Engadget News

Royal Society opens its archives to the web, is less elitist than the name suggests
Refresh Roundup: week of October 24, 2011
Bright House TV app brings rebranded Time Warner Cable TV to the iPad
Samsung to offer flexible displays in 2012, challenges Nokia to a twist contest
Tesla Roadster to return in 2014, 3-Series fighter in the works
Siri port now talking to Apple servers, avoiding Cydia
Lenovo's upcoming LePhone S2 seen running Android as well as Windows Phone, looks confused
Facebook testing 'Trusted Friends' feature, the password unlock we hope you never have to use
Ask Engadget: best streaming music solution?
myPlex makes streaming your media simple, gives you one queue to rule them all
Ford's Driver Alert System keeps you in the right lane, recommends java on occasion
Apple reportedly acquires C3 Technologies, iOS Maps overhaul on the horizon?
Not so ultimate Ultrabook: MacBook Air KIRF features mini-HDMI port, 3.5 hour battery life
HP's Todd Bradley refutes webOS shutdown rumors
Engadget Mobile Podcast 110 - 10.29.2011
Nokia World 2011 wrap-up

Royal Society opens its archives to the web, is less elitist than the name suggests

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 11:06 AM PDT

Get ready science nerds, you're about to get a lifetime's worth of reading material for free. The venerable Royal Society, the over 350-year-old British scientific organization, has just opened up its archives to the web-dwelling public. Thats over 60,000 scientific papers dating back to the first ever peer-reviewed research publication in 1665. Other highlights include Issac Newton's first ever published paper, research from Charles Darwin and Ben Franklin's famous kite experiment. Don't waste any more time, go hit up the source link for all the old research papers you can handle.

Refresh Roundup: week of October 24, 2011

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 08:41 AM PDT

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout attips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Official Android updates

Guess which phone's finally getting Gingerbread: the HTC Thunderbolt. Yes, we're being serious. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in, and thanks Eddie for the image!]
Gingerbread is now rolling out to the Motorola Droid Pro and Droid 2 Global. [PhoneScoop]
The HTC EVO Design 4G wasn't out for very long before it was ready for a maintenance release. It's called version 1.19.651.0, and no change log was found right away.
More HTC stuff: the EVO 3D also offers a small bug fix in the form of a security update under the name of version 2.08.651.3. [AndroidCentral]
The LG Revolution on Verizon's also officially gaining Android 2.3. [Pocketnow]
In the UK, HTC Desire S owners are now finding themselves beneficiaries of the Android 2.3.5 firmware update as well as Sense 3.0. [AndroidCentral]
How about a couple for the little guys? CSpire, formerly known as Cellular South, is pushing Gingerbread to its Samsung Galaxy S and Motorola Milestone X. [AndroidCentral(1) and (2)]
Sony Ericsson announced this week that Android 2.3.4 is rolling out to the 2011 Xperia lineup around the world. Additional enhancements include 16x video zoom, WiFi DLNA, screen capture capability, ability to attach USB peripherals to Sony Ericsson LiveDock and more.

Unofficial Android updates, custom ROMs and misc. hackery

The Samsung Stratosphere on Verizon has been successfully rooted. [AndroidCommunity]
HTC devices receiving the official Gingerbread kernel source from HTCDev this week: The Evo Shift 4G, the Thunderbolt and Droid Incredible. [AndroidCentral]
When it rains, it pours -- the Thunderbolt, on top of receiving Gingerbread and its accompanying kernel source, has also found itself on the receiving end of an Ice Cream Sandwich SDK port. As can be expected, it's still in prealpha stages and has a few bugs to work out. [AndroidCommunity]
If you're a CM7 user, there's now a file available that will turn your lock screen into one that resembles Ice Cream Sandwich's style. [Droid-Life]

Other platforms

Microsoft's pushing a firmware upgrade to the LG Optimus 7 Windows Phone which seems to grace the device with WiFi tethering and the ability to locate hidden WiFi networks. [WMPowerUser]
It's not a BlackBerry firmware update, but many people still have a soft spot for BBM and will be interested to know that RIM is putting out version 6.0.1 with a few enhancements. Head to the source to check it out. [MobileTechReview]

Refreshes we covered this week

Bright House TV app brings rebranded Time Warner Cable TV to the iPad

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 06:23 AM PDT

Congratulations Bright House Networks customers, your off-brand Time Warner Cable experience now includes live TV streaming on your iPad. The Bright House TV tablet app has hit iTunes and is, unsurprisingly, a direct clone of the TWCable TV app, although it's not the latest version as it doesn't have parental controls yet. Otherwise it's basically the same experience, complete with the restriction to using it at home on your own WiFi network and its initial unfriendliness towards jailbroken iPads. there's no word on which channels are available, but we wouldn't be surprised if they also mirror the Time Warner list. If you're jailbroken, check the MacRumors link below for a workaround, otherwise you can just head to iTunes and download the app directly.

[Thanks, EvilSpock]

Samsung to offer flexible displays in 2012, challenges Nokia to a twist contest

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 04:15 AM PDT

Flexible displays? Samsung's got 'em, too. A few days after Nokia showed off its Kinetic Device prototype under the blue lights of Nokia World, Samsung made mention of its own plans to unleash some bendy mobile devices on the world. A spokesperson for the company was scarce on details, but noted that the flexible displays are targeted for 2012. The technology, which was showcased at this year's CES, will initially be incorporated into handsets, with tablets following down the road.

Tesla Roadster to return in 2014, 3-Series fighter in the works

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 02:13 AM PDT

Didn't have enough time to count 10 million pennies before the original Tesla Roadster went out of production? Well you're in luck, because there'll be a successor. Space cadet and entrepreneur extraordinaire, Elon Musk, confirmed to Autocar that a new Roadster would return in 2014. Unlike its Lotus-based predecessor, the redux will apparently be based on Tesla's third-generation platform, which the automag muses will likely be built on a"shortened version of ... the Model S." Musk also noted that the platform will be more "mass-market," giving rise to more pedestrian cars "like BMW's 3 Series" -- his words, not ours. With the Model S sedan on its way, and the Model X after that, the company certainly has its work cut out for it. But, if either are as delightful as prior Teslas, that'll be reason to cheer.

Siri port now talking to Apple servers, avoiding Cydia

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 12:34 AM PDT

A little cajoling from a clever developer got Siri talking to the iPhone 4 and the iPad, but Apple's tight-lipped servers kept the conversation effectively one-sided. The last-gen port was still missing something, and developer Steven Troughton-Smith knew where to find it: a jailbroken iPhone 4S. In an interview with 9to5Mac, Troughton-Smith said that getting Siri to talk to Cupertino's data servers only took ten minutes after he had all of the pieces in place. Ready for your personal assistant port? Hold the phone, the process is a bit dodgy -- our hacking hero said that getting Siri on the older device is a 20-step process, and it requires files from the iPhone 4S that he says aren't his to distribute. When asked about distributing the hack over Cydia, Troughton-Smith said it was something he couldn't be a part of. On Twitter he suggested that a release would "anger the hive," but promised to post detailed notes on the hack after a iPhone 4S jailbreak drops.

Lenovo's upcoming LePhone S2 seen running Android as well as Windows Phone, looks confused

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 12:13 AM PDT

We're not quite sure what's going on here: you see, Lenovo's been cosying up to Android for its smartphones and tablets all this time, so we were a bit surprised when one of its product managers posted some photos of a Windows Phone-powered handset (even Engadget makes an appearance). More interestingly, this mysterious phone looks identical to the upcoming Lenovo LePhone S2, which features a heavily customized Android 2.3.4, 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 chip, 480 x 800 display, eight-megapixel camera (with 720p recording) and a smaller plus lighter body than its predecessor. PCPOP's done a brief preview of the S2 Android if you're curious.

But the bigger story here is that if Lenovo is indeed developing a Windows Phone Mango device for the Chinese market (and remember that Lenovo has yet to market its smartphones outside China), then this S2 variant could be the first of its kind that gets the blessing from the Chinese authorities. Right now Windows Phone has a tight Facebook and Twitter integration, both of which are unfortunately banned by the Great Firewall; and additionally, even the Windows Phone Marketplace had fallen victim to the system for unknown reasons back in August. Of course, Windows Phone's China penetration could be just a matter of time anyway, but it'll be interesting to see what compromises Microsoft will have made to keep the authorities happy -- Nokia will surely need this to keep a good shape in China.

On the other hand, given the common hardware compatibility between the two mobile OSes, there's also a good chance that this strange device is merely the work of some curious engineers at Lenovo -- you know, much like the Android-powered Nokia prototype spotted in June. If this is indeed the truth then let our bubbles burst.

Lenovo's upcoming LePhone S2 seen running Android as well as Windows Phone, looks confused

Facebook testing 'Trusted Friends' feature, the password unlock we hope you never have to use

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 10:11 PM PDT

Here's a situation: you create a Facebook account. You fall in love with said account. You're on it all day, every single day. And then, your computer explodes. You go to login on a new machine, and you realize that your minty fresh browser has no recollection of your Facebook password. At this point, you're probably pondering the point of taking another breath. Evidently, Facebook understands your dilemma, and in the coming weeks, it'll be testing out a new password recovery system for those who can't / won't take advantage of the existing methods. Christened "Trusted Friends," the feature will allow a user to select between three and five pals that they're confident will help out in dire times. Then, should you lose your password, Facebook can send recovery codes to that gang, and they can hand 'em over to you in order to unlock things. According to Facebook, it's akin to "giving a house key to your friends when you go on vacation." The only concern? Friends aren't friends forever, and even BFFs can morph into WEEs given the right circumstances. Choose wisely, Facebookers.

Ask Engadget: best streaming music solution?

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 07:35 PM PDT

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Katie, who is totally down with the stream. The radio stream. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

"Rdio, Spotify, Pandora, Rhapsody -- there are way too many streaming music services out there begging for my money. Which is the one I should spring for? I live in the US, but would love for whatever I choose to work when I travel internationally, if that's possible. Trying to keep it up under $10 per month, and looking for a large library and nice mobile compatibility. Thanks!"

So, streamers -- what's your go-to service? Tried a few of 'em? Let us know which you prefer, and why, down in comments below.

myPlex makes streaming your media simple, gives you one queue to rule them all

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 06:07 PM PDT

Plex is one of the more popular solutions to the problem of how to get all that (legally downloaded, of course) media sitting on your home PC to your various devices for consumption. But, like many of its competitors, getting the whole shebang set up isn't always the easiest task. The company's new myPlex platform aims to solve this conundrum, and adds a few welcome features along the way. Now, setting up a server or a client is as simple as logging in to your Plex account -- no matter how many of either part of the media-streaming equation you may have. As an added bonus, your account is also now home to a queue that is shared across all devices. Stopped watching a movie half way through on your commute home? You can pick up right where you left off on your Roku. You can even add web clips from sources like YouTube to the list. Check out the source link for a few more details.

Ford's Driver Alert System keeps you in the right lane, recommends java on occasion

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 05:12 PM PDT

It ain't the first automaker to do so, but Ford's taking a step in the 'stay in your own lane!' direction with a new technology package for the Explorer. The Driver Alert System is slated to launch in early 2012, and it'll tout new lane keeping technologies, including a system that can help detect drowsy drivers. The goal here is to keep sleepyheads from destroying lives -- be it their own or others -- by suggesting that they pull over, rest and have a sip of coffee if they've been cruising along for an extended period of time. Furthermore, a camera setup will monitor one's lane position, and if they drift too far away from the straight and narrow, their steering wheel will vibrate. It all sounds good and well, but the fact that a AAA survey found that over 40 percent of Americans have "fallen asleep or nodded off while driving" makes 'staying at home' seem like the sensible choice.

Show full PR text

Ford Explorer New Lane Keeping Technology Can Help Detect Drowsy Drivers, Suggest Coffee Breaks

* Ford is introducing new lane keeping technologies, including a system that can help detect drowsy drivers, to help them stay alert and in their lane; system to launch in early 2012 on the Ford Explorer
* The technology's Driver Alert System monitors the vehicle's lane position and can notify a driver of signs of inattentiveness with a coffee cup warning light that appears on the dashboard instrument cluster
* More than 40 percent of Americans say they have fallen asleep or nodded off while driving, according to a survey conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
* The Lane Keeping Alert function warns the driver by vibrating the steering wheel and sounding a warning chime, while the Lane Keeping Aid function warns the driver by applying torque at the steering wheel to direct the vehicle back into the lane

DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 27, 2011 – The new Ford Explorer will come with a cup of coffee for customers who opt for an innovative new Lane Keeping System that can warn drivers if it detects they are getting too tired to drive.

Ford will introduce in early 2012 an innovative Lane Keeping System with three unique features designed to help drivers stay in control behind the wheel, including a Driver Alert System that can notify drivers if it detects signs of drowsiness. In this case, a coffee cup light will appear on the dashboard instrument cluster to suggest the driver take a break.

"The Explorer is loaded with new innovations, including this new lane keeping technology that helps drivers stay in control of their vehicle if they drift out of their lane or show signs of drowsiness," says Raj Nair, vice president, Engineering, Ford Global Product Development.

Click here for animation of Ford's new Lane Keeping System.

The system uses a small forward-facing camera mounted on the windshield behind the rearview mirror, and is able to identify lane markings on both sides of the vehicle.

When the vehicle is on the move, the camera looks at the road ahead and predicts where the vehicle should be positioned relative to the lane markings.

"Our engineering teams tested this technology for thousands of miles in many parts of the country to help ensure it performs on a wide range of roads with different lane markings," said Michael Kane, vehicle engineering supervisor for Driver Assistance Technologies for Ford, who helped develop the technologies.

Lane Keeping System
The Lane Keeping System is designed to help the driver avoid leaving his or her lane unintentionally. This new technology consists of the Driver Alert System, Lane Keeping Alert and Lane Keeping Aid.

Driver Alert System
The Driver Alert System is designed to help alert drowsy drivers by monitoring the vehicle's movement compared to lane markings that are tracked by a camera mounted on the windshield. If the system detects a driving pattern consistent with a drowsy driver, a first-level chime will sound and a coffee cup warning will appear on the dashboard instrument cluster to recommend the driver take a break.

If the driver does not respond to this alert and the system continues to sense the driver is fatigued, another warning and chime will be issued. Drivers can monitor their condition on the dashboard at any time, even without receiving warnings. If they approach the yellow warning range, they should rest as soon as possible.

All information is reset as soon as the driver stops and either opens the door or turns off the engine. More than 40 percent of Americans say they have fallen asleep or nodded off while driving, according to a survey conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Lane Keeping Alert
The Lane Keeping Alert is designed to help drivers avoid unintentional lane changes. When the system detects the vehicle drifting close to lane markings, it will alert the driver through a vibration in the steering wheel to naturally direct the driver's attention to where it is required.

This provides the driver with valuable time to react and steer the vehicle back into its lane. To calculate the lane position, Lane Keeping Alert uses data from the front camera on the windshield. A display in the dashboard instrument cluster lets the driver know when the system is operational as not all roads are well-marked.

Lane Keeping Aid
Lane Keeping Aid takes this technology even further by providing steering torque to alert the driver of the need to steer back toward the center of the lane. The system calculates the amount of steering required based on factors such as the distance to the lane markings, yaw angle and curve radius determined from the front camera and other sensors in the vehicle.

If the driver prefers, the Lane Keeping Alert can work in combination with the Lane Keeping Aid. When the driver signals, the system is deactivated so that the vehicle can change lanes without intervention. The driver can override the Lane Keeping Aid at any time through counter steering, hard braking or fast accelerating.

In these cases, the system recognizes that the driver has intentionally changed lanes. While steering torque is being applied, the system also can display a warning if a torque sensor determines the driver may not have his or her hands on the steering wheel based on the driver's steering efforts.

If the system still detects the driver's hands may be off the wheel after a few seconds, an audible chime is played to help prevent drivers from inappropriately relying on the Lane Keeping Aid.

Settings
The sensitivity of the setting can be adjusted between normal and increased, which moves the warning zones in closer to the center of the lane. The intensity of the steering wheel vibrations can be adjusted as well between low, medium and high. The last-known setting for each selection is stored so it does not have to be set each time the system is activated.

The system features must be turned on by the driver, and will stay on unless the driver turns them off. The customer chooses which feature is preferred: alert, aid or both. The systems work both day and night with low-beam headlights.

Dashed lines, like those on highways, will appear when the system is activated. A green line indicates the system is available and ready to provide a warning. A flashing yellow line means the system has just provided a Lane Keeping Aid warning, while a flashing red line notifies the driver of a Lane Keeping Alert warning.

Gray lines indicate the system is suppressed because the vehicle is traveling at less than the 40-mph activation speed, the road is poorly marked, or adverse environmental conditions do not allow the camera to determine road markings.

Apple reportedly acquires C3 Technologies, iOS Maps overhaul on the horizon?

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 04:04 PM PDT

Last we saw of C3 Technologies' 3D mapping software it was making an appearance on Sony Ericsson's X10, but if 9to5Mac turns out to be right, its next stop could be the iPhone. According to the publication, Cupertino recently scooped up the Saab spin-off and C3 execs have since been working closely with the iOS division. Earlier this year, Apple posted job listings, looking for developers to "radically improve how people interact with maps and location-based services." On a related note, the outfit previously acquired Poly9, a web-based mapping company. So is the fruity one looking to up its street (navigation) cred? Is it finally ready to give Google Maps the boot? We'll just have to wait and see.

Not so ultimate Ultrabook: MacBook Air KIRF features mini-HDMI port, 3.5 hour battery life

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 03:21 PM PDT

Hey, who wiped the MacBook Air logo off? Nah, we're kidding -- it's a KIRF. Sure, Apple's svelte 13-incher may have a duo of USB ports and an SD card slot, but this rig adds in a 3-in-1 card reader and and an odd, combo RJ45 / VGA jack (which we assume needs an adapter). For good measure, you'll also find a mini-HDMI output, although, with 3.5 hours of battery life it may prove problematic for getting through a 1080p movie marathon without nearby power. The alloy-encased lappy has a 1.86GHz Intel Atom N2800 CPU with a GMA3600 integrated GPU, 2GB of RAM, a 32GB SSD and a 13.3-inch LED display sporting a ho-hum resolution (for a 13-incher) of 1366 x 768, just like the 11-inch MacBook Air. Amazingly, this knock-off weighs merely .01 kilograms more than its real counterpart at 1.36 kgs (about three pounds), while being only 0.1 cm thicker. Giz-China expects this Ultrabook-wannabe by Shenzen Technology Ltd to land on Chinese shelves sometime in November for about $471. Cue Apple's lawyers in 3... 2...

HP's Todd Bradley refutes webOS shutdown rumors

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 02:17 PM PDT

HP's Todd Bradley showed up on Bloomberg last night for a quick round of webOS damage control. Following a report from the The Guardian, saying the company would in fact kill the webOS division, Bradley referred to the report as an "unfounded rumor." He went on to say that "accolades for the operating system are broadly known" and that the company is focusing on how to "effectively utilize that phenomenal software." Of course, there's always a chance that the best way to utilize the troubled OS is to sell it to the highest bidder, but Bradley said HP will weigh all the "data and information" before making "the right decision." For now, the operating system's still kicking it in limbo. The full interview awaits you at the source link below.

Engadget Mobile Podcast 110 - 10.29.2011

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 01:38 PM PDT

Didn't get enough of Myriam on the Classic podcast this week? Yeah, neither did we. Get spooky and join us as we geek out extra-hard with fellow Nokia fanboy Steve Litchfield, won't you?

Host: Myriam Joire (tnkgrl), Brad Molen
Guest: Steve Litchfield (All About Symbian, All About Windows Phone)
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Daestro - Light Powered (Ghostly International)

00:03:00 - Nokia Lumia 800 unboxed: we shed some light on what's inside
00:07:25 - Nokia Asha 200, Asha 300 and Asha 303 hands-on (video)
00:09:25 - Mythical snow-white N9 spotted at Nokia World
00:13:50 - Nokia N9 review
00:25:30 - Samsung Galaxy Note review
00:44:20 - Motorola Atrix 2 review
00:59:25 - Sprint's LTE getting Advanced in 2013, WiMAX's inferiority complex intensifies
01:00:40 - Sony to buy out Ericsson's stake in joint venture, call it quits after ten years
01:01:20 - Windows Phone Apollo coming 'middle of next year,' says Nokia VP
01:06:44 - Motorola Droid 4 exposed to our wandering eyes, comes with LTE in tow?
01:15:10 - Steve Litchfield

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Nokia World 2011 wrap-up

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 12:19 PM PDT

Nokia had something to prove at its annual event, and an eight-month turnaround of its smartphone arm is certainly nothing to be sniffed at. While Nokia's first Windows Phone devices were undoubtably the stars of the two-day expo, there was plenty more to investigate -- Nokia's legion of development labs certainly didn't let us down. Check out a veritable world of coverage neatly arranged below the break for everything Nokia World had to show us, and few more tidbits we found for ourselves.

Nokia World 2011 wrap-up gallery