, and whether they want to immediately add the new caller's information to their list of contacts," said Brad Duea, senior vice president, T-Mobile USA. "Providing the names of previously unknown callers simply gives our customers more control over incoming calls."

Rick Hennessey, CEO, Cequint said, "It's human nature to want more control over how and with whom we communicate. T-Mobile is empowering customers to more easily screen their calls by revealing who's calling. This core service is useful on a daily basis."

Availability

Name ID service is available out-of-the-box on select handsets and is planned to be integrated on additional T-Mobile devices in the future. T-Mobile is currently offering a free 10-day trial of the service, after which Name ID is available for a monthly recurring charge of $3.99.

About Cequint

Founded in 2004 by executives that helped pioneer call screening technologies, Seattle-based Cequint is a leading provider of mobile Caller ID products and enhanced interactive services. With millions of handsets released to date, Cequint works with leading OEMs to integrate their patented Caller ID solutions for distribution through top mobile operators. For more information on the company, its products or technology, please visit www.cequint.com.

About Transaction Network Services

Transaction Network Services (TNS) is a leading global provider of data communications and interoperability solutions. TNS offers a broad range of networks and innovative value-added services which enables transactions and the exchange of information in diverse industries such as retail, banking, payment processing, telecommunications and the financial markets.

Founded in 1990 in the United States, TNS has grown steadily and now provides services in over 60 countries across the Americas, Europe and the Asia Pacific region, with our reach extending to many more. TNS has designed and implemented multiple data networks which support a variety of widely accepted communications protocols and are designed to be scalable and accessible by multiple methods. For further information about TNS, visit www.tnsi.com. 'One Connection, A World of Opportunities'.

Statements and information contained in our press releases and newsletters that are not descriptions of historical fact may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties or other factors beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or performance and from any opinions or statements expressed with respect to future periods.

Nissan plant in Smyrna, Tennessee to start Leaf production by late 2012

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 07:05 PM PDT

Nissan plant in Smyrna to start Leaf production by late 2012
No worries Nissan EV fans, more Leaves are on the way -- that's according to Bill Kreuger, the head honcho of Nissan's manufacturing and supply chain division. Kreuger tells Automotive News, the catastrophic earthquake in Japan that shut down several large plants was just a small speedbump in the release of the flagship electric vehicle. Nissan North America has been preparing a 1.6 billion dollar production complex in Smyrna, Tennessee, to begin rolling out EVs in the masses by late 2012. The plan is to have the plant assemble about 200,000 battery modules and as many as 150,000 Leafs each year, and we're guessing it'll have quite an easy go finding names for each and every one.

Microsoft's Andy Lees on Windows' future: one ecosystem to rule them all

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 06:31 PM PDT

Microsoft has seen the future of personal computing, and it's a world with a single Windows ecosystem. Windows Phone head honcho Andy Lees -- who said that we won't be seeing WP7 on tablets during Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference yesterday -- still sees slates, phones, consoles, and PCs playing together in perfect harmony. His plan is to provide users with a consistent experience across all Microsoft-powered devices, though he didn't flesh out exactly how this singular ecosystem will work. Given recent evidence indicating Xbox integration in Windows 8 and the UI similarities between the forthcoming desktop OS and WP7, it seems that Microsoft is well on its way to a consolidated future. But, only time will tell if Mr. Lees' can deliver us from fragmentation with a unified Windows.

Judge denies Apple's request to speed up its suit against Samsung

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 06:03 PM PDT

Apple's lawyers in its lawsuit against Samsung are an impatient bunch. First, they asked the court for an accelerated discovery process so they could get their hands on Sammy's forthcoming products ASAP. Then they filed a motion to trim the time until trial and asked for an order shortening the time to file the briefs for that motion. Yesterday, the court told Apple to slow its roll by denying its request to compress the briefing schedule. In doing so, the judge cited Apple's knowledge of Samsung's alleged infringement for more than a year and the fact it engaged in license negotiations with the Korean company during that time -- which the court thinks undermines Jobs and Co.'s argument that they'll suffer substantial harm without a hurried hearing schedule. It's a minor ruling in the grand scheme of things, but it indicates that Apple's cries to condense the time until trial may fall upon deaf judicial ears. Looks like the folks in Cupertino may have to look to the ITC if they want the rocket docket treatment.

Sony eyes electric car future, wants to soon sell you Li-ion batteries

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 05:59 PM PDT

Sony must be smelling dolla dolla bills in the EV-charged streets because the company just announced its intentions to fab lithium-ion batteries for the cars mid-decade. The statement, made from its plant in Motomiya, hinges on a future market flush with consumer demand for the earth-friendly autos, and could see the construction of several dedicated factories. Given the Japanese company's recent history eating bits of competitor dust (hello Wii and iPod), we understand its forward-facing desire to become king of this Li-ion hill. But the mega-electronics maker isn't placing all of its batteries in one fuel-source just yet -- it's "also [considering] developing batteries for gasoline-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids" -- should they win the green energy popularity contest. While we applaud the company for encouraging adoption of the environmentally-friendlier tech, we'd much rather see them make batteries for this bad boy from tomorrowland.

Google Science Fair winners announced: grilled chicken, ovarian cancer, asthma take center stage

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 05:37 PM PDT

Google's first-ever science fair came to a close yesterday, as 15 finalists, ranging in age from 13 to 18, showed off their smarts at Google HQ. Top honors went to three young ladies -- score one for the girls -- in three separate age groups, but there could only be one Highlander Grand Prize winner. The big win went to Shree Bose for an experiment which focused on improving treatment of ovarian cancer, following accumulated resistance to chemotherapy drugs. Lauren Hodge and Naomi Shah also took home trophies for their experiments which dealt with carcinogens in grilled chicken and reducing reliance on asthma treatment, respectively. Along with trophies built of Legos, these young brainiacs took home prizes that included lifetime subscriptions to Scientific American and big-money scholarships ranging from $25,000 to $50,000. A very long video documenting the award ceremony can be found -- featuring a shocking lack of baking soda volcanoes -- after the break.

HP to ship first Ultrabooks ahead of ASUS?

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 05:16 PM PDT

ASUS UX21
Remember those Ultrabooks unveiled at Computex? ASUS had touted its UX21 to be one of the first available in September, but there's reason to believe that HP may beat it to the punch -- if you like salty punch, that is. According to DigiTimes, HP has at least two machines on the table offering Intel's latest Core i7 processors in 1.8GHz i7-2677M and 1.7 GHz i7-263M flavors. The report also suggests that Foxconn's the manufacturer and may already be shipping some rigs to la casa de HP. Lastly, although we haven't yet gotten definitive sizing on the UX21, DigiTimes mentions that ASUS is making 11.6-inch and 13-inch versions. Considering we're nearing mid-July, it can't be too long for some official word if any of this is true, just don't go sipping too much of that Kool-Aid -- okay?

Acer reschedules Iconia Tab A100 launch for September, Android 3.2 to blame / thank?

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 04:53 PM PDT

Drama concerning a 7-inch slate from Acer -- who woulda thunk it? After teasing the world with a (relatively) low-cost entrance back at the start of this year, Acer abruptly informed us that the Iconia Tab A100 wouldn't ship until the latter half of 2011. Now, however, it looks like we're honing in on yet another specific time frame. Thanks to a Facebook reply from Acer Deutschland (and prying from one Jakob Otto), we've now learned that the A100 is back on schedule for a September release -- at least across the pond. 'Course, only time will tell if software was the reason, but given that Android 3.2 was tailor-made for 7-inch devices, we're cautiously optimistic that Acer's going to reward those who waited with an updated OS.

[Thanks, Jakob]

Sharp's Molecular Beam Epitaxy machine births components in its space-like womb (video)

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 04:31 PM PDT

A machine that builds other machines? Sounds like robot apocalypse time -- except it's not. This component-building, space-mimicking chamber of liquid nitrogen-cooled sterility gives birth to LEDs, not that kid from A.I. Housed in Sharp's Oxford Laboratory, the Molecular Beam Epitaxy machine moves atoms "almost individually...to build the basis of high tech electronics." Through the use of magnetic poles on the contraption's exterior (kind of like in foosball), researchers can virtually manipulate substrates and elements, allowing for precise control and untainted crystal growth. While this MBE isn't exactly new tech -- larger commercial-grade versions already exist -- it is noteworthy for its innovative petri-vacuum abilities. After all, progress has to start somewhere. Click past the break for the ominously toned video explanation.

at 11:58 AM

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