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Saturday, September 10, 2011

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FPV servo controlled plane grabs epic vacation footage, puts old family videos to shame (video)

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 10:52 AM PDT

By the time winter rolls around, Alistair Roberts will probably remember his summer vacation a heckuva lot better than the rest of us. Why? Because he brought an FPV plane to record his mountain biking holiday in the Spanish sun. With a GoPro camera mounted on the servo-powered cradle, Alistair piloted the plane by moving his head and using a remote control -- all while streaming first person video from the cockpit into a pair of goggles. By pairing the high tech toy with another GoPro on his dad's mountain bike, and a stationary camera on the ground, Alistair was able to create a truly amazing vacation video from 1200 - 1500 feet in the air traveling around 20kmph (12mph) -- way cooler than any of the ones our dads recorded back in the day. Check out the video after the break.

[Thanks, @btudor]

AT&T files response to DOJ suit, says regulators just don't understand

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 09:46 AM PDT

AT&T&T
It's no secret or surprise that AT&T is unhappy with the DOJ's decision to try and block its merger with T-Mobile. But issuing public statements is one thing, officially filing papers in court is another. Ma Bell submitted a 25-page document arguing that the Justice Department's claims represent a misunderstanding of the market and dismisses competition from "innovative upstarts," like MetroPCS and US Cellular. AT&T's lawyers point out that T-Mo, currently the fourth largest provider, has been losing customers for years and it's German parent company may not be inclined to invest much in improving it. By contrast, AT&T has spent $30 billion over the last two years to boost network quality and capacity, yet still struggles to keep up with demand. We can't say the arguments are without validity, but the government's fear of a market dominated by just three companies with little incentive to innovate or drive down prices also seems well founded. Well, the pageantry officially gets underway on September 21st, when the US District Court hearings begin.

Insert Coin: Teagueduino solderless electronic board

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 09:00 AM PDT

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.


We've seen the Arduino platform used to do some very, very cool things. You can pick up one of these incredibly versatile contraptions for well under 100 bucks, putting it within reach of the entire gamut of advanced hardware developers. But as simple as it may be to use for the technically inclined, there's still quite a bit of programming required, and you'll probably need to know your way around a soldering iron as well. The Teagueduino sets out to simplify the process, replacing intimidating code with simple drop-down menus, which you can adjust in realtime, giving you instant feedback as you make adjustments to your 'coding' handiwork. The second piece of the puzzle is the Teagueduino board itself, which includes snap-enabled inputs and outputs (yes, that means you can leave the finger-melting soldering iron to the pros).

The hardware/software duo first made an appearance this spring, but it just popped up on Kickstarter, which means the Teagueduino could be making its way to a DIY project near you in the not-so-distant future. Unfortunately it's not cheap -- you'll need to pledge $160 to get a fully assembled kit, while $260 adds extra I/O terminals. The Teagueduino is nearing the halfway point of its $22,000 funding goal with 27 days left to go, and if all goes according to plan, you should have your kit by November. Jump past the break for an overview with the designers.

Previous project update: In a rather unexpected turn of events, our last Insert Coin project, the PumpTire self-inflating bicycle tire, has vanished from Kickstarter. We imagine that wildly unrealistic $250,000 goal played a role in the sudden disappearance, but we never like to see promising projects not make it through, and hope to see this one return soon -- perhaps with much more conservative funding expectations.

Mobile Miscellany: week of September 5, 2011

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 08:02 AM PDT

This week, as always, was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of September 5, 2011:
  • It appears that Sprint employees are being informed that vacation requests anytime between September 30th and October 15th won't be approved, due to "the possibility of a major phone launch in October." Vacation blackouts are typically used during certain times of the holiday season, so the timing on this particular memo is a bit striking -- as usual, we invite you to come to your own conclusions here. [via SprintFeed]
  • Two BlackBerry devices breathed life on T-Mobile this week in the form of leaks. First, the Curve 9360 began showing up on marketing material focusing specifically on its prepaid campaign, which says the device will be offered for $230 without having to sign a new contract. It didn't mention the on-contract price, but if all goes according to rumors, it'll likely be out this time next week (September 14th, to be specific). [via TmoNews]
  • Speaking of the Curve 9360, the phone will probably be hopping across the pond to a Carphone Warehouse near you (if you live in the United Kingdom, that is). It's ready for pre-order now on the retailer's site with a prepaid option for $200. Not bad for a brand-new BlackBerry at full retail cost. [via TechnoBuffalo]
  • The second BlackBerry we saw leaked for T-Mobile this week was the Torch 9860, which may have been discovered in T-Mo's inventory system, according to a leaked screenshot. This doesn't help us know the date or pricing of the new Torch, but it does signify that it's likely just around the corner. [via TmoNews]
  • It's possible that the Droid Prime and Nexus Prime have passed through Bluetooth and WiFi certification. Since names were not provided in the documentation, we're left to speculate using the devices' model numbers -- rumored to be the SCH-I515 and GT-I9250. We're naturally skeptical, but we'll keep a close eye on the FCC in hopes that we'll see these mystery devices pop up soon with at least a few revealing details. [via Droid-Life]
  • We've been expecting the recently announced Samsung Galaxy W to arrive this month in the UK, but all of our sights have been set on Three as the only known carrier... until now. O2 placed a teaser page on its website this week, listing the Galaxy W as "coming soon: September." [via MobileBurn and AndroidCentral]

mLogic mDock extends your MacBook ports, steals your Thunder(bolt)

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 06:54 AM PDT


If you're trying to make a name for yourself in the incredibly crowded portable storage space, you can innovate and create something totally awesome, or you can do this. The mDock from mLogic is an external hard drive, port extender and port blocker all rolled into one pricey coffin-like chamber of fail. $219 will net you an eternal resting place for 500 gigs of data, while $299 ups the ante to an entire terabyte. Plus, with a pair of front-facing USB ports, you can add a third-party portable storage yokel for the less-than-princely sum of 50 bucks. If you haven't already gathered, the mDock is designed for mMacbook Pros, but there's also the iMac-mountable mBack (curiously not the iBack), designed with Apple's familiar desktop flavor in mind. That variant is slightly more affordable, with pricing ranging from $169 for 1TB to $349 for 3TB, but you'll forgo the dock-like USB hub and headphone jack. There's no word on when to expect these life-changing devices in stores, but it's never too early to dust off the mChair iChair and park yourself on 5th Ave.

Update: As pointed out by many in the comments most ports that are blocked by the mDock are replicated on the silver brick, including the Magsafe. The only restriction appears to be a lack of pass-through for Thunderbolt, but you do get a mini DisplayPort for hooking up external monitors. We've added one more pic after the break.

mBox

Judge rules in favor of employees fired over Facebook post, orders them back to work

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 05:11 AM PDT

The National Labor Relations Board has weighed in on the role of social networking at the office, determining that employees can't be fired for what they post on Facebook -- as long as they use the platform to talk about improving their workplace. The NLRB's ruling, announced on Wednesday, stems from an incident last year, when an employee at the Hispanics United of Buffalo non-profit organization went on Facebook to complain about a co-worker who accused her of slacking off at the office. Other colleagues soon chimed in on the woman's wall post with a slew of profanity-laced comments, before the targeted employee noticed the thread and reported it to a supervisor. Citing the agency's zero-tolerance policy on cyber harassment, the boss fired the five employees who participated in the online discussion -- including one who went on to file a complaint with the NLRB.

Last week, administrative law Judge Arthur Amchan finally issued a verdict in the case, determining that the employees retained the right to talk about "their terms and conditions of employment," as stipulated under the National Labor Relations Act. Because this particular Facebook thread involved discussion of "job performance and staffing levels," Amchan ordered Hispanics United to reinstate the employees. The decision marks the first time that an administrative judge has ruled on a Facebook-related workplace case, though the NLRB says it's received "an increasing number of charges related to social media in the past year" -- so it likely won't be the last. You can read the Board's statement in full, after the break.
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Administrative Law Judge finds New York nonprofit unlawfully discharged employees following Facebook posts

September 07, 2011

In the first ruling of its kind, a National Labor Relations Board Administrative Law Judge has found that a Buffalo nonprofit organization unlawfully discharged five employees after they posted comments on Facebook concerning working conditions, including work load and staffing issues.

The NLRB has received an increasing number of charges related to social media in the past year, as that means of communication grows in popularity. The Office of General Counsel issued a report last month outlining some of the cases. This is the first case involving Facebook to have resulted in an ALJ decision following a hearing.

The case involves an employee of Hispanics United of Buffalo, which provides social services to low-income clients. After hearing a coworker criticize other employees for not doing enough to help the organization's clients, the employee posted those allegations to her Facebook page. The initial post generated responses from other employees who defended their job performance and criticized working conditions, including work load and staffing issues. Hispanics United later discharged the five employees who participated, claiming that their comments constituted harassment of the employee originally mentioned in the post.

The case was heard by Administrative Law Judge Arthur Amchan on July 13-15, 2011, based on a complaint that issued May 9 by Rhonda Ley, NLRB Regional Director in Buffalo, New York.

Judge Amchan issued his decision on September 2, finding that the employees' Facebook discussion was protected concerted activity within the meaning of Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act, because it involved a conversation among coworkers about their terms and conditions of employment, including their job performance and staffing levels. The judge also found that the employees did not engage in any conduct that forfeited their protection under the Act.

Judge Amchan orderedthat Hispanics United reinstate the five employees and awarded the employees backpay because they were unlawfully discharged. The judge's decision also requires that Hispanics United post a notice at its Buffalo facility concerning employee rights under the Act and the violations found. Hispanics United has the right to appeal the decision to the Board in Washington.

Scientists build WiFi hunter-killer drone and call it SkyNET... Viene Tormenta!

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 02:58 AM PDT

You'd think scientists would proscribe certain names for their inventions -- you wouldn't be taken seriously if your supercomputer was called HAL 9000, WOPR or Proteus IV would you? Well, a team from the Stevens Institute of Technology isn't listening, because it's developing an aerial drone and calling it SkyNET. A Linux box, strapped to a Parrot A.R. Drone, can fly within range of your home wireless network and electronically attack it from the air. Whilst internet-only attacks are traceable to some extent, drone attacks are difficult to detect until it's too late -- you'd have to catch it in the act and chase it off with a long-handled pitchfork, or something. The team is working on refining the technology to make it cheaper than the $600 it currently costs and advise that people toughen up their domestic wireless security. We advise they stop pushing us ever closer towards the Robopocalypse.

UK book seller Waterstone's to enter the e-reader race

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 12:47 AM PDT

Waterstone's
Waterstone's isn't exactly the biggest name in book sales (at least not stateside), but it knows that to survive in this market it's gonna have to get on the e-book train. The British company's managing director, James Daunt, told Radio 4 that it planned to enter the market with both an electronic book store and an actual reader by spring of 2012. Mr. Daunt claimed he was inspired by the success of the Nook, and the challenge it posed to Amazon's Kindle, to finally take a stab at ushering the UK chain into the 21st century. Of course, while we hate to harsh his buzz, Waterstone's has already been offering e-books and e-readers since 2008 through a partnership with Sony with only minimal market impact. And we've already seen one major book seller (one twice the size of Waterstone's) fall flat on its face as it tried to enter the digital age. But still, we wish Daunt and his company the best of luck.

[Image credit: Chrisloader]

Big Big Cursor: the tablet stylus that's also a fridge magnet

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 10:28 PM PDT

The stylus, as you might have noticed, is making a slight comeback this year, and it's now also moved into throwback territory with the Big Big Cursor. Available in both arrow and pointer varieties, the cursor is designed for use on capacative touchscreens, and it packs some handy magnets that let you affix it to certain magnet-friendly tablets or cases -- or your fridge, for that matter. $13 and it's yours -- video is after the break.

New Mediaroom clients to bring Microsoft's TV platform everywhere this year

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 08:24 PM PDT

Windows Media Center using Mediaroom 2.0
The days of being tied to a traditional TV to watch your favorite shows is becoming less and less of a dream -- at least for Mediaroom 2.0 users, like those who subscribe to AT&T U-Verse. It hasn't even been a full year since Xbox 360 owners were first able to launch a U-Verse blade to watch TV, but it has been about nine months when we first heard rumors of Mediaroom clients for Windows Media Center (aka Monaco), Silverlight (aka Taos) and Windows Phone (aka Rome) would see the light of day. A recent post on William Zhang's blog, a Microsoft employee, confirms the rumored code names in addition to giving us reason to believe those using Mediaroom 2.0 software might still realize the three screen dream by the end of 2011 after all.

Corsair Flash Voyager, GT, Survivor get a USB 3.0 boost

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 07:05 PM PDT


Call us jaded, but most USB flash drives just don't get the juices flowing like a new tablet or smartphone. Nonetheless, they've become a critical component of many a workflow, and for a device where speed is key, a USB 3.0 boost is certainly welcome. And Corsair did just that with its Flash Voyager, Flash Voyager GT, and "adventure-proof" Flash Survivor lines. The entry level Voyagers ship in 8GB ($17) and 16GB ($24) capacities, while the premium model offers 32GB and 64GB of storage, for $59 and $129, respectively. 8GB ($28) and 16GB ($35) drives in the ruggedized Survivor series are constructed of aircraft-grade aluminum and are water-proof all the way down to 200 meters -- that algae-covered Survivor you found 650 feet down at the bottom of the ocean floor? Yup, it probably still works. The new drives are shipping now, and you can find the full scoop from Corsair just past the break.
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Corsair Announces New High-Speed USB 3.0 Flash Drives

– Updates to the Flash Voyager® GT, Flash Voyager, and Flash Survivor® offer durability and superior speed –

FREMONT, California - September 9th, 2011 - Corsair®, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced the availability of USB 3.0 versions of their award-winning Flash Voyager GT, Flash Voyager, and Flash Survivor product lines.

Flash Voyager GT USB 3.0: Superior Speed and Renowned Flash Voyager Durability

The premium performance Flash Voyager GT USB 3.0 provides data transfer rates of up to four times the speed of USB 2.0 drives, and even two times the speed of standard USB 3.0 flash drives - the 64GB model has a maximum read speed of 135 MB/sec and a maximum write speed of 83 MB/sec. Fully backward compatible with USB 2.0, it's also one of the fastest USB 2.0 flash drives on the market. The tough all-rubber housing is water-resistant, and the rounded edge design makes it an ideal choice for busy professionals and PC enthusiasts who need to quickly and safely transport important data.

The New Flash Voyager USB 3.0: Sleek, Ergonomic New Design

The ergonomics of the Flash Voyager USB 3.0 get even better with a redesigned body style. With a length of just 73mm (vs. 100mm for the previous version) and a width of 22mm (vs. 26mm), the new design is sleeker and more comfortable to use than ever. Wrapped in the same rubber housing as previous Flash Voyager models, these new drives provide the same durability and data protection the Flash Voyager line is known for.

Flash Survivor USB 3.0: High-Speed, Adventure-Proof Data Transport

Flash Survivor USB 3.0 utilizes the same proven design of previous Survivor models, with the added boost of USB 3.0 speed. The anodized aircraft-grade aluminum housing is waterproof to 200 meters, and its solid-state electronics are shock and vibration-resistant providing incredibly rugged protection for your important data.

Universal Compatibility

All three new families support the new USB 3.0 standard and are also compatible with USB 2.0. They work directly with Microsoft® Windows®, Mac® OS X® and Linux without the need for special drivers or software installation.

"Our new lines of USB 3.0 flash drives offer great choices for performance enthusiasts and on-the-go professionals." said Thi La, Vice President of Memory Products at Corsair. "The Flash Survivor and Flash Voyager families are known for their ruggedness, reliability, and superior ergonomics, and USB 3.0 speed makes them even better."

Images of the Flash Voyager GT USB 3.0 can be downloaded here, Flash Voyager USB 3.0 images can be downloaded here, and images of the Flash Survivor USB 3.0 can be downloaded here.

The new models are available from authorized Corsair retailers and etailers worldwide. For more information on Corsair USB 3.0 flash drives, please visit:

http://www.corsair.com/usb-drive.html

LG Marquee caught on candid camera, is this Sprint's Optimus Black?

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 06:02 PM PDT

Is this a case of smartphone identity crisis, or just a repurposed chassis? Whatever the case may be, LG's got a Marquee handset ready to shore up Sprint's future line-up. The leaked shot comes courtesy of a now private video spotted by Android Central, and was taken at a Dallas-based Radio Shack Business Summit. It's evident from the one Mr. Blurrycam screen cap on display that the phone's currently running a vanilla build of Gingerbread, and sports a minimalistic design that's reminiscent of the Optimus Black. We can't be certain the two are indeed twins, however that leaked roadmap did indicate a stateside October bow for the Optimus Black -- this could simply be a rebrand for the Now Network.

Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman Android phone gets busted open by the FCC

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 05:07 PM PDT

Somebody's not wasting anytime. Just last month we reported on the musically minded Android handset, and now what looks to be a decidedly darker version of Sony Ericsson's Live with Walkman has made its way through the FCC and come out the other end in pieces -- literally. Since the outfit didn't hold back much in its initial announcement, we won't be making any big discoveries here, but if you're into dismembered smartphones we've got a gallery of the shredded handset awaiting you below.
Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman FCC

Nintendo on price reduction: no glasses required to see 3DS sales boost

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 04:17 PM PDT

The Big N has today confirmed our suspicions: people buy more things when they're cheaper, and in turn, the laws of economics are still sound. The longer version is after the break.
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NINTENDO 3DS SALES UP 260 PERCENT FOLLOWING PRICE REDUCTION

Sept. 8, 2011

Nintendo sold more than 235,000 Nintendo 3DS™ portable entertainment systems in the United States in August, and the system finished as the No. 2 best-selling dedicated game system for the month, according to the NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United States. About 185,000 units were sold following a price reduction on Aug. 12, an increase of more than 260 percent during the comparable 19-day time period in July.

"Consumers are responding very positively to the new suggested retail price of $169.99 for the Nintendo 3DS," said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "With Star Fox 64 3D and the new Flame Red color launching tomorrow, and Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 arriving later this year, Nintendo 3DS will offer consumers cutting-edge entertainment and tremendous value this holiday season."

Other Nintendo milestones reached in August include:

• Nintendo sold more than 590,000 total hardware units in August, including more than 190,000 Wii™ systems and more than 165,000 units of the Nintendo DS™ family.

• For the third month in a row, the majority of the best-selling software SKUs play on Nintendo platforms. August featured five of the top 10 and 15 of the top 20.

• So far in 2011, more than 50 million units of software have been sold for Nintendo platforms.

• In total, 540 million units of software have been sold for the Wii system and Nintendo DS family of systems combined.

For more information about Nintendo, visit http://www.nintendo.com.

ICANN's .XXX domain names have arrived, Frankie says relax

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 03:33 PM PDT

Let's try to be sensible about this. When one or more persons love each other very much -- no, erm, let's start again. The controversial move to segregate websites of an adult nature to the .XXX domain has begun. The process is staggered across three months to ensure nothing untoward can happen. On September 7th, the 50-day "Sunrise A & B" programs began, Sunrise A is where adult website and trademark holders can claim their domains as the legitimate owner; At the same time, Sunrise B lets non-adult websites like The Weather Channel claim their domain names to prevent it being used for a very different sort of forecast. There will then be an 18-day Land Rush period, where non-trademarked sites can register and conflicts are resolved with auctions. By December 6th, registration opens to everyone -- just in time for XXXMas.

Now showing: Netflix 1.4 brings playback to 'all Android 2.2 and 2.3 devices'

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 03:20 PM PDT

You heard right, film aficionados -- Netflix has just updated its Android app in order to bring one major, major change: "expanded support for phones." Previously, the app only worked on a smattering of smartphones, but as of today, v1.4 brings playback to "all Android 2.2 and 2.3 devices." Congratulations -- your weekend just got a lot better. Hit the source link to get your download on, or just visit the Market for an update if you're already in the door. So much for those "hardware DRM requirements" we heard about at MWC, huh?

Psst... all is well at Engadget US, but our colleagues in Canada aren't seeing the update yet.

Update: Seems T-Mobile's G2x is left out of the "all." Anyone else having issues with a particular handset?

[Thanks, 3vil and Brett]

One last hurrah? HP TouchPad on sale at QVC, sans complimentary steak knives

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 02:45 PM PDT

Still looking for an ever-elusive HP TouchPad? Good news, you need look no further than that bastion of high technology, QVC. The slate hit the channel's website today, and you can pick up your very own webOS tablet for the low, low price of $199.95 -- and it gets better, QVC is throwing in the Touchstone Dock and a case for that price. Well, that plus $13.97 shipping and handling, naturally.

Update: Annnnnnd that's all she wrote. QVC is now listing the TouchPad bundle as unavailable.

Alibaba to launch English version of Aliyun OS this month, tablet by November

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 02:25 PM PDT

Alibaba is just beginning its long and arduous journey into the field of mobile domination, but it's already looking to expand its sphere of influence beyond China to tackle the OS giants. Merely a few weeks after announcing its Aliyun OS, the company has spilled the beans on its plans for the immediate future, which include launching an English version of the platform this month and pushing a tablet to the market within the next two. Details on pricing, release time frame and partnerships are scarce -- the K-Touch W700 wasn't specifically mentioned, either -- but Alibaba confirmed it's currently in talks with global hardware vendors. Baidu, care to offer another rebuttal? You've got a slot at seventh place to protect.

Adobe unveils new software tools, adds iOS-compatible streaming video option

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 01:43 PM PDT

AdobeAt the International Broadcasters Convention (IBC) in Amsterdam yesterday, Adobe unveiled a slew of new software solutions, including Adobe Pass, Flash Access 3.0 and Flash Media Server 4.5. Pass allows cable operators and other content providers to provide streaming TV from multiple sources through a single sign-on solution, while Access is content protection platform that can now deliver streaming video to mobile devices. But, it's Media Server 4.5 that has been garnering the most attention from the press, thanks to its support for iOS. Now don't get too excited, you still can't actually use Flash on your iPhone. But, the latest version of the software provides the option to stream video using the Apple-friendly HTTP Live Streaming format. So, still no Kongregate for iPhone users, but partners like MediaPlatform can now put live webcasts on your iPad. Check out the PR after the break.
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ADDING MULTIMEDIA Adobe Announces Adobe Flash Media Server 4.5 and Adobe Flash Access 3.0
New Ways to Deliver and Protect High-Quality Video Online and On-device Simplify Streaming Media and Content Protection for Superior Video Experiences Across Desktops and Devices Including iOS, Android and Playbook

SAN JOSE, Calif. & AMSTERDAM, Sep 08, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Adobe Systems Incorporated ADBE -1.88% today announced at the IBC 2011 Conference and Exhibition significant new releases of industry-leading streaming video solutions, including Adobe(R) Flash(R) Media Server 4.5 and Flash Access(R) 3.0 software. With Flash Media Server 4.5, media publishers can extend their already broad mobile reach via Flash-enabled devices, with the new ability to deliver video content to Apple's iPad and iPhone devices, enabling them to reach the widest audience possible. Adobe Flash Access 3.0, a robust content protection and monetization solution, will enable content owners to deliver on-demand content with massive scale and strict studio-level security across a broad range of devices, following the upcoming release of Flash Player 11 and Adobe AIR(R) 3.

At the IBC 2011 Exhibition, Adobe will demonstrate its streaming video solutions including the Flash Media Server family, Flash Access, the Open Source Media Framework (OSMF) and Adobe Pass, Adobe's content authentication solution for TV Everywhere, at its stand (Hall 7 Stand 7.G27) in the RAI Convention Center, Sept. 9-13 in Amsterdam.

"Adobe has a deep heritage in providing video solutions for delivering content online and on-device. With Flash Media Server 4.5 and Flash Access 3.0, we're enabling businesses to reach more customers and more devices, helping them increase the impact of video experiences, enhance their brands and ultimately, drive business success," said Pritham Shetty, vice president, Video Solutions, Adobe.

"When your business is based on delivering live, broadcast-quality video streams for high-profile events to massive audiences across the world, having strong technology backing you is vital," said Ben Rolling, vice president of development for AEG Digital Media, the leading provider of complete webcast management and media services for live streaming events and online video. "Adobe Flash Media Server 4.5 improves the stability of our video streams, decreases load times, and helps us better manage encoding and bitrates for an improved end-user experience on mobile devices and online. We can trust that it will deliver rock solid video streams and please our clients, advertisers and viewers, whether we're streaming the royal wedding or the Grammy Awards."

Premium Video Streaming with Flash Media Server 4.5

Flash Media Server 4.5 expands on its mobile delivery options with the addition of iOS support and enables content owners to create HTTP content on the fly to reduce costs brought on by device proliferation. New features of Flash Media Server 4.5:

-- Delivery to iPad and iPhone enables businesses to use the same media and live streams to deliver full adaptive bit-rate experiences to platforms supporting Flash, as well as Apple devices, including iPad and iPhone.

-- Integrated Content Protection simplifies deployment and reduces infrastructure cost, enabling seamless streaming for advertising-funded online video.

-- On-demand Stream Packaging eliminates the need to prepare and protect assets ahead of time, reducing complexity and storage costs and simplifying publishing for businesses so they can use one set of source video to reach multiple downstream devices.

Premium Video Monetization and Content Protection with Flash Access 3.0

Flash Access 3.0 builds on Adobe's strong traction in video delivery by extending support to reach mobile devices. This allows content providers to securely deliver and monetize content with a single back-end workflow, delivering rich, engaging experiences on desktop, connected TVs, Blu-ray players, tablets and smartphones. New features of Flash Access 3.0:

-- Support on Mobile Devices will include Android tablets and smartphones, as well as other mobile devices, allowing video programmers to leverage the same content delivery, protection and monetization infrastructure to target mobile devices, following the upcoming release of Adobe Flash Player 11 and Adobe AIR 3 (set to be available later this quarter).

-- Scalable License Delivery and in-band Key Rotation enables Multichannel Video Programming Distributors (MVPDs) and programmers to offer television experiences over IP, whether over the open Internet or on a managed network, at massive scale. With Flash Access 3.0, it is now possible to securely deliver multiple TV "channels" to millions of subscribers with a cost-effective premium content protection solution.

-- Compatibility with Industry Standards including UltraViolet, an industry-standard, cloud-based digital rights locker system that will allow consumers to create personal virtual video libraries and access them across multiple devices. Flash Access has been approved for use with UltraViolet, set to be released this fall. Flash Access 3.0 and the upcoming versions of Flash Player 11 and AIR 3 will be able to be leveraged by content retailers, service providers and device manufacturers to create full UltraViolet experiences, including playback for the UVVU Common File Format.

Pricing and Availability

Adobe Flash Access 3.0 is offered at per unit CPM pricing. Adobe Flash Media Streaming Server 4.5 is offered at US$995. Adobe Flash Media Interactive Server 4.5 is offered at US$4,500. Adobe Flash Media Enterprise Server 4.5 pricing can be quoted by contacting Adobe. Products can be ordered today at www.adobe.com/go/fms and are available immediately.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe is changing the world through digital experiences. For more information, visit www.adobe.com .

(C) 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved. Adobe, the Adobe logo, Flash, Access, and AIR are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Apple, iPad and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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MediaPlatform Brings Adobe(R) Flash(R) Webcasting to the iPad(R)
Empower Mobile Information Workers With First Enterprise HLS Webcasting Solution for iPads

LOS ANGELES, CA, Sep 08, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- MediaPlatform, the enterprise video software company, today announced that its WebCaster software is the first to deliver live webcasts on the Apple iPad(R) using HTTP live streaming (HLS). WebCaster enables iPad users to view and interact with live presentations that integrate video streaming from Abode(R) Flash(R) Media Enterprise Server 4.5 and PowerPoint(R) slides. Enterprises adopting this technology benefit from giving their information workers greater mobility and remote participation in events, while leveraging the powerful network efficiencies and universal nature of Flash.

"Getting Flash video on to the iPad is an absolute 'must have' for so many of our large enterprise clients," said Andrew Irving, director of Webcasting at Mediaco, one of Canada's largest event production companies. "The MediaPlatform iPad solution is an important innovation that fits with our mobile webcasting vision."

Tablet computing is growing rapidly in corporations. Estimates of iPad adoption by large enterprises range between 65 and 80 percent. On those tablets, video is seen as a boon to mobile information workers and their managers. A recent survey by Interactive Media Strategies revealed that 51 percent of corporate users would "view business video more frequently" if they had access to it on a tablet. By adding iPad support, MediaPlatform is fulfilling its commitment to live webcasting on a full range of tablets. The company has offered webcasting to Android devices since earlier this year.

In Adobe Flash Media Enterprise Server 4.5, which became generally available today, Adobe added support for HLS, a protocol developed to stream live and recorded video using standard HTTP connections. HLS is the only streaming format compatible with the iPad, where Flash is not supported. MediaPlatform has worked closely with Adobe over the past 18 months, developing the only enterprise video tool that enables enterprises to take advantage of multicast fusion on the Flash Platform -- and using the beta version of Flash Media Enterprise Server 4.5 to make WebCaster compatible with iPads.

"Enterprises need their employees to be able to access webcasts and other corporate video from whatever device, browser and platform they're using," said Greg Pulier, president, MediaPlatform. "Our introduction of interactive, live HLS webcasting to the iPad satisfies this enterprise need while delivering all the technological and network benefits of the Adobe Flash Platform to the corporate IT department."

MediaPlatform's WebCaster -- available in cloud-based and on-premises versions -- enables enterprises and digital media producers to produce, broadly distribute and monitor interactive live and on-demand webcasts that feature streaming video, PowerPoint(R) slides, audio, surveys, polls and screen demoing.

About MediaPlatform, Inc. MediaPlatform, Inc. delivers best-in-class webcasting and media management technology to global enterprises and digital media producers. MediaPlatform's webcasting software enables high-impact presentations for lead generation, corporate communications and training. The company offers organizations the ability to take advantage of scalable cloud-based computing, as well as on-premises deployment, to present and manage rich media. With media management tools built on its platform, the company helps clients derive long-term archive value from their investment in media content. www.mediaplatform.com www.twitter.com/webcaster

Abobe(R)Flash(R) is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc. iPad(R) is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. PowerPoint(R) is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

Growing Up Geek: Kevin Wong

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 01:00 PM PDT

Welcome to Growing Up Geek, an ongoing feature where we take a look back at our youth and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are. Today, we have our very own Contributing Editor, Kevin Wong.
Okay, so let's get the pink pencil elephant out of the room first. Yes, that is a Superman t-shirt and yes, I thought I could fly -- with some help from my pops, of course. Back then I wasn't aware that physics had laws, and to be honest, all I thought holding me flat was my love for robots. What I did know was that Transformers were are awesome, and that ice cream was a perfect supplement for vegetables.

Skip ahead a few years, and the obsession with all things robotic was as strong as ever -- enter Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The blatant corniness and satire of the show was eclipsed by a newfound phenomenon that dinosaur robots could actually convert into gargantuan fighting machines. And even while riding another robot, they'd somehow always foil the plans of countless super villains. Plopping down in front of the tube to enjoy a 23 minute episode of explosions, acrobatics and mind-melting robotic amazingness was superior to candy, toys and sports combined -- to a five year old Kevin, anyway.


Do your parents still have an entire collection of blue, yellow and green transparent marble-like tokens, along with cases and cases of Pokémon cards? Wow, mine too! I've lost countless hours of my life to my obsession with Pokémon, and I'm hardly ashamed to admit it. My (still functioning) Game Boy was with me at every gym city battle, every new skill learned, and of course, at every stage of evolution. One of the happiest days of my life was when I received my purple translucent Game Boy Color and I could see Pikachu in a yellowish-green tint on my screen. Minor victories bring major joy.

I believe the single moment that defined my geekiness and solidified my future in computer science was during the Christmas of 1998. My parents reached from under the tree and handed my brother a rather large box, while I sat across the room on the other side, pensive and engaged. Little did I know that my parents pulled a switcheroo on me and denied my brother, proudly proclaiming: "Oops, this one's for Kevin!" Ecstatic that my older brother of six years just got served by my parents, I grabbed hold of the gift, ripped it open and discovered Pandora's Box of possibilities for me -- a LEGO Mindstorms kit.

My childhood obsessions stay with me, as vivid as ever, even today -- Japan's full-scale Gundam statue is practically my role model! Growing up alongside the internet really opened up the possibilities of learning and leisure. Thinking about games of my adolescence like Warcraft, Duke Nukem, and Doom still give me inexplicable highs. But instead of focusing all of my efforts on toy robot models, or trying to collect countless wild critters on my handhelds, I stuff a viewfinder or some Java code in front of my face. I spend most of my time now with a camera at my side, and ideal nights for me are editing exposure tones of hundreds of photos or having an hour long date with a code compiler. The geekiness didn't go away, it just evolved into a more productive form -- and without the use of rare candies, I might add!

Each day in Kevin's life is made interesting by the following: spam emails, new lunch specials at old restaurants, conversations he overhears at the post office, people that sit next to him on the train when ten other seats are open, and free samples of chicken at the mall. Follow him on Twitter (@kevinmwong) to hear more. So much more.

The Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 5PM ET!

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 12:45 PM PDT

The mobile world is never normal, but at least things are back to the usual routine. Host Myriam Joire has wandered out of the desert and back to the big city, and she's ready to go over the weekly haps with Brad Molen. The Burning Man may be over, but Myriam's back and she's en fuego. So join us for a healthy dosage of mobile news at 5PM ET (2PM PT, 9PM GMT)!

Update: And that does it for our podcast! We'll have it ready for your downloading pleasure sometime tomorrow.

ASUS N55SF, N75SF multimedia laptops are back... in piano black

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 12:21 PM PDT

If your laptop spends more time spinning Netflix hits from yesteryear than yomping around campus, you'll probably love these new offerings from ASUS. It's launching the 15.6-inch N55SF and 17.3-inch N75SF laptops -- depending on budget, you can select an Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 chip and a variety of displays that go up to 1920 x 1080 on the high-end units. Each model gets a HD webcam, instant-on (which picks up where you left off in under two seconds) and USB Charger+, a USB port powered directly from the battery for hasty, direct charging. The company is pushing these as multimedia machines, bundling in Bang & Olufsen's ICEpower tech and a standalone SonicMaster subwoofer as standard -- the latter isn't recommended for those frequenting the library, of course. 15-inchers will arrive later this month, with pricing to start at around €1,100 / $1,500; meanwhile, the larger ones will arrive in early October and begin closer to €1,350 / $1,800. Oh, and we've got some press shots to whet your appetite. They're below.

ASUS N55SF and N75SF

IRL: Nexus One, Sansa Clip Zip, DeLorme PN-60 and the HP TouchPad

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 11:58 AM PDT

Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.

Welcome back to IRL, a new column where we dissect, defend and gripe about the gadgets we're using in real life. This week, Dante gets a firesale TouchPad, Dana ditches her Shuffle for a Sansa Clip Zip, Tim's on a boat with the DeLorme PN-60 and Darren explains why, exactly, he's still clinging to his Nexus One.

Going strong with the Nexus One

Blast away, but I'm still using an AT&T Nexus One. Why? It's the only smartphone that'll tether on AT&T (my wife has an iPhone, hence the need for a family plan) without any additional charges -- it's unlocked, remember? I also have one of those grandfathered unlimited plans, and given that my entire life is online... well, it's handy to have around. Sure, far more sophisticated handsets have shipped over the past year, but the N1 still manages to hold its own, and hey, I got Froyo before most everyone else, too. I'm also a major fan of side-loading, and this here phone has never given me one ounce of trouble on that front.

Unfortunately, one of the two main reasons I stick with this thing from a software standpoint is starting to fail me. Google Maps Navigation is truly a godsend, but only when it works. For whatever reason, acquiring a GPS lock has become increasingly difficult, and sometimes even a hard reboot won't hasten the process. I'm beginning to wonder if it's just my N1, or this class of phone in general. Still, that one program has revolutionized how I live, and the unlocked nature of the phone has enabled me to pop quite a few international SIMs into it in order to stay on track even whilst venturing overseas. The GPS reliability ain't what it used to be, but it's still my travel phone of choice -- that rugged Otterbox case that fits around it doesn't hurt to have, either. Particularly when you're romping around in places like this.
-- Darren Murph
A break from the Shuffle

For a good year and a half, the third-generation iPod Shuffle was my most valuable gadget, eclipsed only by my OG Droid. You see, I'm a long-distance runner, a marathoner, and those pinchable, inline controls meant I could skip songs without feeling around for a button or taking my eyes off the road. It was lighter, less cumbersome than the Nano, the other iPod aimed, in part, at athletes like me. I used that thing until the battery gave out and rain ruined several pairs of earbuds. Since then, of course, Apple's done away with the Shuffle's included inline controls, and supplementing it with Apple's sort of-pricey headphones isn't ideal. Meanwhile, the Nano has gotten a touchscreen -- pretty much the last thing I want to operate with sweaty fingers while running. I'd love for Apple to reverse all that when it unveils new models this fall, but I don't expect it to. So for the first time in years, I'm using something other than an iPod.

SanDisk sent me the Clip Zip, and I've been using it as my primary music player for a month. We didn't get off to a great start. The player's software ships on a disc -- not a full-sized one, mind you, but the kind of miniature disc that simply won't play nice with my laptop's slot-loading optical drive. I ended up transferring my files the old-fashioned way -- i.e., dragging and dropping.

Now that my music's living on there (minus all the one-hit wonders I purchased using iTunes gift cards), I appreciate it more. When I attach it to the waistband of my running shorts, the plastic clip doesn't leave scratches on my skin, as the third-generation Shuffle did. The bundled headphones actually stay in my ears while I'm running, and the foam ear tips feel comfortable and somehow never feel too disgusting after I've drenched them in sweat. The battery is robust enough that I could take it on a two-hour run without having fully charged it, and still have juice left over at the end. The bass notes are low enough, but let's not pretend this is a player for audiophiles. Scrolling through tracks one by one using the tiny buttons can be tedious, but if this were a Shuffle, choosing the next song wouldn't even be an option. I can even forgive the homely design; I just wish that when I pressed the lock button up top, the volume rocker would still work. It's also annoying that you actually have to press the unlock button twice to gain control of the device.

For what it is -- a cheap $50 music player -- I kind of like it, and I imagine I'd sooner take it on a run than Sony's W series Walkman, which would compel me to tap my ear every time I wanted to skip a track. But would I rather have an iPod? I don't know yet. Let's see what Apple has up its sleeve -- and in the meantime, I need to decide if I loathe iTunes so much that I'd be willing to upgrade my library to DRM-free just to get out.
--Dana Wollman
Kayaking with the DeLorme PN-60 personal GPS

Man, I hated this thing when I first got it. Really, really hated it. How could something manufactured in this day and age costing over $300 be bigger and chunkier than a $20 walkie-talkie and have a user interface that makes Windows Mobile 6.0 look refreshing and new? Even the (PC-only) software it ships with (DeLorme Topo USA 9.0, basically required to load maps on the thing) is about as user-unfriendly as it gets, its interface paling in comparison to the far less ire-inducing Google Earth.

Stick with it, noble outdoorsmen and women, and ye shall be rewarded. The software may be painful, but through it you have access to exactly one worlds worth of charts, maps, satellite imagery and topographical data that can be selectively downloaded to the device -- over a chunky and unfortunately proprietary USB cable. Get your maps synced, spend a few hours deciphering the user interface and you'll find yourself becoming strangely endeared to this rubberized brick of a gadget. The screen is small, though it's bright and sips power from the dual AA batteries. It isn't touch-friendly, but the big, chunky buttons are incredibly glove-friendly and the whole thing is, indeed, waterproof. (I left it bobbing off the side of my kayak for a bit, just to be sure.) I'm still not in love with it, but the first time I pulled up a NOAA map and combined it with the integrated tidal charts to plot a course through some shallow wetlands, well, I started to feel a little attached to the stumpy thing.
-- Tim Stevens
A week with the HP TouchPad
Judging from the 15,000-plus comments on our TouchPad liquidation post, I'm guessing a bunch of you spent the evening of August 20th the same way I did. Truth be told, I'd originally set out for the $49 unlocked (!) Pre 2, not the elusive $99 TouchPad. Dismayed at finding both phone and 16GB slate already out of stock, I pulled the trigger on the 32GB variant -- I figured I'd at least finally own a webOS device and the final one in the tragic Palm saga, at that.

So what's the verdict after owning a TouchPad for a week? In a word: torn. It's a mixed bag, but let's begin with what I like. Apparently I'm in the minority, but I can't say I'm offended by hardware others deem portly and cheap. Yeah, it's plastic and isn't as thin as an iPad 2 or Galaxy Tab 10.1 but that doesn't mean it's unworkable. As for software, I love webOS' aesthetic, its multitasking cards and Synergy. At first glance, this is just how a mobile operating system should work, but dig a little deeper and it all starts to fall apart.

It doesn't take long, but the first knock comes after you bore with the pre-installed apps and venture out into the App Catalog. The harsh reality is that in any given category there aren't more than a handful of options. Frustrated, you end up downloading a highly ranked "TouchPad-compatible" Pre app, only to find it runs in a miniaturized box that won't scale. Annoying. And by now, after a few hours with the device, you've undoubtedly run into the first of many maddening pauses and errant slowdowns. They'll seemingly occur at random, dwindling your confidence while you continuously peck to no avail.

But perhaps the biggest letdowns are the things you never realized you took for granted with other tablets. With iOS, for instance, if one misses a text box or a button ever so slightly, the OS still responds with the intended effect. Not so on the TouchPad. You'll also miss how iOS locks in scrolling in one direction, ignoring, say, horizontal input when it realizes you just want to scroll vertically. It's that kind of polish and attention to detail that's always been missing from webOS. Perhaps it won't matter to those of you smitten with the bargain of the century, but it's something I lament. Much like the fanboy that wept at the death of Cobalt, I'll always wonder what webOS could have been had Palm HP followed through.
-- Dante Cesa

Bose BT2 Bluetooth headset cruises through the FCC, unsurprisingly mum on specifications

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 11:43 AM PDT

We're surmising that Bose has at least one other thing on the docket for its September 15th press event, but for those who still think Bluetooth headsets are must-have accessories... well, this guy ought to be hitting store shelves soon. The BT2 just passed through the FCC's database, showcasing a left ear placement and letting us know that it'll be "powered by a rechargeable, non-replaceable lithium-ion polymer battery." We're guessing it'll be priced accordingly (read: incomprehensibly out of reach for most), and will have precisely zero specifications printed on the box. But hey -- would you really expect anything else? Stay tuned.

HTC invites us to 'celebrate in style,' we try to squeeze into our prom tuxedos

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 11:27 AM PDT

Well, we know where we'll be on September 20th -- hanging out with HTC in our classiest threads. The handset manufacturer sent out an invite for an upcoming event in NYC. So, what's on the agenda? The Bliss? The Holiday? The Vigor? The Amaze? Some kind of wind machine for blowing red curtains around? Your guess is as good as ours, but feel free to mark your own calendar -- we'll be bringing you the blow-by-blow as it happens.
at 11:52 AM

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