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- Trio of Microsoft projectors lets you get quasi-physical with AR interaction (video)
- iPhone 4S gets official date and blessing by C-Spire, all yours on November 11th
- BeagleBone offers up ARM A8 processor, Linux and 10-second boot for $89, bones
- Plex turns 2.0, gets Flash and Silverlight support to go with a fancy new UI
- Insert Coin: BoardX is an open-source, modular motherboard for prolific prototypers
- AmtrakConnect free WiFi added to 12 East Coast routes, snack car will still cost ya
- Apple brings GarageBand to iPod touch and iPhone users, because rocking out shouldn't require a tablet
- Google rolls out new look for Gmail: streamlined conversation view, high-res themes, better search
- CNET details the death of Microsoft's Courier and Bill Gates' 'allergic reaction'
- Duke Nukem 3D hits Android, explosions ensue
- LG myTouch, myTouch Q available on T-Mobile November 2nd for $79
- Google GoMo thinks your site isn't mobile enough, wants you to change
- Dell XPS 14z available now for $1000, ready to assail your eyes with a Shuriken display
- Motorola Xoom 2 officially priced at 400 Euros, coming this Christmas to Carphone Warehouse
- BlackBerry Bold 9900 and Torch 9860 coming to AT&T November 6th, Curve 9360 inbound November 20th
- Facebook Messenger sinks Beluga, Raffi heads back to the drawing board
- Shuttle launches XPC H7 5820S mini PC for your collection of 16 monitors
- iPhone 4S arriving in Hong Kong, South Korea and a number of other locales on November 11th
- Lumia 800 to hit the UK on November 16th, Nokia confirms
- EU wants member countries to free up spectrum for 4G rollout, eyes 2013 deadline
- Novatel celebrates sale of 3 millionth MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot with an intelligent rager
- The Detonator brings electric biking to bots, looks pretty bomb
- Label outs AT&T 4G LTE version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 creeping through the FCC
- Panasonic's Evolta robot completes Ironman Triathlon, promptly rehydrates
- Amazon, Netflix ink licensing deals with ABC, add new content for you to munch on
- Texas Sheriff's office receives weaponizable drone, alarms local news station
- BMW 3 Series gets 'full-color' heads-up display
- Acer outs AZ3, AZ5, Veriton Z Series all-in-ones, starting at $650
- iPad 2 gets an $8 million Cretaceous makeover with dino bones, diamonds and gold
- Dell Streak gets DISA approval, Androids look to Pentagon invasion
- FL Studio coming to Android, Google fans can make phat beats too
- Join the Engadget HD Podcast live on Ustream at 9PM
- Varley's evR450 all-electric supercar set to hit Australian roads next year
- Must See HDTV (October 31st - November 6th)
- CMI shows off 720p glasses-free 3D display for smartphones with 2D off-angle viewing
- Canalys: HTC nips Apple, Samsung to become top smartphone vendor in US for Q3 2011
- Nissan Leaf EVs to join NYC taxis, won't make hailing a cab in Manhattan any easier
- Screen Grabs: Palm Pre-iPhone hybrid appears on Grimm, doesn't look half bad
- Engadget Primed: SSDs and you
- X-mini KAI Bluetooth speaker daisy chains the jams
| Trio of Microsoft projectors lets you get quasi-physical with AR interaction (video) Posted: 01 Nov 2011 11:08 AM PDT  [Thanks, Pradeep] | ||||||||||||||||
| iPhone 4S gets official date and blessing by C-Spire, all yours on November 11th Posted: 01 Nov 2011 10:48 AM PDT  Oh, heck yeah. We've already been delighted by the news that C-Spire (the hip carrier formerly known as Cellular South) is the lucky recipient of the iPhone 4S, but we now have a date -- and it's coming up pretty fast. Both the 4S and the 4 will be ready for your purchase on November 11th, unsurprisingly for the same exact cost as the big three national carriers: $99 for the 8GB iPhone 4 and $199-399 for the iPhone 4S, but the deal's sweetened by the offering of unlimited data. If you're down with that, it's a good idea to head over to the site and get pre-registered as soon as possible. Now that the little guys officially have the iconic device, who's next? Full press release after the break. C Spire Wireless to Offer iPhone 4S on November 11 Pre-Registration Begins Today; iPhone Will Come With Infinite Data Plans RIDGELAND, Miss., Nov 01, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) - C Spire Wireless today announced iPhone 4S will be available beginning Friday, November 11. iPhone 4S will be available starting at $199.99 for the 16GB model, $299.99 for the 32GB model and $399.99 for the 64GB model with a new two-year contract and data plan. In addition, the iPhone 4 8GB model is available for $99.99, also with a new two-year contract and data plan. iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 will be available at C Spire Wireless retail stores, online at www.cspire.com/iPhone and through the Telesales group at 1-855-CSPIRE4. C Spire customers can pre-register for iPhone beginning today at www.cspire.com/iPhone . iPhone 4S is the most amazing iPhone yet, packed with incredible new features including Apple's dual-core A5 chip for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics; an all new camera with advanced optics; full 1080p HD resolution video recording; and Siri, an intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking. With the launch of iPhone 4S also comes the launch of iOS 5, the world's most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new features; and iCloud, a breakthrough set of free cloud services that work with your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content in iCloud and push it to all your devices. "As a carrier dedicated to delivering the best personalized wireless experience, we're proud to offer the amazing new iPhone 4S to our customers," said Hu Meena, president and chief executive officer for C Spire. "iPhone 4S offers an abundance of new features, and with our Choice Infinite data plans customers can enjoy all of them on our network without having to think about their next bill." The C Spire network is built for data devices, supporting the highest percentage of customers with smartphones in the nation. With personalized options built around customers' wireless needs, C Spire offers a variety of individual, family and business voice and data plans that give users the freedom and flexibility to use their phone how and when they want. C Spire understands that when customers have to measure and limit their data, they aren't getting the optimal experience from their wireless provider. That's why the company offers Individual and Family Choice nationwide voice and data plans that offer customers the ultimate in choice and flexibility and access to infinite data. | ||||||||||||||||
| BeagleBone offers up ARM A8 processor, Linux and 10-second boot for $89, bones Posted: 01 Nov 2011 10:47 AM PDT BeagleBoard has kept our collective news-tails wagging with plenty of (often disparate) DIY hardware projects. Now, the BeagleBone ($89) has arrived, with Linux Angstrom preinstalled, and power provided through a USB port. Giving the hardware more of a chew reveals Open GL ES 2.0, a microSD connector and two 46-pin female expansion headers for easy augmentation. There's also a 100Mbit Gigabit Ethernet connection on this new development platform, which promises to play nice with older BeagleBoard, er, boards. Serial (port) DIYers can check out a full run-down video after the break. | ||||||||||||||||
| Plex turns 2.0, gets Flash and Silverlight support to go with a fancy new UI Posted: 01 Nov 2011 10:31 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||
| Insert Coin: BoardX is an open-source, modular motherboard for prolific prototypers Posted: 01 Nov 2011 10:15 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.   The heart of the product is the BoardX Motherboard, essentially a blank slate with a mini solderless breadboard and a host of ports for plugging in add-ons. Those add-ons connect with standard header pins and can take the form of anything from a processor to sensor arrays. Only a few of these modular components have been designed so far: the AVR-X (an Arduino-compatible microcontroller), FRAM-X (512 byte chunks of stackable Ferroelectric RAM) and ADC-X (an 8-channel analog to digital converter). An ARM add-on is in development but, since the entire project is open source, anyone with the appropriate skill level is free to take a stab at creating their own add-ons. If you want to chip in towards the $20,000 goal it'll take at least $92 to get you a BoardX and AVR-X, but Greene will take donations as low as $1 (you'll just have to accept his unpublicized gratitude as your reward). $135 will get you the board and all the add-ons, while $500 will score you all the parts a month early plus a few extras and you're name listed on the BoardX site.  Previous project update: Ray, the rather inventive and versatile solar charger is getting close to hitting its goal of 2,000 presale commitments. As of this writing its resting at 1,576. | ||||||||||||||||
| AmtrakConnect free WiFi added to 12 East Coast routes, snack car will still cost ya Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:56 AM PDT  Remember when we noted the existence of AmtrakConnect WiFi on the Adirondack train (number 69) about two weeks ago? Although it wasn't official at the time, it is now -- and it turns out that was just a sliver of what to expect. Amtrak recently announced that the free service is currently available on twelve of its East Coast routes, which should please many a railway commuter accustomed to WiFi deprivation. Eight of those routes (Northeast Regional, Keystone and Empire services, Carolinian, Downeaster, Ethan Allen Express, New Haven – Springfield Shuttle and Vermonter) feature full wireless connectivity from head to caboose, while the others (Adirondack, Maple Leaf, Palmetto and Pennsylvanian) have designated cars that allow for internet access. Factor in its Acela and Northwest Regional lines, and Amtrak says 60 percent of its fleet is now WiFi-capable with more additions due in California before the year's out. Better yet, "4G speeds" are also in the cards for the future, but we won't hold our breath waiting for an equally swift rollout. Full press release after the break. AMTRAK ADDS FREE Wi-Fi TO MORE TRAINS Major expansion to 12 East Coast routes includes Northeast Regional, Keystone Service and Empire Service WASHINGTON – Responding to strong passenger interest, Amtrak is launching today a major expansion of its free AmtrakConnectSM Wi-Fi service to 12 East Coast routes. As a result, trains that carry nearly 60 percent of all Amtrak passengers now have Wi-Fi connections. This phase of Wi-Fi expansion includes Northeast Regional trains, the most popular Amtrak service, which operates daily between Virginia and Boston, and the heavily traveled Empire Service (New York – Albany –Buffalo) and Keystone Service (New York – Philadelphia – Harrisburg, Pa.) Other routes now with Wi-Fi include: Carolinian (New York – Charlotte), Downeaster (Boston – Portland), Ethan Allen Express (New York – Rutland, Vt.), the New Haven – Springfield Shuttle and Vermonter (Washington – St. Albans, Vt.) Wi-Fi also is installed on four other routes as part of this expansion, but only in select cars marked with hotspot window stickers because these trains are made up of different types of equipment: Adirondack (New York – Montreal), Maple Leaf (New York – Toronto), Palmetto (New York – Savannah, Ga.), and Pennsylvanian (New York – Philadelphia – Pittsburgh.) AmtrakConnect Wi-Fi service is already available on high-speed Acela Express trains in the Northeast Corridor and on the Amtrak Cascades service in the Pacific Northwest. "The expansion of Wi-Fi further enhances the travel experience for passengers, giving them more options for entertainment or to do work while en route," says Vice President for Marketing and Product Development Emmett Fremaux. "We are committed to continuing to improve and expand this service as resources and technology allow." While Wi-Fi service has long been a priority for Amtrak, the biggest obstacle to providing Internet connectivity on trains is the limited bandwidth on many routes, currently provided through third-party cellular data networks located along the tracks. Amtrak is exploring ways to expand that coverage through talks with cellular companies. Importantly, the AmtrakConnect technology is designed in a way that enables it to take advantage of technology improvements such as faster 4G speeds, as they become available along the routes. "We're taking maximum advantage of the existing infrastructure to offer Wi-Fi service to our passengers," says Lenetta McCampbell, senior director of on board systems. "And we're poised to improve upon those offerings rapidly as the networks we tap into advance." The next expansion of Wi-Fi will be on state-supported Amtrak services in California by the end of 2011, including on Capitol Corridor, Pacific Surfliner, and San Joaquin trains. When that occurs, 75 percent of all Amtrak passengers will have access to on-board Wi-Fi. | ||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:35 AM PDT  GarageBand Now Available for iPhone and iPod touch Users CUPERTINO, California-November 1, 2011-Apple® today announced that GarageBand®, its breakthrough music creation app, is now available for iPhone® and iPod touch® users. Introduced earlier this year on iPad®, GarageBand uses Apple's revolutionary Multi-Touch™ interface to make it easy for anyone to create and record their own songs, even if they've never played an instrument before. "GarageBand on iPad has been a big hit and we think customers will love using it on their iPhone or iPod touch," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "The innovative Multi-Touch interface combined with Smart Instruments makes it easy to create great sounding music, even if you've never studied music or played an instrument before." GarageBand features a collection of fun Touch Instruments that sound great and make it easy for beginners or experienced musicians to play and record keyboards, guitars, drums and basses in a wide variety of styles. Smart Instruments now allow you to choose from an extensive new library of custom chords so you can play and strum along with your favorite songs. You can plug your electric guitar into iPad, iPhone or iPod touch to play and record through classic amps and stompbox effects, or record your voice or any acoustic sound using the built-in microphone. GarageBand allows you to record and mix up to eight tracks and then share your finished song with friends or send it to your Mac® to keep working on it in GarageBand or Logic® Pro. Pricing & Availability GarageBand 1.1 for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch is available on the App Store™ for $4.99 (US) to new users, or as a free update for existing GarageBand for iPad customers. GarageBand is a universal app that runs on iPad, iPad 2, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPod touch (3rd & 4th generation). | ||||||||||||||||
| Google rolls out new look for Gmail: streamlined conversation view, high-res themes, better search Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:31 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||
| CNET details the death of Microsoft's Courier and Bill Gates' 'allergic reaction' Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:12 AM PDT  Far from a simple research project, the Courier team had more than 130 Microsoft employees contributing to it at one point, and they reportedly produced several prototypes -- which, incidentally, ran a heavily customized version of Windows (to the dismay of Windows lead Steven Sinofsky). The project was also described as "not a whim," and one employee said that it was far enough along that could have been completed "in months" if more people were added to the team -- although that's disputed by Microsoft spokesman Frank Shaw. According to Greene, things came to a head in early 2010, when Steve Ballmer had arranged for Bill Gates to meet with J Allard, Robbie Bach and two other Courier team members. Allard had specifically designed the Courier to be a content creation device that would complement, rather than replace, a smartphone or a PC. As the story goes, Gates asked Allard how a person would get email on the thing, and Allard replied that he wasn't trying to build another email experience -- that people could use their phone or PC, or get email on the web. It was at that point where "Bill had an allergic reaction," according to one Courier worker who reportedly spoke to an attendee of the meeting. That meeting didn't kill the Courier project instantly, but it seems like it was the beginning of the end. It was eventually cancelled a few weeks later, reportedly because it "didn't clearly align with the company's Windows and Office franchises." As CNET notes, both Allard and Bach would also wind up leaving the company a few months after that, although they each insist that their departure wasn't due to the Courier decision. Of course, this is all still just scratching the surface -- hit the source link below for the whole story (or half of it, at least -- part two is due tomorrow). | ||||||||||||||||
| Duke Nukem 3D hits Android, explosions ensue Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:08 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||
| LG myTouch, myTouch Q available on T-Mobile November 2nd for $79 Posted: 01 Nov 2011 08:44 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||
| Google GoMo thinks your site isn't mobile enough, wants you to change Posted: 01 Nov 2011 08:22 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||
| Dell XPS 14z available now for $1000, ready to assail your eyes with a Shuriken display Posted: 01 Nov 2011 08:09 AM PDT  [Thanks, Jordan] | ||||||||||||||||
| Motorola Xoom 2 officially priced at 400 Euros, coming this Christmas to Carphone Warehouse Posted: 01 Nov 2011 07:46 AM PDT  [Thanks, Artyom] | ||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 01 Nov 2011 07:41 AM PDT  It's been a few months in the works, but the BlackBerry 9900 and Torch 9860 have finally received AT&T's stamp of approval and will be available this coming Sunday. And as an added bonus, the Curve 9360 isn't too far behind, jumping onto the lineup November 20th (though if you're a business or government customer, you'll be able to snag one on the 14th). Pricing? With two-year commitments, the Bold 9900 will wind up costing $200, the Torch 9860 can be yours for $100 and the Curve 9360 will be a mere $30. The Torch appears to be destined only for virtual shelves right now, though we're not certain if it'll be making a physical appearance in retail stores any time soon. Get all of the deets in the presser after the break. BlackBerry Bold 9900 and All-Touch BlackBerry Torch 9860 Smartphones Arrive for AT&T Customers on Nov. 6 New 3G BlackBerry Curve 9360 Hits Store Shelves Nov. 20 Key Facts AT&T* today announced the price and availability of the BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900, the all-touch BlackBerry® Torch™ 9860 and the BlackBerry® Curve™ 9360. AT&T delivers the broadest portfolio of the latest 4G BlackBerry smartphones, including three models – the BlackBerry Bold 9900, the all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9860, and the previously-released 4G BlackBerry Torch 9810. On AT&T's 4G network, the three 4G smartphones are capable of speeds up to nearly four times the network speed capability of previous models. AT&T delivers the broadest portfolio of BlackBerry smartphones at the best prices, ranging from $29 to $199, so customers can choose the best form factor for their needs at a great price. BlackBerry Portfolio from AT&T AT&T delivers the broadest portfolio of BlackBerry® 7 -based smartphones, including three 4G models – the Bold 9900, the all-touch Torch 9860, and the previously-released Torch 9810, the first 4G BlackBerry smartphone from AT&T. All 3 4G smartphones take advantage of AT&T's 4G HSPA+ network to deliver network speeds nearly up to four times faster than most previous 3G BlackBerry smartphones. In addition to the three 4G options, AT&T is also releasing the new BlackBerry Curve 9360 smartphone, which is a significant upgrade of the Curve series, and a great option for messaging-intensive and socially active consumers and business users. All the new BlackBerry smartphones from AT&T support multitasking, so customers can send and receive messages or browse the web while on a telephone call on AT&T's mobile broadband network. They also follow global roaming standards so customers are able to enjoy international voice roaming in more than 220 countries and data roaming in more than 205 countries. The complete portfolio allows customers to choose the best BlackBerry smartphone for their needs – whether it's the premium touch QWERTY Bold 9900, the touch/ slider QWERTY Torch 9810, the all-touch Torch 9860, or the classic QWERTY Curve 9360. AT&T offers excellent pricing across the full portfolio so customers can choose the right BlackBerry form factor at the right price. Full Suite of BlackBerry 7 Smartphones Each of the new BlackBerry smartphones features BlackBerry 7 OS, a powerful evolution of the BlackBerry software. BlackBerry 7 OS delivers speed, efficiency and UI enhancements, and introduces a next-generation BlackBerry browser with a significantly faster, more fluid web browsing experience. BlackBerry 7 OS also includes the premium version of Documents To Go free of charge, BlackBerry® Balance to allow customers to fully experience work and personal features without compromising the IT department's need for advanced security features, as well as voice-activated universal search, among other features. BlackBerry Bold 9900 The new, premium BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone is distinguished by its iconic Bold design and delivers best-in-class productivity for people who want the industry's leading full QWERTY keyboard while enjoying the convenience of a touch screen. The thinnest BlackBerry smartphone ever at just 10.5 mm, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 boasts 4G speeds, a brilliant 2.8-inch touch screen, 1.2 GHz processor, Liquid Graphics™ technology, which delivers a highly responsive touch interface with incredibly fast and smooth graphics, 768 MB RAM, 8GB of onboard memory (that you can expand to a total of 40 GB with a 32 GB media card), HD video recording and dual-band Wi-Fi®. BlackBerry Torch 9860 The BlackBerry Torch 9860 smartphone is AT&T's first all-touch BlackBerry smartphone and delivers the largest screen on any BlackBerry. The 3.7-inch display makes your photos, videos, games and apps come to life in incredible detail for a rich multimedia experience. Similar to the BlackBerry Bold 9900, the all-touch Torch BlackBerry smartphone also boasts 4G speeds, a 1.2 GHz processor, Liquid Graphics technology, 768 MB RAM, and HD video recording. BlackBerry Curve 9360 The new BlackBerry Curve 9360 smartphone is slim, stylish and ergonomically designed with a comfortable keyboard for fast, accurate typing and an optical trackpad for easy, one-handed navigation. The BlackBerry Curve 9360 features a 2.44-inch hi-resolution display and includes a 5MP camera with flash and video recording so that memories can be captured and instantly shared on social networks. Customers will welcome the increased productivity and enhanced user experience delivered by the faster processor, increased memory, and up to 2x the network speed of previous BlackBerry Curve models from AT&T. A non-camera version will also be available for purchase. Price and Availability The BlackBerry Bold 9900 will be available starting November 6 for $199.99 with a two-year contract online and in company-owned retail stores. The all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9860 will be available online the same day for $99.99 with a two-year contract. The BlackBerry Curve 9360 will be available for $29.99 with a two-year contract starting November 20 in company-owned retail stores and online. The BlackBerry Curve 9360 will be available to business and government customers on November 14 while the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9860 will be available in those channels starting November 7. | ||||||||||||||||
| Facebook Messenger sinks Beluga, Raffi heads back to the drawing board Posted: 01 Nov 2011 07:10 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||
| Shuttle launches XPC H7 5820S mini PC for your collection of 16 monitors Posted: 01 Nov 2011 06:38 AM PDT  Shuttle Launches Matrox-Powered Mini PC to Support Larger Multi-Display Configurations Combine any two M-Series multi-display graphics cards within the space-saving, high-performance H7 5820S workstation to power up to 16 displays. Montreal, Canada (PRWEB) October 31, 2011 Matrox Graphics Inc. today announced that Shuttle Inc., a leading specialist in innovative mini PCs, has validated the Matrox M-Series multi-display graphics cards with the new Shuttle XPC H7 5820S mini PC. The M-Series PCI Express (PCIe) x16 boards support up to eight DisplayPort or single-link DVI monitors at resolutions of up to 2560x1600 per display. A second M-Series card can be combined within the H7 5820S workstation, allowing system integrators to actualize a wide range of multi-display installations in corporate, digital signage, security surveillance, process control, and other professional environments. Measuring only 19 centimeters (7.5 inches) in height, the space-saving Shuttle XPC H7 5820S mini PC comes equipped with an Intel Core i7 processor with up to six cores and up to 16 GB of DDR3 memory to reliably run the most demanding professional applications. The high-performance H7 5820S can be incorporated with one or two M9128 dual-monitor, M9138 triple-monitor, M9140/M9148 quad-monitor, and M9188 octal boards. With up to 2 GB of on-board memory and advanced desktop management features such as stretched and independent desktop modes, M-Series cards render pristine image quality and exceptional functionality across all displays. "Shuttle is excited to be integrating Matrox's flagship graphics cards within the H7 5820S mini PC," said Tom Seiffert, Head of Marketing & PR Europe, Shuttle Inc. "Customers will be delighted to add M-Series boards into our solution for deployments that can range from enterprise wide dual-monitor workstations to visualization platforms across an immersive 16-display configuration." "Space-conscious environments migrating to smaller PCs will typically sacrifice multi-display functionality, but this is not the case with Shuttle's new H7 5820S," said Ron Berty, Business Development Manager, Matrox Graphics Inc. "This hardware collaboration allows Shuttle to leverage M-Series' technology and build a professional-grade workstation that can deliver multi-monitor installations at par or even better than their larger form-factor counterparts." Availability The Shuttle XPC H7 5820S workstation is currently available. For more information, contact Shuttle. | ||||||||||||||||
| iPhone 4S arriving in Hong Kong, South Korea and a number of other locales on November 11th Posted: 01 Nov 2011 06:09 AM PDT 
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| Lumia 800 to hit the UK on November 16th, Nokia confirms Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:21 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||
| EU wants member countries to free up spectrum for 4G rollout, eyes 2013 deadline Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:02 AM PDT  Radio spectrum: MEPs reach deal with Council Presidency A deal on an ambitious EU radio spectrum policy, designed to stimulate mobile broadband use and boost economic growth, was approved by the Council of Ministers on Friday. It was negotiated by Council representatives and Industry, Research and Energy Committee MEPs. In May 2011, the European Parliament approved plans to speed up the development of mobile broadband for all, using radio spectrum freed up by the switchover from analogue to digital TV. The allocation of radio frequencies is a matter for national authorities, not the EU, but rules on how to divide up the spectrum among internet providers and users need to be agreed at EU level. The "Radio Spectrum Policy Programme" is a crucial building block in creating a single digital European market. 800 MHz band to be freed for wireless broadband by 2013 Under the deal, EU countries would have to make the 800 MHz frequency band available for wireless broadband services by 1 January 2013. "This will set up a pan-European telecommunications market where new services can create opportunities and growth for a 500 million consumer market", said rapporteur Gunnar Hökmark (EPP, SE). At least 1200 MHz for mobile data traffic At least 1200 MHz should be allocated to mobile data traffic, after 2013 but before 2015, as requested by Parliament. "This means that Europe will be in the forefront of future internet and broadband developments", said Mr Hökmark.. Furthermore, the Commission should assess, no later than 1 January 2015, whether there is a need to harmonize additional spectrum bands in order to manage the exponential growth in wireless data traffic. The Council also endorsed an amendment by MEPs to widen the scope of an inventory of the existing spectrum between 400 MHz and 6 GHz in order to identify where efficiency could be improved and ensure that the exponential growth in wireless data traffic can be met by future reallocations. "This week's political agreement on the first Radio Spectrum Policy Programme will pave the way for the EU to take the global lead regarding new services and competitiveness. This will be possible thanks to higher broadband speeds, mobility, coverage and capacity. I am glad that Parliament's ambitious approach has been endorsed by the Member States", concluded Mr Hökmark. Next steps The informal compromise, negotiated by Industry, Research and Energy Committee MEPs and the Council of Ministers' Polish Presidency, still needs to be backed by the Industry, Research and Energy Committee on 10 November and later by Parliament as a whole. | ||||||||||||||||
| Novatel celebrates sale of 3 millionth MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot with an intelligent rager Posted: 01 Nov 2011 04:28 AM PDT  Today marks a momentous occasion for Novatel Wireless, because shipments of its MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot have now surpassed the 3 million mark. The company confirmed the milestone in an announcement yesterday, and took a moment to look back on how far their router has come since it was first introduced in 2009. Since then, Novatel has launched its family of MiFi devices with 25 operators across the world and is looking to build upon its record. For now, though, just grab a bottle of bubbly and join the PR party, after the break. Novatel Wireless Celebrates Shipment of its Three Millionth MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot SAN DIEGO October 31, 2011 Novatel Wireless, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVTL), a leading provider of wireless broadband access solutions, today announced that shipments of its MiFi® Intelligent Mobile Hotspot have surpassed three million devices since product introduction in 2009. "Three years ago we introduced the MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot and revolutionized the way people access the Internet, from anywhere, anytime," says Peter Leparulo, CEO of Novatel Wireless. "The MiFi system architecture brought a new user-experience to mobile broadband consumers, with one click connect and no software to install. It also allows carriers to reach a wider, more diverse subscriber base with innovative service opportunities. We are very pleased to have achieved this milestone illustrating our significant market and product leadership for mobile hotspots." Novatel Wireless invented and launched the MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot in 2009 and pioneered and created a whole new product category in the wireless ecosystem. Novatel Wireless owns significant intellectual property and holds numerous U.S. and international key patents and patent applications around core elements of the MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot family of products. Since its introduction, Novatel Wireless has commercially launched its MiFi devices with 25 operators worldwide and has received major industry accolades for innovation. "We will continue to focus on the value that the MiFi experience brings to users. With the world becoming increasingly connected, there is opportunity to improve the way we interact with our wireless devices and our connected experience," says Rob Hadley, CMO of Novatel Wireless. "We are very proud of the support for our MiFi family of products and will continue to focus on innovation that has made the brand what it is today." Novatel Wireless currently holds 35 issued or allowed U.S. patents and 37 filed U.S. patent applications, some of which it holds or has filed for in additional patent jurisdictions as well. | ||||||||||||||||
| The Detonator brings electric biking to bots, looks pretty bomb Posted: 01 Nov 2011 04:05 AM PDT Parker Brothers Choppers, responsible for one of several Tron Light Cycle replicas seen recently, is continuing to prove that electric bikes aren't all weedy-looking augmented pedal-powered affairs. This time, it tackled the Detonator concept created by Daniel Simon, a former VW designer who was also in charge of vehicle design for the Tron remake. Wired reports that the $100,000 bike charges in an hour and has an estimated range of around 80-100 miles on a full battery. According to the operations manager at Parker Brothers Choppers, it's "not the easiest bike to ride," though that could have something to do with Simon's original design, geared for non-human droids able to rotate their legs all the way around. Human riders, on the other hand, would likely face some chafing issues. | ||||||||||||||||
| Label outs AT&T 4G LTE version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 creeping through the FCC Posted: 01 Nov 2011 03:29 AM PDT  If you're in the crowd holding out until the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 hit Ma Bell's 4G network, get ready to pull the trigger. The code-named SGH-I957 rolled through the FCC sporting a label for AT&T's LTE service on its backside. It appears the carrier will offer the 10.1-inch slate alongside the similarly sized HTC Jetstream. Don't forget, the latter of the two will set you back seven whole Benjamins... on contract. The AT&T Galaxy Tab should save you a few bills, though, if the pricing is comparable to VZW's LTE offering. | ||||||||||||||||
| Panasonic's Evolta robot completes Ironman Triathlon, promptly rehydrates Posted: 01 Nov 2011 02:36 AM PDT  The world is a happier place today, because a toy-sized robot has just completed a triathlon in Hawaii. After crawling out of the Grand Canyon and walking all the way from Tokyo to Kyoto, Panasonic's Evolta has finally conquered that Ironman Triathlon -- and it did so in impressive fashion. It all began on October 23rd, when the bite-sized bot and its AA rechargeable batteries embarked on the 230 kilometer (142.9 mile) race with the goal of finishing it within 168 hours. The Evolta ended up reaching this objective with time to spare, completing the run-bike-swim combo on October 30th, in just 166 hours and 56 minutes. The robot reportedly celebrated the achievement with a stiff erythropoietin cocktail. Re-live the magic after the break, in the full PR. Panasonic EVOLTA Finishes the 230km Triathlon in Hawaii OSAKA, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Panasonic Corporation (NYSE:PC) (TOKYO:6752) ("Panasonic") announced today that the EVOLTA Robot finished its toughest challenge yet, the EVOLTA World Challenge IV, at 10:56am on October 30, 2011 (HAST). The EVOLTA World Challenge IV began at 12:00pm on October 23, 2011 in Hawaii, USA at the Ironman ® Triathlon Course. Three EVOLTA Robots powered by three EVOLTA AA rechargeable batteries took on the 230km triathlon with a goal of finishing within 168 hours. Results of the Challenge EVOLTA Swim Robot finished the 3.8km swim in 5hours and 36 minutes at 5:36pm on October 23. EVOLTA Bike Robot finished biking 180.2km in 97 hours and 42 minutes at 7:19pm on October 27. EVOLTA Run Robot finished the 42.2km run in 63 hours and 38 minutes at 10:56am on October 30. The official result of the 230km triathlon challenge was 166 hours and 56 minutes. Mr. Tomotaka Takahashi, who is known Internationally as one of Japan's leading creator of robots, the founder of ROBO-GARAGE and a Research Associate Professor at the University of Tokyo, said at the goal ceremony: "We are happy to have made it to the finish line. I want to thank everyone, every member of the crew and the people of Hawaii. These days, robots are evolving rapidly due to the technological evolution of batteries and various other devices. I believe Panasonic EVOLTA batteries and this challenge have turned a new page in history for the robot industry." | ||||||||||||||||
| Amazon, Netflix ink licensing deals with ABC, add new content for you to munch on Posted: 01 Nov 2011 01:27 AM PDT  It was a pretty busy day for the Disney-ABC Television Group yesterday, as the company announced a new licensing deal with Amazon, while renewing its pre-existing agreement with Netflix. The Amazon deal will allow Amazon Prime members to access all prior seasons of Grey's Anatomy, every episode of Lost, and all previous seasons of The Secret Life of the American Teenager, among other series. Amazon expects to add a total of some 13,000 titles to Prime Instant Video by "early next year," and just in time for the holiday season (as well as the release of the Kindle Fire). The renewal of Netflix's deal, meanwhile, ensures that the company will continue to offer episodes of shows like Private Practice, Brothers and Sisters, and Ugly Betty, as well as new additions, including Switched at Birth, Kick Buttowski and Alias. Basically, though, it's just more of the same. But at a time when Netflix is losing customers in the wake of its price hike and Qwikster debacle, maybe stability isn't such a bad thing. Surf past the break for a pair of dueling PRs. Amazon Adds More Titles to Prime Instant Video with a New Digital Video Licensing Agreement with Disney-ABC Television Group -- Giving Prime Members Even More Video Content for Their New Kindle Fire Amazon.com today announced a new licensing agreement with Disney-ABC Television Group that will allow Amazon Prime members to instantly stream a broad selection of library content from ABC Studios, Disney Channel, ABC Family and Marvel. The agreement was brokered by Disney-ABC Domestic Television with Amazon. Popular Disney-ABC Television Group offerings for Prime members will include: Prior seasons of current ABC hit series "Grey's Anatomy" All episodes of recent ABC favorite "Lost" Prior seasons of Disney Channel's popular animated series "Phineas & Ferb" Prior seasons of ABC Family's groundbreaking series "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," including the most recently aired episodes from summer 2011 Prior seasons of Marvel's animated shows "Spider-Man," "X-Men Evolution," "Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers" and "Iron Man: Extremis" All episodes of ABC Family's "Greek" All episodes of "Felicity" from ABC Studios Amazon Prime members can watch these TV shows on over 300 different devices, including the recently announced Kindle Fire-the Kindle for movies, TV shows, music, magazines, apps, books, games, and more. Kindle Fire customers enjoy a free month of Amazon Prime right out of the box. "We are excited to add some of the very best content available from Disney-ABC to Prime instant video," said Brad Beale, director of video content acquisition for Amazon. "This includes every episode of past seasons from the ABC hits Lost and Grey's Anatomy, fan favorites like Felicity and Greek, the popular Disney Channel show Phineas & Ferb and great animated series from Marvel. We're working hard to add even more selection for Kindle Fire customers and Prime members leading up to the holidays, and expect to have nearly 13,000 titles available in Prime instant video by early next year." Netflix and Disney-ABC Television Group Announce Extension of Existing Licensing Agreement to Stream TV Shows BEVERLY HILLS and BURBANK, Calif., Oct. 31, 2011 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) and Disney-ABC Television Group today announced that they recently entered into an extension of their previous existing licensing agreement. The extension allows Netflix to continue to stream hundreds of library episodes from ABC Studios, Disney Channel and ABC Family over the Internet. As part of the deal, Netflix is also adding new content to its lineup of Disney-ABC series and TV movies. The agreement adds to the growing selection of content that can be streamed from Netflix in the United States. Episodes from new seasons of current Disney-ABC series will be made available to Netflix 30-days after the last episode of each season airs. Among the series and TV movies extended as part of the deal include: Prior season episodes of ABC current hit series "Grey's Anatomy," "Desperate Housewives," and "Private Practice" All episodes of recent ABC favorites "Lost," "Brothers & Sisters," and "Ugly Betty" Prior season episodes of critically-acclaimed "Army Wives" from ABC Studios Popular series from ABC Family including "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," "Melissa & Joey," and "Make It or Break It" A wide range of content from Disney Channel including series "Phineas and Ferb," " Good Luck Charlie," "The Suite Life on Deck," and "Hannah Montana" New content from Disney-ABC that will be added to the service include: ABC Family's smash hit series "Switched at Birth" Prior season episodes of Disney Channel's animated series "Kick Buttowski" All episodes of the ABC thriller "Alias" "Disney and ABC have been and continue to be an innovative and supportive partner for Netflix. The diverse but always excellent programming from the different channels and networks are favorites of our members and we are thrilled to broaden the scope and extend the terms or our relationship," said Ted Sarandos, chief content officer, Netflix. | ||||||||||||||||
| Texas Sheriff's office receives weaponizable drone, alarms local news station Posted: 01 Nov 2011 12:29 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||
| BMW 3 Series gets 'full-color' heads-up display Posted: 31 Oct 2011 11:15 PM PDT  BMW Head-Up Display: Precision as featured in a fighter jet. This system was initially developed for aviation and is now making a decisive contribution towards driving safety. 28.10.2011 Munich. Low-flying over hilly terrain at a speed of almost 800 kilometres per hour in the cockpit of a Eurofighter jet is a challenge to even the most hardened of military pilots. "When you're flying at tree-top height at around 220 metres a second, only extremely accurate head-up display technology is able to provide the necessary ease of mind," comments Wing Commander Robert Hierl, test pilot at the Technical and Airworthiness Centre for Aircraft. By means of a front panel projector, all flight-relevant data supplied by the flight management system as well as information and signals crucial to a mission are displayed on a second, vertically positioned panel located in the cockpit. In order to prevent the pilot from being distracted, all information is displayed in virtual form at eye level within the direct field of vision, thus guaranteeing the highest degree of concentration, supremacy and safety for both the pilot and the machine. BMW was the first European car builder to adapt head-up display technology – a system initially deployed in aviation and constantly further developed over several decades – for use in volume-production vehicles. Since January 2004, this innovative driver assistance system has been an integral part of BMW ConnectedDrive offered for the BMW 5 Series. Consistently further developed and optimised, it is now a full-colour head-up display and optionally available for almost all series. In terms of graphic representation, functionality and flexibility, the unique new Head-Up Display feature makes a significant contribution towards active safety by displaying driver-relevant information in high-quality resolution within the driver's direct field of vision, so that he or she does not have to take their eyes off the road. A crucial gain in safety as researchers know: A normal driver takes a whole second to read the speed indicator in the instrument panel or to glance at the navigation device. Whilst the driver is distracted, that is without his or her eyes on the road, the vehicle covers a distance of around 14 metres when travelling in urban areas at a speed of 50 km/h – virtually a "blind flight". With Head-Up Display, the time required by the driver to assimilate information is reduced by more than a half, the system making a decisive contribution towards concentrated and focused driving. The virtual image projected onto the windscreen is perceived as "hovering" at eye level above the bonnet and is visible only to the driver. Moreover, this form of display is less tiring, as the eye does not have to constantly change between close-range and remote vision. Also, the brightness of the image adjusts perfectly to the surroundings, so that the eye does not have to readapt each time. The reproduction of data is effected by means of an intense light source, which is located inside the instrument panel and shines through a translucent TFT (Thin Film Transistor) display, the image being transferred to the windscreen via specially shaped mirrors. Owing to the convex shape and the physical properties of glass, using the windscreen as a reflector is an extremely complex process. In a windscreen, the light path is normally refracted, resulting in double images. In the case of the Eurofighter, this problem is solved by means of an additional panel located directly within the pilot's field of vision. BMW tackles this physical phenomenon with the aid of a wafer-thin foil, which is integrated into the windscreen, ensuring the superimposition of the projected images and, as a result, flawless, undistorted representation. Full-colour Head-Up Display offers the driver a tremendous increase in reading comfort. The complete colour spectrum facilitates a realistic and thus more intuitive display of images and symbols. These speak for themselves, are perceived even faster and do not have to be decoded or interpreted. Even Eurofighter test pilot Robert Hierl is highly impressed: "Our monochrome head-up display technology is unable to offer such a brilliant display quality." | ||||||||||||||||
| Acer outs AZ3, AZ5, Veriton Z Series all-in-ones, starting at $650 Posted: 31 Oct 2011 09:34 PM PDT  ACER'S NEW ALL-IN-ONE DESKTOPS FEATURE HD WIDESCREEN TOUCH DISPLAYS FOR EYE POPPING VISUALS Both 23- and 21-inch Models Offer All the Essentials for Enjoying Music, Movies, Social Networking and More San Jose, Calif., Nov. 1, 2011 – Acer is spreading holiday cheer this season with new all-in-one (AIO) desktops that combine the audio/visual excitement of HD with the fun and entertainment of a touch-screen display. The new models include the Acer® AZ5 Series with an ample 23-inch HD monitor and the AZ3 Series, which features a more compact 21-inch HD screen to fit within tight areas. These new AIOs conserve space and make an appealing entertainment hub for the entire family to enjoy. "A sophisticated appearance and practical design make our all-in-one form factor very popular with consumers," said Irene Chan, senior business manager of consumer desktops for Acer America. "Our newest all-in-one models feature an intuitive touch screen display for playing digital music, scrolling through images, browsing online recipes and viewing social networking sites. In addition, full HD performance heightens the visual excitement of movies and games." With all-in-one touch control, the AIOs come with the Acer TouchPortal to synchronize personal life, PC and the Internet. It provides one-touch access to practical information, music, photos and social networking. Users can switch between applications with quick, finger-tip control. It simplifies photo management – images can be cropped, saved and shared with just the touch of a finger. The Acer Browser Magnifier expands reading areas and retains user preferences for easier web browsing. Acer® AZ5 Series: 23-Inch Multi-Touch Display - High-Performance Entertainment The AZ5 Series of all-in-one desktops include two elegant, yet practical models featuring large 23-inch full HD (16:9) widescreen displays with interactive touch-screen technology. Multi-touch capability streamlines navigation. Acer clear.fi allows media to be managed, stored, shared and enjoyed on any clear.fi enabled devices in the home. clear.fi automatically connects all Acer devices on a network (smartphones, notebooks, desktops, HD media players and storage devices) and then gathers and organizes media files by media type. Users can browse the categories and then drag and drop the media to any of the connected PCs or devices for playback. clear.fi can also be downloaded free from Acer on any DLNA-compliant device. The AZ5 Series comes with two built-in 2.5W stereo speakers and Dolby® Home Theater® audio to bring digital entertainment to life. It offers 4GB DDR3 memory and processor options include a powerful Intel® Core™ i3-2120 processor with hyper-threading technology to handle multiple applications simultaneously, enabling users to do more with less wait time. An enormous 1TB(1) hard drive provides generous space to store content and an optical drive is included for backing up valuable data. Acer® AZ3 Series: 21-inch Multi-Touch Display - Fun in a Compact Design The AZ3 Series all-in-one desktops with compact 21.5-inch full HD (16:9) touch-screens are a convenient form factor anywhere space is limited. These attractive and easy-to-use systems provide an intuitive touch experience for enjoying the latest in entertainment. Processor options include an AMD Dual-Core A4-3400 Accelerated Processor (2.7GHz, 1MB Total L2 Cache). In addition, AMD Radeon™ HD6410D Graphics provide solid performance for taking advantage of the latest in digital media. There are two 2.5W stereo speakers and optimized Dolby Home Theater audio to deliver rich audio for movies, music and games. A large 500GB(1) 7200RPM SATA hard drive has significant storage space and an optical drive is included for back-ups. Connectivity and Expansion All of the new AIOs have a built-in 1.3MP webcam and microphone, which enable face-to-face communication for staying in touch with friends and family. Two USB 3.0 ports (side) and four USB 2.0 ports (rear) allow quick and easy connection to peripherals and digital devices. A multi-in-one digital media card reader conveniently transfers files from digital devices. These sleek PCs also come with an adjustable back stand, 802.11b/g/n wireless connectivity and a wireless keyboard and mouse for an uncluttered work area. Pricing and Availability Both the AZ5 and AZ3 Series all-in-one desktop PCs come with Windows® Home Premium 64-bit and a one-year warranty(2). The Acer AZ5 Series' manufacturer suggested retail prices (MSRP) start at $749.99 and the Acer AZ3 Series' MSRP starts at $649.99. The new systems are available at leading retailers. ACER'S NEW VERITON AIO DESKTOPS, THIN IN STATURE, FAT IN POWER Swift, smart and secure, new Acer Veriton Z Series features high-performance quad core processors, discrete graphics and efficient system management SAN JOSE, CALIF., Nov. 1, 2011 – Acer America Corp. has launched a new line-up of slim all-in-one (AIO) desktop systems with 20-inch widescreen LED displays designed for businesses, schools, hospitals and government agencies. A practical blend of efficient design, solid performance and time-saving management and security tools make the new Veriton Z2620G and Veriton Z2610G Series, intelligent choices for all commercial environments. "Our Veriton all-in-one desktops are designed to provide performance without compromise, while conserving desktop real estate and providing a professional look and feel to any organization.," said Leila Axelle Robert, Acer Commercial Systems Business Manager. "Ideal for reception areas, call centers or anywhere that space conservation and presentation are a priority, these AIOs feature an Acer software suite that simplifies routine tasks, remotely deploys software upgrades and safeguards critical data. In addition, Intel Core i5 processing and discrete graphics provide an excess of the power required for multitasking in demanding commercial environments." The new all-in-one desktops include two series: the Acer Veriton Z2620G with a high-performance Intel® Core™ i5-2400s (6MB cache, 2.50 GHz with Max Turbo Frequency up to 3.30GHz, 4 cores) and discrete NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 520M graphics with prices beginning at $849.99; and the Acer Veriton Z2610G with an Intel® Pentium® G620 processor (3MB cache, 2.60GHz, Dual Core) and Intel® HD Graphics with prices beginning at $649.99. Both lines are encased in a slim and understated black and silver chassis to enhance the professional atmosphere. The 20-inch widescreen LCD displays with a 1600 x 900 resolution provide crystal-clear visuals for easy viewing of spreadsheets, presentations and other productivity files. These systems have 4GB DDR3 SDRAM upgradeable to 8GB via two memory slots for fast multitasking. The new all-in-ones provide all the essentials needed for general productivity with large 500GB(1) SATA hard drives and SuperMulti optical drives for loading software and backing up valuable data. Data Security Is a High Priority in Every Business and Institution The new Veriton all-in-one systems come with software for safeguarding valuable information. Acer Proshield has an encrypted hidden drive for confidential personal files, a file shredder to wipe sensitive content from the system, and a BIOS import and export tool that simplifies system management. Acer's One-Button Recovery (OBR) function makes backing up and/or restoring a PC's data simple. If the PC's operating system files are lost or damaged, the recovery process can restore the Veriton's original factory default settings or to the last system backup. The new AIOs offer several efficient management tools, including Acer Client Manager for enabling IT managers to deploy software and control user's systems remotely. Acer eRecovery Management creates system back-ups, copies configurations and burns factory default images. It also restores user-created HDD images or optical disks, original system configurations and reinstalls Acer applications and drivers. In addition, these systems offer the Veriton ControlCenter that includes: Acer eLock Management for enabling IT managers to deploy software and control user's systems remotely Acer eSettings Management for tracking and storing user's software preferences QuickMigration for quickly updating and transferring personal data from one PC to another using a common network cable SmartBoot for automatically loading frequently used programs in the system tray at start-up The new Veriton Z family offerings also come with Adobe® Reader®, Windows® 7 Professional and Internet Explorer®. Offering plenty of options for connecting a wide range of digital devices and peripherals, there are six USB 2.0 ports. Fast Internet access is provided by Gigabit Ethernet and wireless 802.11 b/g/n WiFi. Embedded high-definition audio creates high-quality sound for videoconferencing and webcasts. Pricing, Warranty and Availability The Acer Veriton VZ2620G-Ui52400W and Veriton VZ2610G-UG620W desktops are available in North America via Acer authorized resellers and come with a one-year limited(2warranty. Pricing for the Acer Veriton VZ2620G-Ui52400W starts at $849.99 and Veriton VZ2610G-UG620W begins at $649.99. | ||||||||||||||||
| iPad 2 gets an $8 million Cretaceous makeover with dino bones, diamonds and gold Posted: 31 Oct 2011 08:47 PM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||
| Dell Streak gets DISA approval, Androids look to Pentagon invasion Posted: 31 Oct 2011 07:11 PM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||
| FL Studio coming to Android, Google fans can make phat beats too Posted: 31 Oct 2011 05:55 PM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||
| Join the Engadget HD Podcast live on Ustream at 9PM Posted: 31 Oct 2011 05:12 PM PDT  It's Monday, and we're still here to help by letting you peek into the recording booth when the Engadget HD podcast goes to mp3 at 9PM. We're slightly delayed due to Halloween festivities, so take a peek at the live stream, chat and list of topics after the break. Google TV, take two, arrives next week with Honeycomb, Android Market Sony to divide TV division into three-headed monster, looks to bounce back Roku adds more games, cleans up the PQ on its latest streamers myPlex makes streaming your media simple, gives you one queue to rule them all Xbox Companion app for WP7 shown off at Nokia World, leaks Vudu integration (video) DirecTV's iPad app updated with live TV streaming, as long as you stay at home Redbox's $1 per night DVD rentals jump to $1.20 October 31st, Blu-ray and games stay the same Warner pushes 28-day new release delay on Blockbuster, matches Redbox and Netflix Must See HDTV (October 31st - November 6th) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now | ||||||||||||||||
| Varley's evR450 all-electric supercar set to hit Australian roads next year Posted: 31 Oct 2011 04:49 PM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||
| Must See HDTV (October 31st - November 6th) Posted: 31 Oct 2011 04:19 PM PDT  Update: Commenter Bervick reminds us the Steve Jobs - One More Thing special airs on PBS November 2nd. Check the official site for airtimes on your local station. Burn Notice If you listen to the HD podcast, then you know this is one of our favorite shows. Michael Westin is a "burned" spy who bides his time trying to get back into the CIA by picking up odd jobs helping people around Miami Macguyver-style. Throw in a best friend played by Bruce Campbell and a health assortment of explosions and gunfire, and you've got everything we could ask for -- except better picture quality, but you can't have everything. (November 3rd, USA, 10PM) LSU vs. Alabama This is what we like the most about college football. We're deep enough into the season that a 1 vs 2-ranked matchup actually means something and we couldn't have two better teams ready to face off. Both have won national championships, both are incredibly talented and well coached. Who will win? we'll have to watch to find out. (November 5th, CBS, 8PM) Hell on Wheels So far AMC's switch from broadcasting classic movies to mixing in original programming has had its standout successes (Mad Men, Breaking Bad), and disappointments in The Killing and The Walking Dead. Sunday night it launches its latest effort, Hell on Wheels, which follows a former Confederate soldier hunting down the Union soldiers responsible for killing his wife. The name comes from the Nebraska town he ends up in along his quest that follows the construction of the railroad across the country. An interesting concept to be sure, but we'll have to lay our eyes on it to know which category this one falls into -- check out a trailer embedded after the break. (November 6th, AMC, 10PM) Blu-ray & Games
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now | ||||||||||||||||
| CMI shows off 720p glasses-free 3D display for smartphones with 2D off-angle viewing Posted: 31 Oct 2011 03:43 PM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||
| Canalys: HTC nips Apple, Samsung to become top smartphone vendor in US for Q3 2011 Posted: 31 Oct 2011 03:14 PM PDT  All told, it owned "around a quarter of the market," with Samsung (4.9 million) claiming the second spot and Apple (4.6 million) pulling in for the bronze. Conspicuously absent from the leader board? RIM, which saw its volume decline 58 percent from a year ago and its US market share sink from 24 percent in Q3 2010 to just 9 percent this quarter. Our take? HTC (and Samsung, from a global perspective) best enjoy it while the quarter lasts -- as soon as the iPhone 4S and Nokia's spate of Windows Phone devices start figuring in, we're guessing that the top spots will be completely up for grabs all over again. HTC takes the lead in the US smart phone market - A stellar performance from Samsung sees it become the world's number one vendor Palo Alto, Shanghai, Singapore and Reading (UK) – Monday, 31 October 2011 Canalys today released its Q3 2011 country-level smart phone shipment estimates to clients, revealing that HTC has taken the top spot in the US market. At the same time, a particularly strong performance from Samsung saw it become the world's number one smart phone vendor. Overall, the worldwide market grew substantially: 49% year-on-year to 120.4 million units. With phenomenal year-on-year and sequential growth of 252% and 60% respectively, Samsung shipped 27.3 million smart phones under its own brand to capture a 23% share, becoming the number one vendor in APAC, Western Europe and Latin America, ahead of Nokia, Apple and RIM respectively. With well-regarded products, such as the Galaxy S II, and significant marketing campaigns, the vendor registered the second highest quarterly shipment total in the market's history, behind only Nokia's Q4 2010 performance. In addition, Samsung shipped an estimated 500,000 units worldwide under the Google and T-Mobile brands. In the United States, the world's largest smart phone market, HTC shone in Q3 2011, edging out Apple and Samsung to become the leading vendor. HTC shipped 5.7 million smart phones in the US under its own brand, giving it almost a quarter of the market, as well as an estimated 70,000 units under the T-Mobile brand. 'However you count it, HTC has become a deserved leader in the US smart phone market,' said Palo Alto-based Canalys Vice President and Principal Analyst, Chris Jones. 'This is an awesome achievement for HTC, which has built a premium brand in a highly competitive market in just a few short years. It now has a strong range of 4G Android products, with devices ranged by each of the major carriers, and offers some of the most compelling and differentiated products found on the platform today.' Samsung pushed Apple into third place in the US market, with shipments of its own-brand devices reaching 4.9 million units. Apple's US smart phone shipments totaled 4.6 million in the quarter and it was affected around the world by consumers waiting for the launch of the next-generation iPhone. 'Apple did not stir the usual excitement levels in the industry with the announcement of the iPhone 4S, but that was never likely to dampen volumes, due to pent up demand from the later than expected launch and the addition of Sprint as a third carrier,' said Jones. 'Early iPhone 4S sales have shown this is the case, and we expect to see a strong Q4 for Apple.' 'Next week marks the two-year anniversary of Verizon Wireless's DROID launch, the tremendously successful family of Android-based smart phones in the United States,' said Jones. 'Customers who bought early will see their loyalty tested in the coming weeks as their contracts come to an end.' After a slow start in 2010, AT&T has over-delivered on the number of Android devices it promised to launch in 2011, including the Impulse 4G, supplied by Huawei but AT&T-branded, sold at an aggressive $30 with a contract to target first-time smart phone buyers. Android holds nearly 70% of the platform share in the United States, compared with 57% worldwide. RIM had another tough quarter in its largest market, where its volumes declined 58% from a year ago and its US market share slipped from 24% in Q3 2010 to just 9% in Q3 2011. It continues to face unfavorable press there and its volumes have dropped significantly despite a refreshed product line that includes its flagship BlackBerry Bold 9900. 'RIM's market share has fallen below 10% for the first time, and the current outlook for it in the US is certainly bleak,' said UK-based Canalys Senior Analyst, Tim Shepherd. 'While Apple can for now get away with not having a 4G smart phone, no other vendor in the US can. RIM must deliver a competitive high-end 4G smart phone in early 2012.' 'The picture for RIM in other parts of the world is clearly more positive. It grew 59% in EMEA and 56% in APAC over a year ago, largely driven by the continued popularity of BBM, its BlackBerry Messenger service. The Middle East and Africa and Southeast Asia were particular bright spots, and while October's outage, focused on EMEA particularly, has hurt RIM's reputation for reliability we do not expect it to have a substantial impact and expect a decent Q4 performance there.' 'But undoubtedly RIM needs to deliver new, fresh, exciting products to the market and increase its pace of innovation and execution if it is going to have any chance of reasserting its position in North America. It badly needs to deliver on its potential with its new BBX platform,' said Shepherd. Canalys' research also revealed huge growth in the smart phone market in mainland China, where shipments in Q3 2011 increased by an impressive 160% on a year ago to 23.2 million units. While maintaining very high growth potential, just over 200,000 fewer smart phones shipped in China than in the United States, leaving it a hair's breadth away from being the world's largest smart phone market. 'The Chinese smart phone market is seeing explosive growth, not least from domestic vendors Huawei and ZTE,' said Shanghai-based Canalys Research Director for China, Nicole Peng. 'Both vendors are delivering good-quality, attractive smart phones on the Android platform for both the domestic and foreign markets, and their aggressive pricing strategies are enabling them to ship large volumes. They will continue to be an increasingly disruptive force in the global market in the coming quarters.' Nokia retained its lead in the Chinese smart phone market, though echoing a picture seen around the world, it lost significant ground. Its share declined from 75% in Q3 2010 to 28% in Q3 2011. 'Nokia has several tough quarters still ahead of it, even in its traditionally strong markets in APAC, such as China,' said Peng. 'The recent announcement of its first two Windows Phone devices, however, gives cause for some optimism, and shows that Nokia can still produce innovative and well-designed products. While China is not on Nokia's initial list of launch countries for its Lumia products, Canalys understands that the market is a key priority for the vendor and expects to see Nokia Windows Phone devices there in the first half of 2012.' Apple and Samsung also grew significantly in China this quarter, each enjoying growth of 710% and 805% year-on-year respectively. About Canalys Canalys delivers smart market insights to IT, channel, and service provider professionals around the world. Our customer-driven analysis and consulting services empower businesses to make informed decisions and generate sales. We stake our reputation on the quality of our data, our innovative use of technology, and our high level of customer service. | ||||||||||||||||
| Nissan Leaf EVs to join NYC taxis, won't make hailing a cab in Manhattan any easier Posted: 31 Oct 2011 02:34 PM PDT  We've come a long way since Crown Vics crowded the streets of the Big Apple, opting instead for a fleet of hybrid taxis -- but today the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission is taking its green approach one step further with the introduction of six electric Nissan Leaf cabs. Starting next spring, the electric cars will join the procession of mustard-colored whips as part of the Electric Taxi Pilot Program. The new additions are part of Bloomberg's plans for an all electric cab system by 2012. It's unsure yet whether the five-door electrics will have a distance or duty limitation and exactly what type of charging stations will be used. Curious cabbies can check out the source to find out how to sign up. Now, if we could only flag one down... | ||||||||||||||||
| Screen Grabs: Palm Pre-iPhone hybrid appears on Grimm, doesn't look half bad Posted: 31 Oct 2011 02:08 PM PDT Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dot com.  [Thanks, Ben] | ||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 31 Oct 2011 01:46 PM 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. You can follow the series here. Looking to suggest a piece of technology for us to break down? Drop us a line at primed *at* engadget *dawt* com.  If you're a storage aficionado -- and who here isn't? -- you've probably heard a lot about SSDs, those friendly solid-state disks promising dramatically improved performance over their magnetically inclined brethren. No doubt you've heard about the advantages, thanks to NAND storage that makes them silent, shock resistant, energy efficient and lightning quick. Yet you've also heard the horror stories: drive slowdowns, controller failures and manufacturer recalls. And adding to all those anxiety-producing headlines, there's the price premium. While most magnetic drives average around a nickel or dime per gigabyte, even consumer-grade SSDs still run $1-2 per gigabyte, often for drastically smaller-capacity drives. Three years ago, Intel launched its X25-M and X18-M: the "M" stood for "mainstream," and the pair of drives were designed to reintroduce solid-state storage to a cost-conscious consumer market. (Perhaps more importantly, they were also meant to solidify Intel's standing in the nascent SSD realm, up to that point a chaotic, Wild West-style domain. But we'll get to that.) For most users magnetic drives still remain king, with solid states appealing primarily to a niche of enterprise IT professionals and modding enthusiasts. How did that happen -- and should it be different? After the break we'll look at how and why SSDs haven't (yet) conquered the storage world, and examine whether they're poised to do just that. Table of Contents
 Most important to our story, though, RAMAC shipped with the IBM 350 Disk Storage Unit. Back then, drives didn't need fearsome names like VelociRaptor and Scorpio to distinguish themselves; in fact, IBM's was the first hard disk drive, marking a revolutionary moment in computer science.  So what was this mechanical marvel? Similar to two contemporary technologies, tape and drum storage, it relied on a moving, magnetically charged medium: 50 aluminum disks, or platters, each 24 inches in diameter. Stacked in a cylinder, they spun at 1,200RPMs while a pair of read heads moved vertically to the right platter, then horizontally to the right track. IBM saw this random access capability as the system's greatest selling point.Here's how it worked: imagine a stack of 50 vinyl records, each separated by a space thin enough for a phonograph needle to pass between them. (If records are as foreign to you as papyrus scrolls, you can substitute CDs.) To hear a particular song, you only need to find the right record and right track; you don't, as with a tape, have to fast forward or rewind through all those unrelated songs. Random access, the ability to begin reading from any point on the medium, dramatically reduces the time it takes to find data; the seek time on the 350 was about 600 milliseconds. The 350 stored about 4.4MB. The story goes that it could have held more -- after all, you could always add more platters -- but the marketing department couldn't figure out how to sell any more MBs, thereby beginning the long tradition of "it's all the space you'll ever need!" Even so, it soon came with an optional second drive. For the next two decades access times and capacity continued to improve, and in 1973 Big Blue introduced a more recognizable precursor to modern hard disk drives (HDDs). The IBM 3348 Data Module was a sealed cartridge containing the platters, spindle and head-arm assembly. The 1970's version of removable storage, it came in 35MB and 70MB versions. The magnetic platter concept pioneered and refined by IBM laid the groundwork for decades of fast, cheap and reliable data storage. Honed and miniaturized, it's the same basic technology found in HDDs around the world today.
 IBM continued apace, increasing the size and speed of its drives. In 1980, it introduced the first 1GB model, as big as a refrigerator and weighing about 550 pounds. Oh, and it cost $40,000. (In 1980 dollars: we'll let you do the math.) The company made business machines at business prices, but a sea change was coming. That same year, Seagate Technology introduced the first 5.25-inch hard drive, the ST-506, pictured above. Founded by former IBMers, including the legendary Al Shugart, who'd helped develop the RAMAC, Seagate targeted the nascent PC market with smaller, cheaper drives. The ST-506 offered 5MB for $1500; thanks to the endorsement of Big Blue (which had entered the microcomputer in response to Apple's early success), its interface soon became the de facto standard. With a growing market for personal computers, innovation flourished. Companies such as Western Digital, Quantum, Maxtor, Connor Peripherals, HP and Compaq all competed to develop the next bigger, faster drive. During the 1980s, capacity increased by as much as 30% each year; in the next decade the number hit 60%. By 1999 storage capacity was doubling every 9 months.  Most of these gains, though, came from refining the underlying technology, not fundamentally altering it. Rodime introduced the first 3.5-inch hard drive in 1983, establishing the new standard form for desktop storage. Since then, manufacturers have sought to squeeze more and more data into that space, or into later 2.5-inch disks. Even smaller sizes -- that 1.8-inch Toshiba to your right, for example -- still rely on spinning platters. IBM's 1-inch Microdrive shrunk the tech even more, and for some time competed with CompactFlash by offering greater capacity. To continue increasing capacity, manufacturers have to keep shrinking the magnetic grains on those platters. Smaller grains means more bits per square inch, usually called areal density; upping the areal density means you can store more data in the same physical space, and they're still finding ways to do that. Hitachi's perpendicular recording offered another approach to boosting areal density, one soon taken up by other manufacturers. Eventually, though, magnetic storage runs into fundamental laws of physics. In this case, those immutable rules are represented by the superparamagnetic effect (SPE). Once we shink magnetic grains below a certain threshold, they become susceptible to random thermal variations that can flip their direction. What exactly does that mean? Writing to an HDD means changing the magnetization of grains, marking them as ones or zeroes. As long as that magnetization remains ordered, the grains can be read -- the data can be retrieved. But if they start randomly flipping directions, you no longer have ones or zeroes. Coherent, readable information dissolves into a bunch of magnetized grains. Perpendicular recording is one way to stave off the SPE limit, as is heat-assisted magnetic recording used in conjunction with bit-patterning. More exotic solutions are in the pipeline as well, and some manufacturers just keep adding platters.  Of course, capacity is not always the most important measure for a hard drive, and advances in other areas have slowed considerably. (Yes, we're now seeing spindle speeds of 15,000RPM, but with that modest increase come power, noise and reliability issues.) As the chart above illustrates, CPU performance went from 1 MIPS to 16,800 MIPS between 1988 and 2008. Over the same period HDD performance increased by only 11 times. That disconnect -- the performance gap between processor and storage access times -- is often why your computer feels so frustratingly slow. So while manufacturers continue to wring every last bit of usability out of magnetic-drive storage, the writing's on the wall: the king's reign is coming to an end.
 Given all the recent attention, you might think solid-state disks just suddenly appeared. In fact, like their electromechanical brethren, they date back to the 1950s. Indeed, the ancestors to today's SSDs predate platter-based drives. Magnetic core memory, seen above, is one type of early storage that required no moving parts. It too emerged from IBM labs and often served as main memory in the company's mainframes. But partly due to cost -- it could only be handmade, with workers using microscopes to see the tiny filaments they were threading -- magnetic core memory was largely replaced by drum storage, which, you'll recall, eventually led to HDDs. Still, solid-state memory had a place in many niche markets, especially where high durability was required. NASA spacecraft relied on it, and in 1978 Texas Memory Systems began selling oil companies a 16KB RAM SSD as part of a seismic data acquisition system. That was also the year that StorageTek introduced the first modern SSD; with a maximum capacity of 90MB, it cost $8,800 / MB. The high price tag made it and similar RAM-based disks appealing to only a select few. Equally important, DRAM's speed came at a cost: it was volatile memory, requiring constant power to retain its data. That worked for high-speed, always-on applications, but not for home users. Today, DRAM still fills its role as main memory, but serves as storage in only a small number of cases.  It took the invention of flash memory to really push SSDs toward the mainstream. Dr. Fujio Masuoka developed it in 1980 while at Toshiba. Much to its later chagrin, Tosh failed to capitalize on his work, leaving it to Intel to commercialize. Chipzilla positioned flash as a an option for BIOSes and other firmware, but soon saw another application: removable storage. Intel's MiniCard joined a proliferation of sizes and formats, including Toshiba's SmartMedia (generically referred to as a solid-state floppy-disk card, and often sold with the adapter seen here), CompactFlash, Secure Digital (and its later variations) and Sony's Memory Stick. All relied on flash.So how does flash work, and what makes it different from traditional magnetic drives? The short answer is that instead of storing data magnetically, flash uses electrons to indicate ones and zeroes. You might already recognize why this is a plus: no moving parts. That means no noise, no head crashes, and greater energy efficiency since you don't have to move a mechanical arm. And unlike DRAM, it's non-volatile -- it doesn't need constant power to retain information. These advantages are obvious, but in the early going, when placed next to cheap and capacious hard drives, flash still looked like a niche product, useful mainly in digital cameras and other consumer electronics. For a more in-depth introduction to the physical properties of flash, consider this 12-minute (!) video from SanDisk's SSD Academy. Don't worry if you need to skip it, though; we'll address the most salient details once we start looking at flash's rise as an alternative to the traditional HDD.
 To quickly recap: SSDs had been around in various forms since the early 1950s, with DRAM emerging as the preferred technology in the 1980s, but only in a limited number of specialty applications. By the 1990s, flash memory had proven itself a capable storage medium in, for example, digital cameras. And even though writing to flash was not as fast as writing to DRAM, it now seems inevitable that someone would exploit the cheaper medium to offer Flash-based storage for the high-performance enterprise market. That meant not just for systems designed to operate in harsh environments -- like the seismic data acquisition drive sold by Texas Memory Systems -- but, increasingly, database and web servers. And, eventually, consumer PCs. Before that happened, though, an Israeli company named M-Systems developed an innovative hardware design for flash memory. In 1995, it debuted the DiskOnChip, which, as you can see above, was pretty much what the name indicates. Thanks to proprietary software called True Flash File System, the chip appeared as a hard drive to the host computer. TrueFFS also implemented the features we'd associate with today's SSD controllers, including error correction, bad block re-mapping and wear leveling. (Don't worry, we'll get to those.) This was, in essence, the first flash drive; four years later, M-Systems adapted the idea to create the first USB flash drive, called DiskOnKey, since the company saw it as a hard disk you could carry on a keychain. To put the phrase "hard disk" into 1999's context, you could buy 8, 16 or 32MB versions. DiskOnChip wasn't aimed at consumers, but it proved the viability of NAND-based disks. That meant competition for RAM-based SSDs, and other firms, often small manufacturers, began to experiment with different form factors and configurations. Adtron, Cenatek, Atto, SimpleTech, Memtech and others all took their shots at industrial- and military-grade SSDs. In 1999, BiT Microsystems introduced an 18GB drive: the unfortunately named SUX35 was its first Ultra SCSI-compatible disk. Meanwhile, Bill Gates envisioned the same technology eventually reaching mainstream consumers. Unveiling Microsoft's Tablet PC in 2002 (and after sharing the stage with first Amy Tan, then Rob Lowe) he said, "Eventually even the so-called solid state disks will come along and not only will we have the mechanical disks going down to 1.8 inch, but some kind of solid state disk in the next three to four years will be part of different Tablet PCs."  Gates had the timeline about right: in 2005 Samsung entered the fray, the first multi-billion dollar company to throw its hat in the ring. Sammy offered 1.8-inch and 2.5-inch drives, and in 2006 it introduced the first high-volume Windows XP notebook with flash-based SSD storage. The Q30-SSD, pictured to your right, came with 32GB of NAND and cost a blistering $3,700. As we noted at the time, that was about a $900 premium over its magnetic-drive sibling. The company's 7-inch Q1 UMPC also offered the solid-state option -- upping the price to $2,430. Needless to say, sticker shock certainly limited the appeal of these early efforts. Nevertheless, they were an important step as SSDs crept closer to the mainstream.
 Here's a good place to take a break from our story and examine more closely the appeal of SSDs. As we've alluded, they promise greater speed, power savings and quiet operation. Today we sometimes think of the performance boost as most persuasive, but for early laptop users, energy efficiency mattered just as much, if not more. (Ask someone who's replaced his or her laptop HDD with an SSD about the benefits to battery life.) But surely for Samsung to charge a $900 premium -- and for someone to pay it -- the impact must be great indeed. In fact, skeptics continue to ask that question on message boards throughout the internet: how good could the technology be, to justify the smaller capacities and higher prices? In one of his typically comprehensive and informative reviews, Anand Lai Shimpi also emphasized performance, responding, "You don't think they're fast, until I take one away from you." Since we can't have a massive, Oprah-style SSD giveaway (and later cruelly snatch them back), we'll walk through how they work, and why they outperform HDDs.  Remember, today's hard drives are approaching two physical limits: data density, which defines how much information can be written on a given area, and spindle speed, or how fast the platter spins. Greater data density gives us higher capacity drives, but is limited by the superparamagnetic effect, barring new approaches. Spindle speed is one way of increasing throughput, but that's topped out at 15,000RPM; rumors of a 20,000RPM Velociraptor seem to have come to naught, perhaps because WD rethought the market. Perpendicular recording increases data density and throughput, assuming the same spindle speed, but as you can see from the diagram on the left, the dependence on moving parts imposes other limitations. For example, if you've ever let your hard drive spin down, then tried to read from it, you've probably noticed a small but perceptible lag. That's the drive spinning up and the read-write head moving across the platter to find your data. Solid-state drives have none of the limitations associated with moving parts. There's no spin-up time, because there's nothing to spin; because there's no read-write head and all parts of the drive are equally accessible, latency and seek times are constant and low. The lack of moving parts means less power consumption, since the drives doesn't have to move heads or spin platters. And the probability of mechanical failure in the form of say, a head crash, is non-existent. There's no head to crash. All of which makes SSDs sound radically different from their HDD relatives -- and they are. Those differences have both pros and cons, which we'll discuss momentarily, but first let's get a handle on how the flash memory underlying SSDs actually works.  Here's a basic illustration of a flash cell. Notice it shares no similarity with the hard drive diagram above: we're at the lowest layer of storage, where the most pressing question is how to represent ones and zeros. HDDs do this magnetically; flash does it using electrons. The number of electrons stored in the cell affect its threshold voltage: when the threshold voltage reaches four volts, that reads as zero. Anything less reads as a one. (In flash parlance, a zero is "programmed" and a one is "erased.") And the electrons are trapped in the gate even if power's lost, making this non-volatile memory.  In this basic configuration, each cell stores a single bit: it reads as either a zero or a one. That, logically enough, is known as Single-Level Cell (SLC) flash. However, using the exact same physical medium, we can store more bits simply by subdividing the threshold voltage ranges.  Now we're recognizing four distinct threshold ranges rather than two. That means we can store two bits rather than one. Remember, we're using the same flash as before, so this would seem to be an advantage -- we've doubled the capacity without raising our cost per bit. As always, though, there's a trade-off. First, it's going to take longer to read and write to MLC flash: typically about twice as long to read and three times longer to write. However, we're talking about microseconds, so the difference is negligible for most applications. More important is the problem of memory wear. Unlike HDD platters, which in theory can be written and re-written an infinite number of times, flash memory can only be programmed/erased a limited number of times before it's no longer writeable. It's called a P/E cycle limit, and with the earlier 50nm chips that number was about 100,000 times when used as SLC memory. Because MLC degrades faster, after about 10,000 P/E cycles. And as NAND structures have gotten smaller, so too have the number of P/E cycles they can undergo before wearing out. Sure, the numbers are still so high that the average, everyday user would consider the drive obsolete long before actually hitting the P/E cycle limit -- at which point the drive becomes read-only, while preserving the existing data. But when it comes to design and manufacturing, the limitation is very real, and needs a solution. Or rather, several solutions.
 As we've shown, flash SSDs present unique challenges. That's one reason established player Seagate came to the party late, and Western Digital eventually just bought its way in. (We also suspect uncertainty about the viability of the market and concern about cannibalizing sales of their mechanical drives also had a little something to do with it.) And it's why a late-entering semiconductor giant named Intel -- presumably with the time and expertise to learn from others' mistakes -- could release its first drives to nearly universal acclaim, only to get hit later with claims of drive slowdown. Despite Intel's initial denials, the drives did see a performance drop over time. Specifically, as the drives filled up, write speeds slowed, sometimes drastically. This wasn't just a problem with Intel's offerings, either. Once reviewers knew to look for it, they found it common to almost every SSD: as free space decreased, write performance took a hit. Most drives were still faster than conventional HDDs, but the difference was noticeable between a brand-new SSD and a "used" one. In hindsight the reason seems obvious, but it wasn't immediately so in 2009. Here's where two aspects of flash memory converge to create a unique problem. The first, as we mentioned, is memory wear. No HDD controller has to account for the predictably finite lifespan of its underlying magnetic media. Flash SSDs do: they have to limit the number of P/E cycles in order to keep the drive in tip-top shape. Not only that, but remember that our P/E limit is per cell. It's roughly analagous to the problem of bad sectors, but in this case it's predictable and inevitable for every cell. Knowing this, controller designers want each cell to wear evenly -- spread the P/E cycles over the drive, rather than programming and erasing the same cells until they become unusable. This is called wear-leveling, and it's further complicated by our second aspect: the physical architecture of flash memory.  Remember the cells we introduced above. They're the smallest element of storage: in SLC flash they store a single bit, and in MLC flash they store two. Those cells are grouped into pages, typically 4KB in size (see the illustration to your left). A page is the smallest structure that's readable/writable in an SSD. Pages are grouped into blocks, which are the smallest erasable structure in an SSD. Now you might be seeing a problem. Why read, write and erase? HDDs don't have a separate erase function at the physical level. When you delete a file, that simply means removing a pointer. There's no action taken on the hard drive, no "erase" function. Your data remain magnetically encoded on the drive, which will eventually overwrite the "free" space.But flash doesn't work that way. It's a different medium with different rules. SSD makers choose to play by these rules because the upside is vastly improved performance. When you erase a file on an SSD, the process is initially the same: nothing happens. At least not at the physical level. No data disappears. Let's say you deleted a 4KB file that got written to a new page. That page is now free, as far as your operating system's concerned. Only if you have to overwrite that page will the SSD have to do some work. But when it does, it has to do more than the HDD, and that's the key to understanding performance degradation. As we said, the HDD simply overwrites the sector with new information. The SSD, though, can't just overwrite a page. It has to erase the page first. Now remember the asymmetry between readable/writeable and erasable structures. To erase a page, you have to erase the entire block containing it. What about the other pages in the block? Well, they have to be read to a buffer, then written back after the block's been erased. You can see how this leads to a drop in performance. You just tried to write a page, but in fact you ended up reading a block, erasing it, then re-writing it with the new data. What looks like a simple write operation is in fact a three step process. SSDs try to avoid this by writing to open pages first, but as space fills up the controller has fewer options. There's simply nowhere else to put the data without doing this read-erase-write shuffle.  Now, manufacturers recognize this and try to mitigate it in numerous ways. One is over-provisioning: including more flash on the drive than the user actually sees. Intel's X-25M, for example, shipped with 7.5-8% extra flash. The spare space means more open pages that won't require read-erase-write. But that just staves off the inevitable. If you keep filling up the drive, you will hit the performance barrier. The question is how well your drive will cope.Another helpful approach is the TRIM command, now implemented in most modern operating systems. This forces the SSD to manage deleted files right away, rather than wait for them to be overwritten. Delete a file and the OS tells the controller to copy the block to cache, erase it, and rewrite the remaining pages. That means pages within a partially used block are freed up automatically, during the delete phase rather than during an overwrite. Of course, sometimes you have to overwrite a file, say when you save a new version of it. You'll still suffer the read-erase-write penalty then, but TRIM can alleviate some of the pain. Some drives feature other methods of garbage collection, all with the same goal: free up deleted pages before it's necessary to overwrite them. But wait a minute. Rewriting more blocks eats into our limited P/E cycles, right? That's right. TRIM and other methods of garbage collection contribute to a problem called write amplification. That simply means you're writing to the SSD more often you should; ideally, the write amplification ratio would be 1, meaning the amount of data written to the flash memory is exactly the same as that written to the host. This remained an ideal, though Intel's early drives came close to reaching it. This number seemed a threshold, too; after all, how could you write less data to the flash memory than to the host? One company figured out how, and we'll pick up the story there.
 That's Intel's X-25M, launched in late 2008. Sandisk, Toshiba and TDK had already entered the market, which really began to balloon in 2007. It recalled the early days of desktop hard drives, with players large and small trying to outdo one another. Unfortunately, that didn't always mean a great experience for consumers. JMicron had begun offering its SSD controllers to smaller, independent vendors such as OCZ, Super Talent and Patriot Memory. The controller let those companies use the cheaper MLC flash, while Samsung, for one, stuck with the more expensive, lower-capacity SLC. But users of JMicron's early controllers found serious problems. While fast in benchmarks for sequential reading and writing, under real-world conditions the drives stuttered unacceptably. The problem revealed some narrow thinking at JMicron. Optimized for sequential reading and writing, its controllers choked badly when it came to random 4k writing. But most users don't spend their days reading and writing sequential files. Nor do they buy storage based solely on benchmarks. Instead, most have to use multi-tasking operating systems that -- you guessed it -- write a lot of small files. The JMicron hiccup occurred when writing those files interfered with other applications. The problem should have been caught early, before drives shipped to consumers, but instead buyers became unwilling beta testers. Chipzilla's entrance made things interesting. The company had the expertise to build an impressive first controller and the industry pull to secure flash at bargain prices. Even so, many were surprised when it launched one of the world's fastest drives. A two-pronged attack -- the X-25M for consumer use and the X-25E sporting SLC for enterprises -- put Intel arguably at the top of the heap, performance-wise.  Here's where SandForce comes in. The company entered the SSD controller ring in 2009, emerging from stealth mode with a promising cache of proprietary technologies. Their big breakthrough? A quartet of tweaks that allowed MLC to replace the more expensive SLC without sacrificing durability or speed. Since MLC is twice as dense as SLC, that meant doubled capacity. It also let the smaller firms compete with SLC powerhouses like Samsung and Intel, who had privileged access to high-grade NAND chips. OCZ shipped some of the first drives featuring a SandForce controller, and basically hit the limit on 3Gbps SATA, hitting 265MB/s on a 2MB sequential read. Granted, most other high-end SSDs also bumped up against that SATA ceiling: high speeds are a large part of the appeal, and are virtually innate to the technology. Where SandForce really impressed, though, was in the sequential write tests, reaching 252MB/s and blowing even Intel's enterprise offering out of the water. How'd SandForce go toe-to-toe with Intel? First, they had an intelligent data-monitoring system called DuraWrite. Remember, the problem with MLC is that doubling the NAND storage capacity shortens its P/E cycle limit by about a factor of ten. SandForce reasoned that if you wanted to make MLC competitive with SLC, you just had to reduce the amount of writing actually taking place -- considerably. DuraWrite does just that, through a combination of compression and deduplication. That means less redundant data gets written, lowering the write amplification ratio to 0.5, SandForce claims. (That was enough to catch IBM's eye.) Other enhancements targeted reliability, power consumption and, obviously, those lightning-quick read and write times. SandForce has arguably struck a balance between price and performance, one that allows them to serve both consumer and enterprise markets, and it seems to be paying off. Despite making no drives of its own, the company is one of the most recognizable names in SSDs, and was just bought just bought by LSI for $370 million. Right now, SandForce looks to be in the pole position for the solid-state innovation race.
Of course, that could change at any time. The SSD market is still a bit of a Wild West: the technology hasn't been perfected, and we've all heard plenty of horror stories about recalls, faulty firmware and other problems. For some users, though, the reward is worth the risk. It also remains to be seen whether a couple of companies will emerge victorious, as did Seagate and Western Digital with HDDs, or whether SSDs will continue to come from a wide variety of manufacturers. As we all know, today's winners can be tomorrow's losers. The only thing we can say with much certainty is that SSDs show a lot of promise, and we're just beginning to tap it. [Image credits: Ed Thelen, IBM, Micron, Orion 8, Texas Memory Systems, OEMPCWorld and Anandtech] | ||||||||||||||||
| X-mini KAI Bluetooth speaker daisy chains the jams Posted: 31 Oct 2011 01:25 PM PDT  [Thanks, Jay] |
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