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Engadget News |
- Engadget Podcast 248 - 07.15.2011
- Apple releases iOS 4.3.4, sends you back to jail, does not offer $200
- Apple considering TSMC mobile chips?
- Droid 3 on sale now at Verizon Wireless
- Automated shoulder surfing makes it easier to steal passwords, isn't very tubular, brah (video)
- Engadget Primed: Using benchmarks
- EAFT's MagicTile Marathon tablet gets priced, opens up the floodgates of Froyo nostalgia
- Fujitsu TH40/D tablet finally sliding out in Japan on July 22nd?
- Microsoft snatches up a pair of Sony related domains, internet runs amok with rumors
- Google Maps brings live traffic coverage to 13 European countries, makes work weeks even shorter
- Sony not giving up on Readers, new models expected in August
- Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro 'slides' through FCC with photos in tow
- Gresso flaunts $30,000 white iPhone 4, holds more ice than a skating rink
- HTC Desire Z Gingerbread update rolls out in the land of the Bratwurst
- Zinio adds full Froyo and Gingerbread support, now available for all Android devices
- Verizon LTE: no roaming, even if you want to
- Apple intros App Store volume purchasing, businesses enthused
- Microsoft leaks Tulalip internal project, planning to launch social search... thing?
- Samsung study finds no link between cancer and work conditions, might not be released in full
- Sanyo's Mirai Sanzo robot brings the extra emotion your household craves
- Eee PC 1215P 12-incher spotted with mammalian Ubuntu
- Surc combination iPhone 4 case and IR remote now shipping for $75
- Sony Ericsson posts surprising Q2 loss, blames Japanese earthquake
- Dell Latitude XT3 convertable tablet hits the FCC, sneaks in with Broadcom filing
- Spazzi dancebot can't teach you how to Dougie, but it's got the robot on lock
- Motorola Photon 4G gets the bargain bin treatment at Wirefly, Walmart
- Cisco Cius headed to Verizon late summer, IT departments celebrate
- Chevy Volts invade NYC police fleet, give cops all new ways to taze bros
- Robots for Humanity help around the house, scratch your itch (video)
- Samsung Galaxy S II may be destined for Bell July 21st for $150
- Sony's CMT-CX5BiP HiFi system takes a style cue from the S2
- SpaceX breaks ground at Vandenberg Air Force Base, continues preparation for 2013 Falcon Heavy launch
- RunCore outs T50 6Gb/s mSATA SSD, SandForce speeds included
- Dell Latitude E6420 adds Verizon LTE option, high price to match high speeds
- Qualcomm launches Vellamo browser benchmark for Android devices
- Adobe unleashes Flash Player 11 beta, now with 7.1 surround sound
- OCZ, Corsair, Patriot and Crucial butt heads in SATA III SSD roundup
- NC State University researchers create soft memory machine, just add water
- Page: growth on Google+ has been great, over one billion items shared
- Caption Contest: A heaping helping of wearable music
| Engadget Podcast 248 - 07.15.2011 Posted: 15 Jul 2011 11:17 AM PDT  Host: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater Guests: Richard Lawler, Dana Wollman, Darren Murph Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: Young Folks 00:02:52 - Sony S1 and S2 hands-on 00:03:40 - Sony's S2 tablet coming to AT&T, price and availability remain a mystery 00:09:53 - Sony's VAIO Z finally arrives in the US, goes up for pre-order starting at $2,000 00:15:23 - Netflix officially separates DVD, streaming pricing; $15.98 and up for both 00:33:50 - Netflix streaming comes to the Nintendo 3DS tomorrow 00:38:26 - The Engadget Interview: HP's Stephen DeWitt 00:49:58 - Spotify launching in the US tomorrow 01:02:36 - Listener questions Hear the podcast Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast Send your questions to @tim_stevens. Leave us a voicemail: (423) 438-3005 (GADGET-3005) E-mail us: podcast at engadget dot com Twitter: @tim_stevens @bheater @rjcc @danawollman @darrenmurph This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Apple releases iOS 4.3.4, sends you back to jail, does not offer $200 Posted: 15 Jul 2011 10:52 AM PDT  Apple has just pushed a new version of iOS, 4.3.4 (4.2.9 for the Verizon iPhone), and it looks to have "fixed" the PDF exploit that has been so notoriously exploited of late. In a summary of what's changed, Apple indicates that a fix has been applied that will prevent "arbitrary code execution" when viewing a "maliciously crafted PDF" -- business speak for "we broke your jailbreak, son." And, sure enough, you can see what happens after the break when trying to apply the latest. At this point we're not seeing any other updates or improvements but, really, now that you can view those malicious PDFs without fear on your iPhone or iPad 2, what more do you need? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Apple considering TSMC mobile chips? Posted: 15 Jul 2011 10:34 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Droid 3 on sale now at Verizon Wireless Posted: 15 Jul 2011 10:10 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Automated shoulder surfing makes it easier to steal passwords, isn't very tubular, brah (video) Posted: 15 Jul 2011 09:46 AM PDT  Here's something mildly terrifying to chew on: researchers in Italy have developed a way to automatically harvest anything you type on your smartphone's touchscreen, using only a camera placed over your shoulder. The software, created by Federico Maggi and his team from the Politecnico di Milano, takes advantage of the magnified touchscreen keys you'll find on most iOS, Android and BlackBerry devices. Because these magnifications often pop up in predictable positions, the spying system can recognize and record them with relative ease, with the help of a camera aimed at a targeted display. And it's not like bobbing and weaving around will help evade its watchful eye, since the apparatus can instantly detect sudden movements and adjust its gaze accordingly. Researchers say their tool is capable of accurately recognizing up to 97 percent of all keystrokes and is fast enough to transmit copied passwords in "quasi real-time," which must be music to a lazy criminal's ears. Tiptoe past the break to see the beast in action and spend the rest of your life in an everlasting state of fear. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Engadget Primed: Using benchmarks Posted: 15 Jul 2011 09:00 AM PDT Primed goes in-depth on the technobabble you hear on Engadget every day -- we dig deep into each topic's history and how it benefits our lives. Looking to suggest a piece of technology for us to break down? Drop us a line at primed *at* engadget *dawt* com.  Perhaps you've seen us talk about benchmarks in our product reviews. We'll typically use them to gauge the relative performance of various devices, but discussing a Linpack score doesn't mean much without going deeper into what it actually means. What aspects of performance do these benchmarks measure, and what techniques do they use? How much can we rely on them when making purchasing decisions? Read on after the break for the full scoop. Table of Contents
 A benchmark is defined as "a standard by which something can be measured or judged," which couldn't be more true in tech. In our last Primed, we stressed the importance of using a standard: the same set of rules or guidelines that can be followed across the board, no matter what the circumstances are. Universal benchmarks are useful for evaluating performance in an unbiased manner because they use the same tests and methods to achieve results. Benchmarks can be found everywhere and are used as reference points in several ways: comparing employee output, measuring crude oil prices, and conducting tests (to name just a few). They can even be found on mountain peaks, which survey groups originally used to highlight and compare elevation. The most common benchmarks, however, are used in computers -- which, of course, translates easily into smartphones. Why do we care about benchmarks at all? As we'll cover in the next section, they aren't the definitive means to compare phones or other devices, nor do they even emulate real-life performance. The reason we use them at all is because they're a standardized tool to measure performance as quickly and easily as possible. With phones that share very similar architectures, from a user perspective it's nigh-impossible to detect any noticeable difference between them without a little extra assistance. This is where benchmarks come in handy. They have an incredibly structured way of measuring the device's performance, and in most cases are thorough, universal, fast, and efficient. A program designed to evaluate a product's speed will test out every likely scenario that the subject will run into. It would be incredibly inaccurate to only use one particular test that runs one type of process and draw any sort of legitimate conclusion. Most smartphones are sophisticated computers and use the same types of architecture underneath the hood. They all have CPUs (or at least systems-on-chip), RAM, camera, a complex operating system, antennas, and other various chips and sensors. They run the same kinds of subsystems. The largest difference is in who manufactures those components and how well they interact with the rest of the phone's internals.
 Frankly, benchmarks aren't as accurate as we'd like. We should be able to run the same benchmark on the exact same phone, time after time, and get identical results. But it doesn't work that way -- not even close, sadly. The image above compares two screenshots taken on the HTC Sensation 4G within the space of a few minutes. As indicated, the second score exceeded the first by a rather significant margin. What can cause inaccurate results? First, cheating can indeed play a role. For as long as computers have been around, there have been benchmarks to evaluate them... and ways to work the system. It's easy enough for a vendor to manufacture a product, tweak it to be efficient at processes that one given benchmark looks at, and then use the inflated results as a marketing tool to proclaim: "such-and-such program shows that our product is 50 percent faster than X's." All this is typically done at the expense of other (more important) system workloads that are more satisfactory to the consumer. Similarly, benchmarks can also be fooled by users making artificial adjustments on their devices. When CPUs are overclocked (for instance, a 1GHz CPU is manipulated to run at 1.5GHz), results will be much more dilated than they ought to be. Custom ROMs or jailbreaks can also cause an artificial result. While we don't adjust the devices we review, these unnatural benchmark results make it more difficult to give an accurate comparison with other devices. Now, let's assume that there's been no manipulation of any scores so far. A concern is that benchmarks, when run in the same condition, don't factor in the idea that your device will perform at different levels when faced with various tasks. If you run the benchmark fresh after a reboot and then again during heavy use, you'll get a different result more often than not. Let's go over a few additional factors that affect benchmark speeds: the manufacturer of specific components, the type of CPU / GPU used, clock speed, RAM, amount of available memory, speed and version of the phone's compiler, cache size, your display's frame rate, and the ROM (and platform) you're currently on. We could keep going, but we hope this is enough to drive the point across. To make matters more confusing, no single benchmark will accurately portray the overall performance of the phone nor give real-time results. When comparing X with Y, it's entirely possible that Quadrant gives X a higher score, whereas Y gets the better result in Linpack. Each individual benchmark will measure different systems or components. As such, it's only when we compile multiple benchmarks that we get a more accurate assessment of our phones' performance.
Benchmarks aren't perfect, but they're still used all the time. Simply saying "product X runs really fast and smooth, and product Y is roughly the same but slightly less so" is not a comprehensive or valid method to judging a phone's performance. In addition, our reviews are conducted by different editors, and using our own measuring stick each time is subjective -- it's all in the eye of the beholder. Indeed, benchmarks can still be mighty useful, though we highlight their challenges in order to focus on how we overcome them. First, none of our reviews are done with artificial adjustments that could cause any difference in benchmark scores. Since we perform benchmarks on every smartphone we review, we have our own reference points to compare to without worries of interference from other users jacking up their devices. Second, we conduct several tests on each benchmark, under a slough of different scenarios. For example: we run them after a hard reset with no running apps in the background, pushing the phone to its limits, as we stream video, in 3G / 4G zones, while in transit, and any other foreseeable situation we can think of. After running multiple tests, we average out the scores; we want to get as realistic a score as possible, considering everyone uses their phones in so many ways. We also use multiple benchmarks to get an overall idea of which handset has the best performance. While vendors may have the ability to inflate certain processes, chances are they're only focused on one or two. By doing several benchmarks that all use different parts of the system, we'll get more accurate results. Finally, and this is the most crucial, it's important to not fully rely on these scores. Benchmarks aren't -- and were never intended to be -- indicative of real-life behavior; they're just a common way to compare devices. If you make a purchasing decision based solely on these scores, you may be missing out on some great handsets. Here's an example of using multiple benchmarks to compare three LTE devices from Verizon that have eerily similar specs, the LG Revolution, HTC Thunderbolt, and Samsung Droid Charge:
Speedtest.net  Ookla measures data throughput entirely through HTTP data transfers. The app performs its test in three stages: latency, download, and upload. To test the latency, it measures the amount of time it takes to receive a response for an HTTP request that was sent to the web server. To test the download speeds, binary files are downloaded to the client from the web server to estimate the connection speed. It sends through up to 30 samples per second, aggregates them into individual slices, and then discards the outlying (fastest and slowest) ones. What's remaining will get averaged out and becomes the determining score. In determining the upload speeds, random chunks of data are sent from the client to the server. These chunks are sorted by speed, and the slowest half gets discarded. Once the fastest 50 percent is left, the leftover selection gets averaged to determine the final result.
Conveniently, the platform that houses the most benchmarks in its respective application depot is Android. While we're not sure if this is due to the open-source nature of the OS or a massive outpouring of dev support, Android powers a greater variety of devices than any other operating system. Thus, we need all of the benchmarks we can get our hands on. Here are a few of the benchmarks we use on a regular basis: 1. Quadrant Standard  Quadrant measures the performance of the device's CPU, I/O, memory throughput, and 2D / 3D graphics. The higher the score, the better. Results can range anywhere from 200 all the way up to 3,000. Some of the specific metrics involved include:
2. Neocore  This benchmark runs a graphic-intensive scene involving robots and tanks at battle with each other, so it has to be cool, right? Neocore evaluates the device's GPU performance by tackling its OpenGL 1.1 abilities head-on, using 1-pass light maps and bump mapping to get its results. At the end of the test we get a definitive FPS score to highlight how fast the GPU can do its magic. 3. Nenamark 1 and 2  When there's two benchmarks using the same name, which one should you choose? Well, if you can only pick one Nenamark to use, go with the sequel. Nenamark 1 has been around for a little over a year and was designed to test the GPU limitations of devices considered state of the art at the time -- the Nexus One and HTC Desire running Adreno 200, for instance. The first iteration used shaders for graphical effects such as reflections, dynamic shadows, parametric surfaces, particles, and different light models. It was originally designed to run around 10-15fps, but in just one year we've seen an exponential increase in the capacity of our mobile processors. In fact, some of the top-of-the-line phones are scoring above 60fps, the screen refresh frequency of LCD screens present in mobile devices. In other words, results above this number become absolutely irrelevant because the benchmark claims the processor's capable of handling a faster frequency than the phone's display is.  Because of this huge boom in our phones' capabilities, Nenamark 2 was born. The benchmark still looks at OpenGL 2.0, but now adds in more graphic-intensive operations to really push the new processors to their limits. It uses five times as much geometry, as well as tougher shaders and more HD content; it also deploys dynamic lighting, bump mapping, and cube map reflections. As a result, most scores on the second version are lower and appear to be more representative of the actual device. 4. Linpack Linpack has been measuring and comparing the speeds of supercomputers for decades, so it's only fitting for this particular computer program to be found on Android and iOS devices -- most of which are faster than any supercomputer evaluated by Linpack when it began its long history. The program has the processor solve a dense system of linear equations and then appraises its subject in terms of MFLOPS -- millions of floating point operations per second -- to demonstrate a device's CPU perfromance. Much like other benchmarks discussed so far, higher scores will indicate greater results in this test. One drawback in comparing old Linpack scores with recent ones is that results have increased due to enhanced libraries and methods present in some newer smartphones and tablets. 
As the WP7 Marketplace is finally over the 25K mark, this isn't a bottom-feeding run-down app store anymore. Benchmarks are finally beginning to make their way into the Windows Phone ecosystem, and we don't want to let Android have all of the attention. WP Bench Set to relaxing music that makes us feel like we're getting a massage, the video above highlights some of the features WP Bench has to offer, and this one appears to be one of the most comprehensive benchmarking apps we've seen so far. It has the option of hitting CPU (both singlethread and multithread), GPU performance, memory and storage read / write, display color reproduction, and it even will strain the battery in an endless loop to make it easier on us reviewers. Benchmark Free 
Linpack  Linpack for iOS runs the same calculations as its Android counterpart, making the program cross-comparable on both platforms. This turns out to be quite helpful when we need to pit an iPad against a Honeycomb tablet or an iPhone versus a random single-core Android handset.
Particle System
None of the previously mentioned benchmarks are truly universal; very few apps are cross-platform, and zero travel across to every readily-used OS. One series of benchmarks that transcends the platform boundaries are JavaScript-based, which means they can be used on any web browser that uses it. The most popular one is Sunspider. Sunspider Built by the same development team responsible for the Webkit browser (which both iOS and Android use), Sunspider simulates real-world usage of the JavaScript on various websites. It generates a tag cloud, and also tests encryption and decompression capabilities on the browser. It calculates the results in terms of ms, so lower scores are better in this case. If you can't get Sunspider to work on your browser, first check to make sure JavaScript is enabled in the settings.
Benchmarks are not intended to be a proper method to sway a customer's purchasing decision, nor are they an ideal way for us to officially declare the supremacy of one device over another. Instead, by using identical standards under the same proper conditions, they give us the opportunity to predict how these products will function in real life. While benchmarks can never give us a full 100 percent indicator of a computer's or smartphone's performance, they at least can be pitted against other similar devices on (somewhat) equal grounds. Let's not take them too seriously, of course, but they're a fun -- and necessary -- way for us to deliver the most comprehensive reviews possible. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| EAFT's MagicTile Marathon tablet gets priced, opens up the floodgates of Froyo nostalgia Posted: 15 Jul 2011 08:43 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fujitsu TH40/D tablet finally sliding out in Japan on July 22nd? Posted: 15 Jul 2011 08:24 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Microsoft snatches up a pair of Sony related domains, internet runs amok with rumors Posted: 15 Jul 2011 08:04 AM PDT  [Thanks, Joonas] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Google Maps brings live traffic coverage to 13 European countries, makes work weeks even shorter Posted: 15 Jul 2011 07:49 AM PDT  The next time you head out for a leisurely Sunday drive along the autobahn, you might wanna take a minute to consult Google Maps' live traffic feature, now available in Germany and 12 other nations across Europe. Announced earlier this week, the new addition offers regularly updated coverage of all highways and major thoroughfares in countries like Spain, the Netherlands and Switzerland, while bringing more detailed street-level data to users in the UK. Europe's road warriors will also be able to use a legend to learn about traffic patterns at specific times or days of the week, making it even easier for you to micro-manage your summer getaway to the Swiss Alps. Learning how to fit all your luggage into the back of a Twingo, however, is another matter altogether. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sony not giving up on Readers, new models expected in August Posted: 15 Jul 2011 07:27 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro 'slides' through FCC with photos in tow Posted: 15 Jul 2011 07:06 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gresso flaunts $30,000 white iPhone 4, holds more ice than a skating rink Posted: 15 Jul 2011 06:45 AM PDT  Sure, you probably waited longer than you should have to get the elusive white iPhone 4. But, you know what's better than a boring regular model? One with diamonds, crystals and pearls... of course! Known for its ridiculous custom mobile devices, Gresso may force you to refinance your house and hock a kidney to afford its latest creation, the Lady Blanche. A solid diamond-coated mineral glass backing, three independent Swiss clocks and pearl dials replace the usual body on this iced-out iPhone. If the $30k diamond model is a bit out of your price range, the much more affordable Swarovski crystal version will only set you back 7,000 bones. Release details are unclear at this point, but when they drop you better act fast -- only 150 of these gems will be available. Heck, if you have that kind of cash lying around, just get the salesman to throw in one of these for your iPad, too. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HTC Desire Z Gingerbread update rolls out in the land of the Bratwurst Posted: 15 Jul 2011 06:23 AM PDT  [Thanks, Lukas and Zsolt] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zinio adds full Froyo and Gingerbread support, now available for all Android devices Posted: 15 Jul 2011 06:00 AM PDT  Earlier this summer, Zinio released its reader app for a small handful of Android tablets, bringing more than 20,000 full-format magazine titles to the Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, and a half dozen other slates. Now, the app is available for all current Android 2.2 Froyo and 2.3 Gingerbread devices, including tablets and smartphones. At launch, you'll have access to a dozen free current issues, including ESPN The Magazine, Maxim, and Robb Report. You'll be back to paying full rates after downloading those 12 single issues, however, so prepare for a bit of sticker shock when you're ready to hit the subscription page. ZINIO NOW AVAILABLE FOR ALL ANDROID DEVICES WORLDWIDE Android Users Can Now Access the World's Largest Selection of Magazines and New Users Get 12 Free Issues Upon Sign-Up SAN FRANCISCO, July 15, 2011 – Zinio (www.zinio.com), the world's largest universal newsstand, announced today that it is now available on all current Android devices. Following an announcement 30 days ago of Zinio for Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet devices, now Android 2.2 Froyo and 2.3 Gingerbread tablet and smartphone users can also download Zinio for free from Google's Android Market. All Android users may now immediately explore, read, interact with and enjoy free articles, buy single issues and subscribe to the magazines that matter to them. With tens of thousands of immediate downloads upon launch in June, Zinio experienced strong demand amongst Android 3.0 tablet users immediately after its release last month. With the expansion to Froyo and Gingerbread devices, Zinio is celebrating its universal access to all Android smartphones and other tablets by giving new Android users 12 free current issues to popular magazine titles through August 15th, 2011, including: Bike Magazine, BlackBook, ESPN The Magazine, House Beautiful, Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine, Maxim, Outdoor Photographer, Redbook, Robb Report, Seattle Met, SURFER Magazine and Wine Enthusiast. Also, as an exclusive benefit to T-Mobile subscribers, new users of Zinio's Android service will be able to select an additional 5 free titles from T-Mobile's "Freemium" offering in the USA, located inside the library of the Zinio Android app. Now all Android users can enjoy the largest collection of magazines with Zinio: over a hundred thousand issues from 1,000 major consumer magazines publishers globally – from Hearst to The Economist to Grupo Mondadori to Dwell Media –with global shops in 33 languages and selling in 20 different currencies. Zinio for Google's Android Market includes issues with enhanced capabilities and features that continue to make Zinio the world's favorite newsstand, including interactive features and rich media right inside the pages of your favorite magazines like audio, video and information graphics. "Our goal is to give every magazine lover worldwide, regardless of platform, an immersive and seamless way to connect to and engage with their favorite stories – creating a comprehensive and compelling newsstand that is controlled by the individual and customized to their interests," said Rich Maggiotto, Zinio President & CEO. "Extending deeper into the Android ecosystem on a global scale continues to help move us in this direction." Zinio continues to enable its readership to discover more content, read what they like, wherever, whenever they desire on a growing number of devices. Zinio is the only solution for users who want to enjoy their library of magazines and stories online or offline. They can store their entire library of content across their favorite devices, including all PCs, Macs, Linux, iOS, Android, Win7 (beta) and WebOS enabled devices, with a RIM app to launch imminently. About Zinio Zinio is where the world reads, explores, and interacts with the largest selection of magazines across today's most popular devices. News may break elsewhere, but stories "live" on Zinio. No other platform provides global access to more than 4,500 magazine titles covering every major genre, industry, specialty and hobby. Zinio users download millions of magazine issues a month in 33 languages and 20 currencies – from almost every major global publisher. The company is focused on creating an intuitive and effortless digital experience that transforms how we read, from passive to active, from solo to social. Zinio users can easily search for what they are personally passionate about, share with friends, save and curate content, shop for products and store all of their favorite magazines. With Zinio, more people interact deeper, more frequently with added use occasions, topical engagement and more overall utility. Founded in 2001 and privately held, Zinio is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in New York, London, Paris, Barcelona and Taipei. For more information, please visit www.zinio.com, or follow us on Twitter at @Zinio. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verizon LTE: no roaming, even if you want to Posted: 15 Jul 2011 05:40 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Apple intros App Store volume purchasing, businesses enthused Posted: 15 Jul 2011 05:26 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Microsoft leaks Tulalip internal project, planning to launch social search... thing? Posted: 15 Jul 2011 05:00 AM PDT  Google's Social Search may have to make room for an extra guest at the table, now that Microsoft has leaked the homepage for what looks like a new social service -- of some sort. Fusible first discovered the page sitting at socl.com, a domain that MS recently purchased. Known as Tulalip (also the name of a group of Native American tribes near Redmond), the project promises to help users "find what you need and share what you know easier than ever" -- which, at this early stage, is pretty difficult to do, considering that the page's search field is non-functioning. The platform also features sign-in buttons for Facebook and Twitter, the latter of which leads to an authorization page explaining that Tulalip is an "experimental app," and that it will be able to "update your profile" and "post tweets for you" (see the screenshot, after the break). It's too early, of course, to say whether or not the service will launch as a direct competitor to Social Search, or if it'll even get off the ground, though Microsoft insists that it didn't mean to tip its hand so early. The Socl.com welcome page now reads: "Socl.com is an internal design project from one of Microsoft's research teams which was mistakenly published to the web. We didn't mean to, honest." [Thanks, Brian]  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Samsung study finds no link between cancer and work conditions, might not be released in full Posted: 15 Jul 2011 04:29 AM PDT  Samsung has finally wrapped up that investigation into alleged cancer risks at its chip facilities, but it might not share the details with the rest of the world. In the study, which the company commissioned last year, researchers from US-based Environ International Corp. found that cancers affecting six semiconductor employees were unrelated to any chemicals they may have been exposed to on the job. Of those six workers, four have already died and five of the families are currently pressing charges. Last month, a South Korea court determined that two of the cases could be linked to toxic chemical exposure -- a ruling that Environ's report clearly contradicts. Samsung, however, is reluctant to disclose the results in full, for fear that doing so may reveal some proprietary information. Environ's Paul Harper declined to say how much Samsung paid for the investigation, due to client confidentiality, while confirming that the research was carried out in consultation with a panel of independent experts. Semiconductor exec Kwon Oh-hyun, meanwhile, denied that the company commissioned the study in order to use it as evidence in the ongoing court case, in which Samsung isn't even listed as a defendant. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sanyo's Mirai Sanzo robot brings the extra emotion your household craves Posted: 15 Jul 2011 04:01 AM PDT   | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eee PC 1215P 12-incher spotted with mammalian Ubuntu Posted: 15 Jul 2011 03:15 AM PDT  [Thanks, Marco] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Surc combination iPhone 4 case and IR remote now shipping for $75 Posted: 15 Jul 2011 02:48 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sony Ericsson posts surprising Q2 loss, blames Japanese earthquake Posted: 15 Jul 2011 01:40 AM PDT  Sony Ericsson reports second quarter 2011 results STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Jul 15, 2011 (Thomson Reuters ONE via COMTEX) -- Highlights: - Supply chain constraints from the Japan earthquake significantly impact Q2 results - Smartphones account for more than 70 percent of total sales - Android-based Xperia(TM) volume up 150 percent year-on-year The consolidated financial summary for Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Ericsson) for the second quarter ended June 30, 2011 is as follows: Bert Nordberg, President and CEO of Sony Ericsson commented, "Sony Ericsson's second quarter profitability was affected by the March 11 earthquake in Japan. We estimate that the impact of earthquake-related supply chain constraints on our portfolio was close to 1.5 million units, with most of the effect in the early part of the quarter. Our shift to Android-based smartphones continues with smartphone sales accounting for more than 70 percent of our total sales during the quarter. We have shipped more than 16 million Xperia smartphones to date. We have introduced eight new Xperia smartphones this year and we continue to see strong consumer and operator demand across the Xperia smartphone portfolio." Units shipped during the quarter were 7.6 million, a 31% decrease year-on-year and a 6% decrease sequentially, due to a decrease in volume caused by constrained supply of critical components and an anticipated decline in the number of feature phones shipped. Average selling price (ASP) for the quarter was Euro 156, a 3% decrease year-on-year but an 11% increase sequentially. The year-on-year decrease is due to product and geographic mix and price erosion. The sequential increase in ASP is attributed to favorable product and geographic mix, more than offsetting price erosion and unfavorable foreign exchange rates. Sales for the quarter were Euro 1,193 million, a 32% decrease year-on-year and a 4% increase sequentially. The gross margin percentage for the quarter was 31% with an improvement of 3 percentage points year-on-year that included restructuring charges, and a decrease of 2 percentage points from the previous quarter, which included the benefit of some larger than normal items relating to royalty matters and warranty estimates. Loss before taxes for the quarter was Euro 42 million, compared to an income before taxes of Euro 31 million for the same quarter in the previous year, due to lower volume. Income before taxes for the previous quarter was Euro 15 million. The sequential change was reflective of lower gross margin and higher operating expenses. The quarter ended in a net loss of Euro 50 million, compared to a net income of Euro 12 million in the same quarter in the previous year, and Euro 11 million in the last quarter. Tax expenses in this quarter included the impact of tax adjustments and the distribution of profits and losses between various jurisdictions. Cash flow from operating activities during the quarter was negative Euro 224 million, mainly due to increases in accounts receivables and inventories, negative net income and timing of certain payments. New external borrowings of Euro 165 million were made during the quarter to enhance liquidity and growth, resulting in total borrowings of Euro 769 million at the end of the quarter. Total cash balances at June 30, 2011 amounted to Euro 516 million. Sony Ericsson estimates that its share in the global Android-based smartphone market during the quarter was approximately 11% in volume and 11% in value. Sony Ericsson maintains its forecast for modest industry growth in total units in the global handset market for 2011. The liquid identity is a registered trademark of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. Xperia(TM) is a trademark of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. Sony is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation. Ericsson is a registered trademark of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson. Any rights not expressly granted herein are reserved and subject to change without prior notice. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dell Latitude XT3 convertable tablet hits the FCC, sneaks in with Broadcom filing Posted: 15 Jul 2011 01:21 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spazzi dancebot can't teach you how to Dougie, but it's got the robot on lock Posted: 15 Jul 2011 12:07 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Motorola Photon 4G gets the bargain bin treatment at Wirefly, Walmart Posted: 14 Jul 2011 11:12 PM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cisco Cius headed to Verizon late summer, IT departments celebrate Posted: 14 Jul 2011 10:57 PM PDT Usually the trumpets blare when a new Android-based slate hits the town, but the IT-friendly Cisco Cius isn't really the type to get all hot and bothered over. We've had plenty of signs that this deceptive looking not-a-video-phone was coming to Big Red's Enterprise accounts and official word from the operator means your side of the cubicle will be getting some locked-down, Angry Birds-less tablet love later this summer. There's a whole bit of 4G LTE buzz buzz buzz in the release, but we have to stress that it's mobile hotspot only -- meaning this WiFi-equipped pad isn't the full office-on-the-go you might've hoped for. Out-of-context Moses and the Greeks PR allusions after the break. Verizon Combines the Power of 4G LTE with the Cisco Cius Tablet to Improve Mobile Enterprise Collaboration Helps Businesses Employ Tablets for Industry-Specific Applications News Release NEW YORK – July 13, 2011 – The ancient Greeks relied on them. So did Moses when it came to accomplishing one of his most significant deliverables. And now businesses are equipping mobile workforces with tablets of their own to boost productivity and speed customer service. To meet this newest trend in tablet use, Verizon is combining the power of its 4G LTE network with the Cisco Cius™ to help customers decentralize and accelerate decision-making for better business outcomes. The Cisco Cius will be available to Verizon enterprise and government customers around the world later this summer, and those located domestically will be able to combine the device with a Verizon Wireless 4G LTE mobile hot spot. Designed for the enterprise, the Android-based Cisco Cius combines voice, video, collaboration and virtualization capabilities on one device. When powered by Verizon's 4G LTE network, mobile workers will be able to easily use bandwidth-intensive video applications - including between devices - for more effective collaboration. "Mobile applications over intelligent high-speed networks will continue to eliminate barriers in the workplace," said Mike Smith, vice president for Verizon enterprise communications, network and mobility sales. "We're forecasting a perfect storm where advanced enterprise tools such as the Cisco Cius mesh with the speeds made possible by 4G LTE to make the virtual office a more robust reality than ever." Putting Tablets to Work In general, industries such as retail, financial services, healthcare and government can employ tablets to change the pace of their business. Retail: Sales associates can employ tablets while out on the floor to look up product and inventory information for customers, in addition to processing transactions on the spot. Financial Services: Bankers and financial advisors can take advantage of the video capabilities of tablets for face-to-face meetings with clients, saving the time it takes to meet up at physical locations. Health care: Medical professionals can use tablets to collaborate on patient care and speed critical decision-making. Government: Tablets can increase productivity of government users - from military to civilian government field workers to emergency first responders - allowing them to enter information or share it quickly with remote offices to complete the business of government more efficiently. Through Verizon's Managed Mobility portfolio, enterprise customers can securely deploy a wide range of devices to employees. Capabilities include device management; expense tracking management; lock and wipe features for protecting sensitive data; and mobile delivery of popular business and consumer apps from the cloud. In addition, the company offers a full suite of professional services to help organizations create policies and design mobility programs to suit varied requirements. Verizon is a global network communications leader in driving better business outcomes for enterprises and government agencies. Verizon delivers integrated IT and communications solutions via its global IP and mobility networks to enable businesses to securely access information, share content and communicate. Verizon is rapidly transforming to a cloud-based "everything-as-a-service" delivery model that will put the power of enterprise-class solutions within the reach of every business. Find out more at www.verizonbusiness.com. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chevy Volts invade NYC police fleet, give cops all new ways to taze bros Posted: 14 Jul 2011 10:03 PM PDT  New York's boys in blue will soon be able to creep up on evildoers with even more subtlety, thanks to some new electrified vehicles the city unveiled yesterday. As part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's environmentally-friendly PlaNYC initiative, 70 new EVs have been added to the city's fleet of public cars, in the hopes of lowering emissions and creating a "greener, greater New York City." Joining the force are ten Ford Transit Connect cargo vans, ten Navi-star E-star trucks and a full 50 Chevy Volts -- some of which will be used as NYPD squad cars. These newcomers will be shared among nine different departments, joining 360 other city plug-ins already purring their way across the five boroughs. Bloomberg is also working toward adding EVs to New York's army of 13,000 taxis -- which we're totally cool with, as long as they're not minivans. Zip past the break for a rather Homeric press release. MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES ADDITION OF 70 NEW ELECTRIC VEHICLES TO CITY'S FLEET AND LAUNCHES NEW CITY EFFORTS TO INFORM THE PUBLIC ABOUT ELECTRIC VEHICLES New City Website Provides Facts About Electric Vehicles - 21 Percent of Consumers are More Likely to Purchase an Electric Vehicle after Being Provided Basic Facts Electric Vehicles Will Help Achieve Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emission Goals in PlaNYC City Hosting Free Screening of "Revenge of the Electric Car" and Information Session to Answer Questions About Electric Vehicles Tonight in Central Park Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor for Operations Stephen Goldsmith, Director of the Mayor's Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability David Bragdon and Department of Citywide Administrative Services Commissioner Edna Wells Handy today announced the addition of 70 new electric vehicles to the City's fleet and launched new City efforts to provide New Yorkers with the facts about electric vehicles. Research has shown most consumers are unaware of basic facts about electric vehicles, and the likelihood of a consumer purchasing an electric vehicle rather than an internal combustion vehicle increases dramatically once they are provided with the facts about electric vehicles. The City already has the largest municipal electric vehicle fleet in the country, now totaling 430 electric vehicles with the infusion of the 70 new electric vehicles announced today. Tonight, the City will host a free electric car information session and documentary screening in Central Park, and the City's electric vehicle information website is now live on www.nyc.gov. The Mayor made the announcement at the Department of Sanitation's Central Repair Shop in Maspeth, Queens where he was joined by Department of Sanitation Commissioner John J. Doherty; representatives from the New York Power Authority; the Environmental Defense Fund; the Sierra Club; Azure Dynamics, a partner of Ford Motor Company; General Motors; Navistar International Corporation; and Coulomb Technologies Inc., the manufacturers of the public electric vehicle charging stations available in the city. "This is the latest and largest-ever addition of electric vehicles to the City's fleet, which is already the largest municipal clean-air vehicle fleet in the nation," said Mayor Bloomberg. "We will continue to lead by example, but we also must provide New Yorkers with tools to make environmentally friendly choices in their own lives. When provided with the facts, people become far more likely to choose an electric vehicle. Our job is to ensure the public has the facts, ensure they can make their own decisions and ensure that if they want to drive an electric vehicle, we are providing the infrastructure needed. It's all part of our PlaNYC agenda to create a greener, greater New York City." "This largest-ever increase in the City's electric-powered vehicle fleet is not only good for the environment, it's good for City taxpayers too," said Deputy Mayor Goldsmith. "Using electric vehicles reduces air pollution and carbon emissions while also lowering gasoline consumption – a fact that will translate into significant life-cycle savings per vehicle for the City. Today's announcement illustrates New York City's ongoing commitment to staying at the forefront of U.S. cities in our use of electric vehicles, and marks another milestone in achieving the sustainability goals set out in PlaNYC." "While we are doing our part to make City agency fleets greener, we're also working to help New Yorkers to have more sustainable choices in their lives as well," said David Bragdon, Director of the Mayor's Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability. "Our goal is to arm the public with information and provide the resources that will allow New Yorkers to reduce their environmental impacts and long-term energy bills." "I'm very proud that DCAS enabled acquisition of these 70 vehicles by coordinating grant funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and the New York Power Authority," said Commissioner Handy. "While New York City is already a leader in this area, boasting the largest clean-fuel municipal fleet in the country – emissions from these 70 electric vehicles are 75 percent cleaner than internal combustion engine vehicles. In addition to obtaining the funding for this initiative, DCAS teams shepherded the contracting, procurement and placement of the Volts, electric Transit Connects, and eStart vehicles in recipient agencies." "The New York Power Authority is proud to partner with Mayor Bloomberg and our New York City governmental customers to advance their efforts to address environmental health concerns and lower greenhouse gas emissions through the purchase of electric vehicles for their fleets," said Richard M. Kessel, president and chief executive officer, New York Power Authority. "We are committed to helping New York City achieve its sustainability goals under its PlaNYC initiative and will continue to study the overall benefits that these electric vehicles provide to the agencies and to the overall community." "A year ago we announced with the City of New York the installation of the first public charging station to support electric vehicles as part of the ChargePoint America Department of Energy grant program," said Colleen Quinn, Vice President of Government Relations at Coulomb. "We are pleased to see this commitment to the government fleet effort as well. Coulomb is proud to continue our relationship with the City of New York and continue to lay the groundwork for this important era of clean transportation. We applaud the City for implementing their green fleet of EVs, which will reduce our dependency on foreign oil but reduce carbon emissions as well." The City's electric vehicle program is made possible due to a partnership with the New York State Power Authority and funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation – each helped fund a portion of the cost differential between the purchase of an electric vehicle and gas-powered vehicle – and the U.S. Department of Energy, which provided a grant to the charger manufacturer Coulomb to provide the public charging stations installed throughout the city. A survey by McKinsey & Company for the City showed a lack of consumer information and lack of educational resources on electric vehicles. Only 30 percent of New Yorkers are knowledgeable about the specific benefits and limitations of electric vehicles. Providing basic information on electric vehicles dramatically increases interest in the vehicles – the study showed 21 percent of consumers were more likely to purchase an electric vehicle after being educated about the facts on the vehicles. The City's electric vehicle information site, Drive Electric NYC, available at www.nyc.gov, provides users with the primary facts about electric cars: how they drive, how they are unique and how they are similar to and differ from conventional vehicles. The site also includes a map of public charging stations in the city, a cost calculator link to help potential owners understand the total cost of an electric vehicle versus a conventional vehicle – including fuel costs – and describes how electric cars work in everyday use. The site also documents the environmental benefits of electric cars. The site is part of the recently updated PlaNYC, which includes an initiative to facilitate the adoption of electric vehicles. The City is also collaborating with the cities of Boston and Philadelphia as part of the Northeast Regional Electric Vehicle Partnership to improve conditions for electric vehicles and alleviate barriers to early electric vehicle adoption through low-cost, high-impact actions. The Mayor's Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability and Nissan will host a free electric vehicle information session tonight from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM in Central Park's Naumburg Bandshell, where the public can examine electric vehicles like the Chevrolet Volt, Ford Transit Connect, Navistar eStar, Nissan LEAF, and original electric Toyota RAV4. Experts from the Mayor's Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, the Sierra Club, Nissan and Con Edison will be on-hand to answer questions about electric vehicles. The information session will be followed by a free screening of the new documentary "Revenge of the Electric Car" at 8:30 PM, also at Central Park's Naumburg Bandshell. The critically acclaimed film premiered at this year's Tribeca Film Festival and it tells the story of the development of a new breed of electric cars during the global economic crisis. The film is the sequel to the 2006 documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car." The City's new batch of electric vehicles includes: 50 new "extended range" hybrid Chevrolet Volts, 10 fully electric Ford Transit Connect cargo vans, and 10 new fully electric Navi-star "E-star" utility trucks. The City agencies utilizing the 70 new electric vehicles are: the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, the Department of Correction, the Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Parks and Recreation, Department of Sanitation, Department of Transportation, New York City Fire Department, the New York City Police Department, and Taxi and Limousine Commission. The FDNY and NYPD initially will use the vehicles for non-emergency duties, including use by NYPD Traffic Enforcement Agents The Chevrolet Volt is the first electric car being used by the NYPD. The NYPD already uses electric scooters and electric powered golf carts on boardwalks, in parks and some transit hubs. The Administration is already working towards the use of electric vehicles in the City's fleet of more than 13,000 yellow taxis. As part of its selection as the supplier of New York City's Taxi of Tomorrow, Nissan is working with the City and taxi owners on a pilot program to study the use of zero-emission electric vehicles as taxis. Nissan will provide six 100 percent electric Nissan LEAFs to taxi owners for testing in 2012 as well as the charging stations to support their use. The City's Taxi of Tomorrow – the Nissan NV200 – can be manufactured as an all electric taxi, if the pilot program proves successful. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Robots for Humanity help around the house, scratch your itch (video) Posted: 14 Jul 2011 08:59 PM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Samsung Galaxy S II may be destined for Bell July 21st for $150 Posted: 14 Jul 2011 08:04 PM PDT  Time to break out the peanut butter and syrup, folks, because Bell is waffling. The Canadian mobile provider looked all set for a July 21st launch of the highly-coveted Samsung Galaxy S II, according to a listing on Best Buy Canada, but the page has unfortunately been pulled. When it was live, the galactic sequel was priced for $150 with three-year commitment, and if that were true it would make Bell the first North American carrier to offer the hot-selling Android device -- though it certainly won't be the last. Was the page taken down at Bell's request to allow it the chance to formally announce the device? Has it been delayed? Or, was it just wrong? While we're guessing it's the first possibility -- it is, certainly, a flagship phone that deserves some fanfare -- we'll toss a quarter in the wishing well in hopes that our dreams come true next Thursday. Update: Best Buy Canada reinstated the page, but nudged the price up to $170. Thanks a lot. [Thanks, idimdb] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sony's CMT-CX5BiP HiFi system takes a style cue from the S2 Posted: 14 Jul 2011 07:03 PM PDT  Leave it to Sony to deliver Sony debuts streamlined wall-mountable Hi-Fi systems 14 July 2011 CMT-CX5 offers elegant, slim audio system with CD, USB, audio-in and mobile inputs Dynamic Sound Generator X-tra (DSGX) delivers superior sound Slim design harmonises room decor Layout flexibility for both 'on the wall' or 'on the shelf' display Play music from a range of sources via FM DAB / DAB+, CD, USB, audio-in, and mobile, including iPod/iPhone With Sony's new CMT-CX5 wall-mountable Hi-Fi system, it's never been easier to match your interior decor with your technology whilst getting superior sound quality in a sleek, aesthetically pleasing, wall-mountable hi-fi. The CMT-CX5 provides clarity of sound and freedom to suit your listening needs with audio source options including USB, CD, Audio-in, and iPhone/iPod compatibility. The perfect addition to a bedroom or living room, the new Hi-Fi systems are presented in a streamlined, spindle-shaped design and come in either black or white. Compatible with iPhone/iPod, the CMT-CX5 keeps your sophisticated decor clean and uncluttered, providing a happy harmony of style and sound. Matt Coupe, Audio Category Marketing Manager, Sony UK commented: "Great audio quality is now not enough for customers looking into new HiFi systems, they are also looking for products that will work well with the style of their homes. The CMT-CX5 series represent a creative approach to product design combined that with an intuitive user interface so that customers can get to whatever music they want in the quickest possible time. Feedback from consumer testing groups has been very positive and we look forward to seeing the wider market reaction." The product consists of three boxes (main unit and 2 speakers), which can be grouped for efficiency and aesthetic purposes or separated depending upon the stylistic preferences. Key holes on the back panel give users freedom to either mount the system on the wall, or display via shelf set-up. The Dynamic Sound Generator X-tra delivers a clear, crisp sound that can be enjoyed via a number of audio inputs, including USB, CD, Audio-in, or Tuner, as well as simply by inserting one's iPod or iPhone into the dock. In addition, the provision of DAB / DAB+ tuners means that users can enjoy the ever increasing amount of content that is being delivered by this channel. The CMT-CX5 is available in the UK from August 2011. Key specifications: CMT-CX5BiP Output power 40W RMS DSGX Dynamic Sound Generator X-tra allows more dynamic sound to be generated Made for iPod/iPhone Enjoy the music stored on your iPod or iPhone by simply mounting it in the built-in dock Other Audio Sources USB CD Audio-in Tuner *RDS (PS mode) supported: Station name is shown on the radio display DAB / DAB+ Wall Mountable Key holes on the back panel enable the wall installation Layout Free and Space Saving Complete layout freedom for space-efficient wall installation or on-the-shelf set up. Streamlined setting is possible in either case (wall mount or on-the-shelf) despite that the system consists of 3 boxes (main unit and 2 speakers) Colour Black; White Sony is a leading global innovator of audio, video, communications and information technology products for both the consumer and professional markets. Sony is renowned for its audio-visual products, such as the BRAVIA™ LCD high-definition television, Cyber-shot™ digital camera, Handycam® camcorder, "α" (Alpha) digital SLR camera, and Walkman® MP3 player as well as its VAIO™ personal computers and high-definition (HD) professional broadcast equipment, highlighted by the XDCAM® HD. Offering a complete end-to-end HD value chain and with its electronics, music, pictures, game and online businesses, Sony is one of the world's leading digital entertainment brands, employing approximately 170,000 people worldwide. Through its long-term football partnerships as an official sponsor of the UEFA Champions League until 2012, Official FIFA Partner until 2014 and global sponsor of the FIFA World Cup™ in 2010 and 2014, Sony is inspiring a sense of excitement for the millions of football fans around the world. For more information on Sony, please visit http://www.sony.co.uk and http://presscentre.sony.co.uk/. "Sony", "WALKMAN", "VAIO", "Cyber-shot", "Handycam", "α", "BRAVIA" and "XDCAM" are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Corporation. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 14 Jul 2011 06:26 PM PDT  SpaceX Breaks Ground on Launch Site for Falcon Heavy The World's Most Powerful Rocket Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.– SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies) today took another major step toward the first launch of the Falcon Heavy. This will be the world's most powerful rocket, with more than twice the payload-to-orbit capacity of the space shuttle, but at only one third the cost of the Boeing/Lockheed Delta IV Heavy. The Falcon Heavy will be the first ever rocket to break the $1,000-per-pound-to-orbit barrier, less than a tenth as much as the Shuttle. SpaceX CEO and chief rocket designer Elon Musk was joined by California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, 30th Space Wing Commander Colonel Richard W. Boltz and Lompoc Mayor John Linn to break ground on a new launch site for the Falcon Heavy–Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Falcon Heavy, along with SpaceX's medium-lift Falcon 9, offers the next generation of launch capability to the US Air Force, NASA, and commercial satellite companies at revolutionary costs. With a launch site at Vandenberg and the world's largest rocket, SpaceX will be ready to compete for the full range of US government business, provided competition is allowed. Currently, United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed, has a sole-source monopoly contract for Defense Department business. "These are difficult fiscal times for our federal government and the Falcon vehicles can save the Department of Defense almost $2 billion per year in launch costs, while increasing reliability and capability," said Musk. "This presents a great opportunity for the DoD to avoid canceling other programs and minimize reductions in personnel as budgets contract." Falcon Heavy is to arrive at Vandenberg by the end of 2012, and its inaugural flight will follow soon after. It will be the most powerful rocket in the world since the Saturn V, which launched the Apollo spacecraft to the moon. The SpaceX launch vehicle boasts 3.8 million pounds of thrust from its 27 engines–equivalent to fifteen 747s at full power. The first flight from SLC-4E (previously known as PALC2-4–Point Arguello Launch Complex) was Aug. 14, 1964, when a National Reconnaissance Office KH-7 satellite launched atop an Atlas-Agena D. The last vehicle to launch from this site was a Titan IV carrying a NRO B-26 payload on Oct. 19, 2005. Vandenberg AFB has been the proving ground for US defense vehicles for more than half a century, from the critical Intercontinental Ballistic Missile testing that helped win the Cold War to mighty launch vehicles like the aforementioned Titan. The Falcon family of launch vehicles will continue this rich tradition, with its wide range of capabilities for the NRO and other Department of Defense agencies, NASA and other civil customers, as well as commercial customers. About SpaceX SpaceX is a leading American space transport company, advancing the boundaries of space technology through its Falcon launch vehicles and Dragon spacecraft. With the retirement of NASA's space shuttle program, the Falcon 9/Dragon system will begin delivery of cargo and, in a few years, astronauts to the International Space Station. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| RunCore outs T50 6Gb/s mSATA SSD, SandForce speeds included Posted: 14 Jul 2011 05:48 PM PDT  It's finally here: a 6Gb/s mSATA SSD, rocking those highly coveted SandForce speeds. RunCore's new T50 series offers maximum sequential reads of 550 MB/s and writes of 470 MB/s, with the help of SandForce's SF-2281 controller (formerly relegated to the big boys). The little guy's being marketed for high-end portables and offers 60GB for $198 or 120GB for $358. The outfit's also touting the new I50 line, serving up more modest 280 MB/s reads and 270 MB/s writes based on SATA 3Gb/s. The I50's targeted at tablets and laptops, and ranges from $178 for 60GB to $308 for 120GB. We'll hold our final judgement for when we see these things hit the market in late July -- until then, you can peep the full PR after the break. RunCore Releases 6 Gb/s mSATA Sandforce SSD -- The first mSATA with SATAIII 6Gb/s in the world The RunCore T50 mSATA is based on the SandForce SF-2281 controller and offers sequential transfer rates of up to 550 MB/s for reads and 470 MB/s for writes. The maximum I/O performance of 60,000 4 KB random write IOPS and 35,000 random read IOPS delivers significant performance for many application scenarios. The product is compatible with SATA 6 Gb/s and supports mainstream operating systems such as Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Unix, Solaris or Vxworks. RunCore's T50 mSATA SSD is available in three different capacities: 30GB, 60 GB, and 120 GB. All come with a 3-year warranty.. The product is aimed at high-end portable laptops and can greatly reduce the loading times for documents or the operating system, and accelerate web browsing and overall system performance noticeably. In addition, SSDs help to maximize battery life. RunCore'sI50 mSATA delivers sequential transfer rates of up to 280 MB/s for read and 270 MB/s for write operations as well as a maximum I/O performance of 45,000 4 KB random write IOPS and 30,000 random read IOPS. This product targets tablets and light laptop compatible with SATA 3 Gb/s. The RunCore Lite mSATA is based on the SMI controller, which is especially designed for OEM applications at reasonable cost: 16GB is priced at $28 while the 32GB model costs$38. They can be used for netbooks, MIDs, tablets and other similar products. As far as pricing is concerned, the 60GB T50 will be available for $198, while the 120GB will be priced at $358. The 60GB of I50 is priced at $178 and 120GB is $308. The three models of RunCore mSATA will be in mass production in late July 2011. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dell Latitude E6420 adds Verizon LTE option, high price to match high speeds Posted: 14 Jul 2011 04:30 PM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Qualcomm launches Vellamo browser benchmark for Android devices Posted: 14 Jul 2011 03:59 PM PDT  . | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Adobe unleashes Flash Player 11 beta, now with 7.1 surround sound Posted: 14 Jul 2011 03:32 PM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| OCZ, Corsair, Patriot and Crucial butt heads in SATA III SSD roundup Posted: 14 Jul 2011 03:05 PM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NC State University researchers create soft memory machine, just add water Posted: 14 Jul 2011 02:38 PM PDT  Soft Memory Device Opens Door To New Biocompatible Electronics Release Date: 07.14.2011 Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a memory device that is soft and functions well in wet environments – opening the door to a new generation of biocompatible electronic devices. "We've created a memory device with the physical properties of Jell-O," says Dr. Michael Dickey, an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at NC State and co-author of a paper describing the research. Researchers have created a memory device with the physical properties of Jell-O, and that functions well in wet environments. Conventional electronics are typically made of rigid, brittle materials and don't function well in a wet environment. "Our memory device is soft and pliable, and functions extremely well in wet environments – similar to the human brain," Dickey says. Prototypes of the device have not yet been optimized to hold significant amounts of memory, but work well in environments that would be hostile to traditional electronics. The devices are made using a liquid alloy of gallium and indium metals set into water-based gels, similar to gels used in biological research. The device's ability to function in wet environments, and the biocompatibility of the gels, mean that this technology holds promise for interfacing electronics with biological systems – such as cells, enzymes or tissue. "These properties may be used for biological sensors or for medical monitoring," Dickey says. The device functions much like so-called "memristors," which are vaunted as a possible next-generation memory technology. The individual components of the "mushy" memory device have two states: one that conducts electricity and one that does not. These two states can be used to represent the 1s and 0s used in binary language. Most conventional electronics use electrons to create these 1s and 0s in computer chips. The mushy memory device uses charged molecules called ions to do the same thing. In each of the memory device's circuits, the metal alloy is the circuit's electrode and sits on either side of a conductive piece of gel. When the alloy electrode is exposed to a positive charge it creates an oxidized skin that makes it resistive to electricity. We'll call that the 0. When the electrode is exposed to a negative charge, the oxidized skin disappears, and it becomes conducive to electricity. We'll call that the 1. Normally, whenever a negative charge is applied to one side of the electrode, the positive charge would move to the other side and create another oxidized skin – meaning the electrode would always be resistive. To solve that problem, the researchers "doped" one side of the gel slab with a polymer that prevents the formation of a stable oxidized skin. That way one electrode is always conducive – giving the device the 1s and 0s it needs for electronic memory. The paper, "Towards All-Soft Matter Circuits: Prototypes of Quasi-Liquid Devices with Memristor Characteristics," was published online July 4 by Advanced Materials. The paper was co-authored by NC State Ph.D. students Hyung-Jun Koo and Ju-Hee So, and NC State INVISTA Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Orlin Velev. The research was supported by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy. NC State's Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering is part of the university's College of Engineering. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page: growth on Google+ has been great, over one billion items shared Posted: 14 Jul 2011 02:19 PM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Caption Contest: A heaping helping of wearable music Posted: 14 Jul 2011 01:54 PM PDT  Is this the new musical Power Glove? Imogen Heap thinks so. The Grammy winner rocked the stylish hand warmers at a TEDGlobal 2011 event in Edinburgh, Scotland, creating gesture-based music during a four-minute demonstration, with the gloves wirelessly connected to a nearby laptop. Could this be the death of the theremin as we know it, or just another good excuse to do a caption contest? Brian: "Imogen there's no heaven." Terrence: "Ms. Heap hard at work on a sequel to the NES "classic" Bad Street Brawler, tentatively titled Street Corner Complainer." Darren: "Seriously? Wires?" Brad: "Now if only I could find some oven mitts that would magically bake cookies for me, I'd be set!" Jon: "Force enhancing gloves allow Imogen to one up Luke, raise X-Wing." Tim: "Do I look intense enough now? Too pensive? What if I tilt my head up a bit further?" Amar: "And then they handed me the Grammy and I grabbed it like this and then -- oh, have I already told you this story?" Dante: "What do you mean they aren't cashmere?!?!" Joseph: "So I was holding Bjork's leg up like this, but she still couldn't get over Madonna's gate." Sean: "To sleep, perchance to dream – ay, there's the rub..." Christopher: "Please sir, I beg you -- don't take my Flowbee away." Richard Lai: "Ceiling cat, come to momma." [Image credit: University of the West of England] |
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