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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

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Spotify apps hands-on

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 10:22 AM PST

The big reveal at today's "what's next" Spotify event? Apps. So, so many apps. As anticipated, the Swedish music streaming service launched its very own platform for third-party developers. The program is launching today in beta, with a number of partners, including some high profile music names like Rolling Stone and Last.fm along with some relative new-comers to the scene, like SoundDrop and Sharemyplaylists.com. We had the opportunity to play around with a number of these new apps at the event, and don't let the fact that our ears are still ringing stop you from checking out our impressions after the break.
Spotify apps platform hands-on
Unfortunately, we weren't able to spend any time playing around with the app store mechanism itself, instead, the site had a baker's dozen demo stations set up on the premises, where we could use the pre-loaded versions. Once downloaded, the app's name will show up in the system's sidebar, where the playlists currently live (that content has been pushed down the page to make room for the new features). Integration with Spotify is quite seamless and, once fired up, the app lives in the main window.

Billboard's app, not surprisingly, takes a fairly straightforward approach to this integration. According to the company, the app was built rather quickly. It currently features a small handful of Billboard charts, including Hot 100, Billboard 200, Rap/Hip Hip, Country and Rock. You can play songs directly from these charts, so long as they're already playable in Spotify -- those that aren't will be grayed out. You can also subscribe to charts or share them socially. The app also includes a link that will bring you to Spotify landing page on Billboard featuring the full charts.

We Are Hunted, meanwhile, takes a more dynamic approach to charts, building them much more quickly based on things like iTunes downloads and Last.fm scrobbles. The app is certainly more instantaneous than Billboard, albeit perhaps less thorough. It also offers great visuals, building the interface around large titles of band images.

SoundDrop is a brand new app that lets users build social playlists. You drag and drop songs or lists into the app and then invite people to listen. Followers can add their own and vote tracks up or down, affecting their place in the listing. The app does one of the best jobs incorporating social functionality of the current batch of apps -- think Turntable.fm, with the adorable DJ interface.

ShareMyPlaylists, meanwhile, is more focused on external sharing, letting users build playlists on Spotify and share them on the company's existing external site, once published. Of the apps we've seen so for, this one seems less concerned than most with keeping the music listening experience inside the Spotify ecosystem.

Songkick is one of the most obvious and, arguably, welcome implementations of the platform, tracking upcoming shows based on your listening habits -- a list that is entirely editable by the user. You can also switch locations, should you be traveling and want to catch a show while you're out.

Indie rock review site Pitchfork has also jumped on the Spotify app bandwagon. Not surprisingly, its contributions are based entirely around editorial curations, offering playable versions of its "best of" lists. You can also check out the latest reviews from the site and play albums directly from those pages. While Pitchfork has previously had partnerships with sites like Lala, this is easily the deepest software integration we've seen from the site, and it will no doubt play well among regular readers.

IRL: Thule Crossover backpack, Technocel Battery Boost and upgrading from Firefox 3.6

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 10:00 AM PST

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

It's funny how eerily quiet things get after Thanksgiving weekend. Except for some tablet going on sale next week, lots of companies are saving their finest wares for CES, which kicks off just after the New Year. Until then, we'll keep on keeping with the stuff we already own. Mat finally realized a backpack that won't send your gadgets crashing to the floor is a worthy investment, Andy's settled on a cheapie portable charger and Darren's at last upgraded to Firefox 7.0 (he's so crazy!). Which backpack is slowly sweeping the staff? And what was Engadget's managing editor doing using FF 3.6? Find the answers to that and more just past the break.

Part battery charger, part microSD reader

Technocel's Battery Boost has been one of the most useful gifts I've ever received. Doubling as a microSD reader, this juice pack claims it'll give your phone an hour of extra talk time, and so far, I've got no evidence against it. Surprisingly, it only takes about 15 minutes or so to completely charge. I couldn't count how many times I've used its bantam micro-USB flexi-arm to recharge my HTC Desire. Though the Boost has never saved my life with that last phone-call-in-distress, I have been able to get a few more pics and tweets online when I otherwise couldn't. Extreme handiness.

Despite its glory, there are a few quirks I should mention. First of all, the first Battery Boost I owned fried itself -- for no apparent reason -- while connected to my phone. Fortunately, there were no flames, but the room smelled of solder. What's amazing is that it continued to read the microSD, even though it would no longer charge any device. Secondly, this thing's a monster! Huge! About three times the size of an everyday flash drive. I literally have to prop my MacBook Pro up on something so I can plug it in. (It can also turn pocketing your keys into a major hassle.) The large size is a definite issue, but in its defense, the Boost is a sturdy little bugger. I've experienced its resilience first-hand by dropping it onto a highway going 60MPH. It's dark grey color doesn't help you find it in a ditch, but despite the scars, the beast still works like a charm. All in all, I'd say it's well worth the $24 price listed on Amazon.
-- Andy Bowen

Pockets upon pockets

I'd largely ignored buying a work-specific bag. Normally, my messenger would have sufficed for carrying around a laptop, notepad, charger and phones. Add in my aging DSLR and video camera and things got slightly more precarious. While covering the launch of some new product or another, the burden proved too much, and one of the strap fasteners snapped. Fortunately, I was still caffeinated enough from the briefing to react and capture the bag before cameras, MacBooks and other expensive -- and loaned -- goods hit the deck. However, I needed a replacement, and soon. As I browsed around Amazon, specialty bag shops and eBay, I balked at some of the prices. I decided to set the mark at £100 ($155), enough for something a little more special than some stock bag that would barely shield all my equipment.

I then saw my trans-Atlantic colleague Zach trying out Thule's Crossover backpack - it was exactly what I was looking for. To be honest, I had spotted the same bag at an Apple Store, but resisted. No one buys those things, right? But, I wanted it. I sniffed around the review sample Zach was trying out, and it looked good: there's a capacious padded sleeve for my laptop and a medley of zips divide up the front of the bag, with each one giving way to yet more separators and pockets. For SD card-juggling, USB-cabled junkies like me, there's space for everything.

Admittedly, I'm still in the honeymoon period, but as I near the two-month mark the Crossover feels worn-in, with no signs of wearing through. The straps are both comfortable and breathable -- ideal for high-octane, sweaty trade shows and for safely lugging around my equipment for day-to-day work around town. I also feel secure knowing that my laptop is flush to my back, unlikely to hit against anything. Other Engadget workers may find the lack of a padded storage space for a DSLR an issue, but I prefer to have a dedicated case for the camera, and ample customizable storage for outside work hours.
-- Mat Smith

Retiring Firefox 3.6

Firefox 3.6. Do you even remember that? Here we are, many (many!) generations later, and I just stopped using v3.6 about a month ago. Why? First off, I'm a creature of habit. Secondly, I had that browser customized just so, and in this line of work, changing anything could mean weeks -- if not an eternity -- of frustration. I knew that some of my archaic plug-ins wouldn't update with fresher builds of Firefox, but at some point, I realized that I couldn't last another day with that browser's horrific memory problems.

Firefox 3.6 was charming and highly functional when it launched, but open up 20-plus tabs, and it drains resources like no other. But despite the facts, I hung with it. It was there for me. We liveblogged together. We fought with one another, spiritually. And I just enjoyed seeing the refresh button on the left of the address bar. Earlier builds of Firefox took a (deserved) amount of flack for chewing up RAM and never spitting it out, but if not for that browser's innovation, would Google or Apple have any incentive to improve Chrome and Safari?

I may have left Firefox 3.6 behind, but I'm still not hopping into that bandwagon of crazies known as the "early adopters." I wrote this in Firefox 7.0.1 -- so, sue me.
-- Darren Murph

Lenovo will launch a Windows Phone in the second half of 2012, says LePhone product manager

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 09:43 AM PST

We've already been teased by a LePhone S2 moonlighting as a Windows Phone last month, but it was only yesterday that Lenovo confirmed an upcoming product featuring said OS. While boasting a mere total of 700,000 phone units sold since the original LePhone debuted in May last year (which is rather mundane compared to the Xiaomi Phone's 300,000 pre-orders in 34 hours), product manager Chen Yue told iMobile that Lenovo's now aiming to release a Windows Phone in the second half of next year. Well, that was apparently all Mr. Chen revealed -- no specs, no prices, and no mention of international launch. Either way, it looks like Nokia will have a nice head start in China with its Lumia 800. No wonder Elop's so happy these days.

Verizon Wireless and Cricket handshake over spectrum, anticipate FCC nod of approval

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 09:21 AM PST

Verizon Wireless and Cricket are looking to swap spectrum holdings, according to a recent FCC filing. The proposed license exchange would see VZW's Block A 700MHz holdings in Chicago handed to Cricket for the purpose of LTE service in the second city. Big Red's purported gain has less to do with its burgeoning 4G build out and more to do with increased high-speed wireless coverage, as the bounty of AWS-1 and PCS licenses it might acquire would bolster its extensive nationwide network. The transaction still has to receive FCC approval, but both parties involved appear confident the transfer of radio waves won't raise any red flags for the Commission, nor impact existing subscriber service. That's all she wrote for now, but we'll keep an eagle eye out and update you as this develops. In the meantime, hit up the source below to peruse the application.

Spotify gets app-happy with new platform (video)

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 08:29 AM PST

Don't say we didn't warn you. As previously reported, today's Spotify "what's next" event in New York City is all about the apps. The Swedish music streaming service's CEO Daniel Ek took the stage today to officially unveiled its new app finder, a platform aimed at bringing users music related info like info like lyrics, events and magazine record reviews. Announced partners include Rolling Stone, The Guardian, Last.fm, Billboard, Pitchfork and more. The company considers the platform the next step in a social strategy that the company began with Facebook integration, a move that brought a vast number of new users to the service.

According to Ek, Spotify is using the platform to add features of its own, as well, including new Facebook-style social stream that lets you see what friends are doing on the service in real-time. The platform will be open to everyone, according to the company, but Spotify will get final approval of all apps before they make their way onto the service. A number of apps, including Rolling Stone and Last.fm will be made available in beta today.
Spotify's 'what's next' event
Spotify's 'what's next' event





Show full PR text
Spotify: A Perfect Platform for Apps

Spotify, the largest and fastest-growing music service of its kind, today opens up a new world of possibilities with Spotify Platform.

Spotify Platform gives third party developers the opportunity to build innovative, engaging music-based apps. To us, it's the next big step in musical enjoyment.

These free apps integrate beautifully with Spotify, both visually and functionally, and can be accessed and shared by millions of Spotify users through the new App Finder, launching today as a preview at www.spotify.com/us/download/previews/

The first generation of Spotify Apps features 16 partner apps, with 12 available from launch today. We've been lucky to partner with some of the brightest and best brands in the world to create engaging, fun, and social apps.

The 13 global partners launching on the Spotify App Finder include Billboard, Fuse, The Guardian, Last.fm, Moodagent, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Songkick, Soundrop, TuneWiki and We Are Hunted, with Top10 and ShareMyPlaylists apps coming soon. We also have three Nordic partners launching local apps, including Tunigo in Sweden which launches today, Gaffa in Denmark and Dagbladet in Norway, which will be launching local Nordic apps soon.

Our integration with Facebook in September has made more people than ever excited about sharing music again, adding more than 7 million new Spotify users in just over two months. And our users have now created more than 500 million playlists, a number which has doubled since just July.

With Spotify Platform, we want to enable innovation on top of music and add many more layers of music enjoyment. We want DJs to create the best lists, and virtual clubs where people can gather together to hear them, dance, and sing along. We want fans to get closer to their favorite artists, and give great editorial partners and tastemakers a way to recommend music to you.

It's also what Spotify users have been asking for. Now anyone can enjoy great music reviews, buy tickets for gigs, sing along with the lyrics, all inside Spotify. In addition, you can curate the apps you want and make Spotify yours... and the launch apps are just the beginning.

Music is many things to many people. With Spotify Platform and a whole bunch of clever apps, we hope we can all get more out of music than ever before.

Speaking at the conference, Spotify CEO and Founder Daniel Ek commented:
"Once you take a look, you'll see why we believe this is truly the beginning of something game-changing for digital music. We think this will lead to integrations that keep Spotify beautiful and simple, but layer in great musical experiences designed to be social and fun. It's what our users have been asking us for."

Spotify Platform beta goes live later today as a preview, at: www.spotify.com/us/download/previews/. For more information about the apps please visit www.spotify.com/apps. The full consumer rollout will take place later in December.

If you were unable to watch Daniel make this announcement live in New York, you can watch again here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/spotify-event
Password: l0vemus1c (both times)

Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: laptops

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 08:00 AM PST

Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! We're well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties surrounding the seasonal shopping experience, so we're here to help you sort out this year's tech treasures. Below is today's bevy of curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season.

Let's get this out of the way: a laptop is an intimate gift. Even if you were to get away with paying just $400, it's a lot to spend on even your spouse (ten years is the netbook anniversary, right?). Not to mention, your lucky giftee will be spending more time with it, perhaps, than they do their friends, families and pets. At the same time, the selection is nothing if not overwhelming, and if you were to make a spreadsheet tallying prices and specs, you'd notice an uncomfortable similarity across different brands. So, we rounded up some of the best we've seen -- everything from all-purpose notebooks to Ultrabooks to high-end dream machines. If you're thinking of pulling the trigger, hop past the break for a few ideas and the (very brief) low-down on the trade-offs you'll be making.


On the cheap


HP Pavilion dm1


The dm1 has long been one of our favorite ultraportables, and it remains relevant even today thanks to a smart redesign that gives people the choice between an AMD E-series APU and a Core i3 processor. With this generation, you'll enjoy Beats Audio, a flush battery that doesn't jut out of the back, a flush trackpad, a soft, non-reflective lid and a re-tooled chassis that makes it look like one of HP's higher-end Pavilions, cut down to size. As for that Core i3 model, it starts at $600, but for the money you at least you get an external optical drive thrown in, gratis.

Key specs: 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) display, 1.65GHz dual-core AMD E-450 APU, 4GB of RAM, 320GB 7,200RPM hard drive, rated for 9 hours of battery life, weighs 3.52 pounds.

Price: $465 on Amazon

You might also like...




Dell Inspiron 14z

At the moment, the 14z happens to be one of our top picks for students and families, thanks to its clean, mostly metal design, comfortable keyboard, fast performance and insanely long battery life (what other $600 machine lasts nearly seven hours unplugged?). Just make sure you uninstall all that bloatware before you get too comfy.

Price: From $650 on Amazon



Sony VAIO SB Series

The SB's price keeps dropping, but even when it cost more we declared it one of our favorite laptops with a built-in optical drive, because of its impressively lightweight design, long battery life, matte display and switchable graphics. The trade-offs: the trackpad isn't the smoothest, and the fan is loud.

Price: From $700 on Sony



Mid-range


HP Folio 13


In retrospect, it's obvious that while we sat around wondering when HP would unveil its first Ultrabook, the company was biding its time, watching the market very closely. At $900, the Folio undercuts most everything else out there while cramming in more features -- namely, a 128GB SSD and backlit keyboard. And though it's plumper than the others, at 3.3 pounds, its extra girth means it has room to accommodate more ports, including HDMI, Ethernet and USB 2.0 and 3.0. And at that price, it's also more polished than the identically priced Acer Aspire S3 Ultrabook, with its brushed metal lid and keyboard deck.

Key specs: 13.3-inch (1366 x 768 display), starts with a Core i5 CPU and 128GB SSD, rated for 9.5 hours of battery life, weighs 3.3 pounds.

Price: $900 and up, available December 7th

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ASUS Zenbook UX31

Though it wasn't the first Ultrabook, it was the first to give the MacBook Air a run for its money. The UX31 is striking with screaming performance, long battery life and a high-res display. Our biggest caveat is that its touchpad remains flaky, even after an update. Anyone who buys this needs to have faith that ASUS will tweak the trackpad until it gets it right.

Price: From $1,100 on Amazon



Lenovo IdeaPad U300s

Okay, it's missing an SD slot and backlit keyboard, and its display is fairly low-res, but hear us out: the U300s is one of the best Ultrabooks you can buy. We love its tasteful, rock-solid aluminum design, sub-20-second boot time and -- most of all -- the comfortable keyboard and glass trackpad.

Price: $1,062 on Amazon



Money's no object


Apple MacBook Air (13-inch)


The MacBook Air's met its match in the form of featherweight upstarts such as the Zenbook UX31 and IdeaPad U300s, and it's been bested outright as far as port selection and screen resolution go. But for now, the Air remains one of our favorite laptops because it succeeds where so many other Ultrabooks have struggled: to this day, its bouncy keys and smooth, reliable trackpad remain unrivaled. The 13-inch Air's user experience makes it worth the extra Benjamins, even if other models offer similar specs for less money.

Key specs: 13.3-inch (1440 x 900) display, starts with a Core i5 CPU, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, rated for 7 hours of battery life, weighs 2.96 pounds.

Price: From $1,235 on Amazon

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Sony VAIO Z Series

It's a good sign when one of our few complaints about a gadget is how pricey it is. The Z is impossibly light and makes fine use of dual SSDs. This time around, it trades switchable graphics for an external dock housing a discrete GPU and an optical drive. We're impressed with its brisk performance and high-res display, but be prepared for some serious fan noise.

Price: From $1,857 on Amazon



HP Envy 17 3D

Sitting at the top of HP's redesigned Envy series, the 17 3D sports a 1080p, display powered by ATI's 3D tech. Like the Envy 15 and Envy 17, its design is half Beats, half MacBook Pro, with a seamless aluminum chassis, backlit keyboard and a sprinkling of red accents. The 17 promises up to eight hours of runtime, support for three monitors and up to either a 128GB SSD or two 1TB drives.

Price: From $1,600, available December 7th

3DConnexion announces SpaceMouse Pro for 3D aficionados, galactic rodents

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 07:44 AM PST

3DConnexion's SpaceMouse Pro won't do much to quench your nostalgia for Hickory, Dickory or Dock, but it could make your three dimensional workflow a bit easier. Announced yesterday, this new peripheral boasts a proprietary "six degrees of freedom sensor" for smoother 3D navigation, along with a quintet of QuickView keys, providing instant access to 12 different viewing angles. Compatible with both PCs and Macs, the mouse also features four "intelligent function keys" to control your most frequently used apps, as well as an onscreen display for instant feedback. Designers, engineers and astronauts can grab the SpaceMouse Pro for $300, at the source link below.
Show full PR text
3Dconnexion Announces its Newest 3D Mouse – the SpaceMouse Pro

SpaceMouse Pro Delivers Professional Navigation, Application Control and an Advanced Ergonomic Design

LAS VEGAS (Autodesk University, Booth #136) – Nov. 29, 2011 – 3Dconnexion today announced the SpaceMouse™ Pro – its newest 3D mouse for professional 3D software users working in a range of industries from mechanical engineering to media and entertainment, product design, architecture, and healthcare. SpaceMouse Pro combines 3Dconnexion's patented six-degrees-of-freedom (6DoF) sensor for intuitive and precise 3D navigation with an advanced ergonomic design and innovative On-screen Display, to deliver superior comfort and a simpler, more productive workflow.

"3D mice revolutionize the way people interact with digital 3D content," said Antonio Pascucci, vice president of products, 3Dconnexion. "We are committed to developing products that meet the needs of 3D users. SpaceMouse Pro provides a professional 3D navigation experience, enabling users to better understand their 3D content, while its new advanced ergonomic design ensures a comfortable working experience."

The SpaceMouse Pro 3D mouse is an easy-to-use, professional solution with advanced features, including:

- Professional Navigation: The patented six-degrees-of-freedom sensor provides intuitive 3D navigation while five QuickView keys offer one-touch access to 12 view combinations – top, right, front, and 90-degree rotation.

- Advanced Ergonomic Design: SpaceMouse Pro ensures a balanced and comfortable workflow with full-size, soft-coated hand rest and fifteen large, tactile and easy-to-locate buttons.

- Application Control: Four large, fully customizable Intelligent Function Keys provide fingertip access to frequently used application commands while the new On-screen Display provides visual feedback on function key assignment. In addition, SpaceMouse Pro's Keyboard Modifiers provide convenient access to Control, Shift, Alt, Esc functions.

3Dconnexion will be demonstrating the SpaceMouse Pro in booth #136 at Autodesk University 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Nov. 29 – Dec. 1.

About 3Dconnexion 3D Mice
3Dconnexion 3D mice revolutionize the way users work with 3D applications by providing a more natural and intuitive way to interact with digital 3D content. By gently manipulating the controller cap, users can simultaneously pan, zoom and rotate their 3D models or camera position while using the standard mouse to select, create and edit. It's an intuitive, balanced and cooperative work style that results in increased productivity, improvements in design quality and enhanced comfort.

Compatibility, Pricing and Availability
The SpaceMouse Pro is backed by a three-year warranty, and is currently available at a suggested retail price of $299. The SpaceMouse Pro is supported by Windows 7, Vista®, XP, Mac OS 10.4.6 or later, Sun Solaris 8 (SPARC), Sun Solaris 10 (x86/x64), and Linux® (Redhat Enterprise Linux WS 4, SuSE 9.3 or later).

The entire 3Dconnexion product line, including the Professional Series with the SpacePilot™ Pro (MSRP $399), SpaceMouse Pro and SpaceExplorer (MSRP $299), and the Standard Series with the SpaceNavigator (MSRP $99) and SpaceNavigator for Notebooks (MSRP $129), are available from professional CAD resellers and major online resellers including CDW, Insight, PC Connection, and PC Mall. For additional information, visit www.3Dconnexion.com.

Nokia links up with Bluetooth 4.0 for indoor positioning, because anything Google can do, it can do better

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 07:26 AM PST

Not to be outdone by the mobile mammoth that is Google, Nokia's prepping its own version of indoor maps for wireless users. Rather than run the risk of being a me too! product, Espoo's Research labs have chosen Bluetooth 4.0 as the main ingredient for its in development location service. The Finnish company's hoping to get a slew of partners onboard so it can begin outfitting retail shops, malls and other well-trodden public spaces with inexpensive antenna arrays that would track a user's movements via device-embedded Bluetooth tags. But indoor positioning for mobile-wielding users isn't the only endgame here, as the tech could also find its way into shopping carts -- useful for gathering analytics on consumer habits. It's certainly a privacy trade-off, but by now you should be well comfy with the notion that digital convenience always comes at a cost. Hit up the source below to take a peek at the proposed equipment.

Peltier elements power thermal gaming, warm backsides

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 07:08 AM PST

Technology's all about touch and movement nowadays, isn't it? A team from Tokyo Metropolitan University doesn't think so: it's exploring the possibilities of thermal gaming. Using Peltier elements (which are hot one side and cold the other), it's built three experimental uses for the gear. Thermodraw sits an element beneath a screen that changes temperature based on the colors painted -- an icy tundra will find the image cold to touch, Hawaii holiday snaps the opposite. Thermogame places the elements inside the controller, helping you navigate fire and ice hazards and Thermochair, which changes temperature if you get a message -- although we think it would make a handy backside warmer (and a great way to prank people into thinking they'd just lost bladder control). You can watch the trifecta in action after the break, explained in the warm, soporific tones of Diginfo's narrator.

Box.net befriends Android, will offer Sony Ericsson Xperia phones 50GB of free cloud storage (update: LG phones too)

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 06:51 AM PST

How much cloud storage space do you need? 2GB? 5GB? Pah! Box.net scoffs at your puny storage needs, and plan to offer a substantial 50GB of free storage (again) for anyone packing a Sony Ericsson Android phone. While the plans have leaked ahead of schedule, the fine details haven't been hammered out just yet; the official blog tells us that the company's "working to provide this offer very soon to all Xperia customers." When the offer does go live, logging in to (or creating) a Box.net account on any Xperia handset will open the floodgates to 50 gigs of intangible internet storage fo' life. If this keeps up, it shouldn't be long till we're looking at gratis terabytes and are freed of our not-exactly-crippling USB stick addiction, right?

Update: Sony Ericsson's not the only one getting gratis cloud storage -- LG owners can snag 50GB for life, too. PR's after the break.
Show full PR text
LG-Box Partnership Brings 50GB of Free Lifetime Storage in the Cloud to All LG Android Mobile Devices

Users of LG Android Mobile Handsets Are First to Receive 50 GB of Free Cloud Storage and Enterprise-Grade Security with Box for Android to Enhance their Enterprise Mobile Experience

SAN DIEGO and PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Electronics Inc. (LG), a global technological force in mobile communications and Box, a leading cloud content management provider, today announced that LG would be the first handset maker to offer 50GB of free cloud storage via Box for Android on all LG Android mobile devices. LG users who sign up for an account with Box through their LG Android mobile devices between November 30, 2011 and March 31, 2012 will enjoy the benefits of free, secure cloud storage and sharing for the lifetime of the account.

"With 50GB of free cloud storage from Box combined with world-class LG Android mobile devices, LG users are provided with cloud computing capabilities to support secure content management, collaboration and productivity on the move," said Ki S. Kim, corporate vice president and head of Global Enterprise Mobility Solutions (B2B) at LG Electronics. "We will continue to set the standard in the enterprise mobility space by introducing innovative, cutting-edge solutions to enhance the mobile experience of enterprise users."

"Android mobile adoption is growing at an unprecedented rate and by working with LG, we are bringing the full power of the cloud to those users," said Aaron Levie, co-founder and CEO of Box. "To take full advantage of mobile computing, it is essential that users never have to worry about storage limitations, and we believe that LG's efforts combined with the capabilities of Box will be a turning point for both the mobile device and cloud storage categories."

According to a recent Gartner report, the Android operating system accounted for 52.5 percent of smartphone sales to end users in the third quarter of 2011, more than doubling its market share from the third quarter of 2010. LG, as one of the worldwide leaders in mobile, has released a line of sleek and powerful Android devices this year including the Revolution 4G LTE, Thrill 4G, Marquee and most recently, DoublePlay.

This joint storage offering culminates from LG's efforts in establishing a solid portfolio of enterprise mobility solution offerings through a robust partner ecosystem. It complements LG's current suite of solutions encompassed within four major categories – mobile device management and security, mobile virtualization, unified communications and cloud computing. As a leading player in the B2B enterprise sphere, LG has gained industry recognition for its manufacturing expertise and integration of mobility solutions into smartphones. Just recently, the Revolution™ by LG with VMware Horizon Mobile™ – the world's first LTE 4G dual-persona smartphone – was announced as an Honoree of the International CES Innovations 2012 Design and Engineering Awards.

With secure file sharing and storage from Box, LG is poised to support users' demands for access to content from their mobile devices in both their personal and professional lives. Today, Box helps more than seven million individuals and 100,000 businesses, including 82 percent of the Fortune 500, share and manage all their content in the cloud and from mobile devices. Now, LG device owners will realize the full benefits of the Box platform, leveraging the Box app to:

Manage an immense amount of content in the cloud with 50GB of free storage, the equivalent of approximately 50,000 docs, photos and presentations.

View, upload and share all types of content from anywhere.

Leverage Box's open platform to securely access and share information across devices and applications with extreme ease.

Details and Availability

The Box for Android 50GB promotion is applicable to Android OS 2.1 or above with display resolution 320x480 or higher. The promotion is available in the U.S. starting November 30, 2011 and concluding on March 31, 2012.

For more information on LG's Enterprise Mobility Solutions, please visit http://enterprisesolutions.lgmobile.com/main.htm.

For more information on the Gartner report, "Market Share: Mobile Communication Devices by Region and Country, 3Q11," please visit Gartner's website at http://www.gartner.com/resId=1847315.

Mobislyder offers low-level roll track for filming, gleams the cube

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 06:31 AM PST

You tried to shoot a quick handheld movie with your smartphone the other night. And it wound up looking like you shot it in the middle of an earthquake. Before putting your video editing application's "Analyze for Stabilization" feature to the test, have a gander at Glidetrack's Mobislyder. Essentially a combination of a roll track and a skateboard, the Mobislyder ships with a variety of mounts to fit a selection of smartphones, camcorders and compact cameras. This, combined with four non-rolling feet and a swivel mount, allow the Mobislyder to be used at almost any low angle. That thing you're peering at above is available for $135, which could be a solid deal for a good, steady, sliding platform to shoot from. Or, it could be $96 more than the parts you picked up from Radio Shack and Home Depot to perform the exact same function. A full video demo awaits after the break.


MOVE OVER Spielberg and Tarantino, the cinematic style of big movie making has gone viral with the launch of mobislyder - the world's first portable dolly designed specifically for smartphones and compact cameras.

The mobislyder, a new innovation from Glidetrack, the world's leading camera slider company, is set to revolutionise mobile device video production. Stylish and ultraportable, the mobislyder has been designed from the ground up to suit a broad range of small video-enabled devices - including iPhone, Android smart phones, smaller DSLR cameras and mini camcorders.

As video on demand becomes the medium of choice for businesses and individuals the mobislyder provides professionals and amateurs alike with the ability to create cinematic-style shots.

"For years sophisticated-looking camera moves were only available to professionals with big budgets and truck loads of gear. But now, with most camera devices capable of shooting HD video, mobislyder allows operators to take smooth tracking shots fit for the big screen -all with the sweep of a finger," said Alastair Brown, the 43-year-old UK entrepreneur who founded Glidetrack in 2008.

The name Glidetrack has now become synonymous with these types of cinematic gliding moves. There are literally thousands of user videos on YouTube and Vimeo created by people using the equipment to enhance the quality of their productions.

"We have been working on creating a smaller Glidetrack-style piece of equipment suitable for mobile devices such as iPhone and compact cameras for some time but until now the video quality wasn't quite there," said Alastair. "However, with the development of the iPhone 4S and other new generation devices capable of shooting full high definition video we fele the time was right to launch the mobislyder."

The new device, which retails at around £129 ($175 USD) but is being made available at a special launch price of £99 ($135 USD) in the run up to Christmas, is perfect for special occasions such as weddings, concerts, holidays, sports events, social media news reporting and even corporate promotions and PR videos.

With more than 200,000 videos uploaded to YouTube, and in excess of 1 billion views, every day the demand for good quality user generated content on the web is booming, especially among companies getting to grips with the value of video.

Various surveys into the impact of video suggests news releases with video links have a 300 per cent higher retention rate and 500 per cent more views than text only versions. Products promoted with video have reported increased sales of between 17 per cent and 36 per cent.

According to the latest industry figures total online video views are on track to grow by some 20% from 640billion last year to around 770billion this year while paid-for online video revenues will reach in excess of $3bn (USD). And with experts predicting sales of smartphones to exceed more than 450million worldwide this year volume is set to increase even more.

However, the more videos there are the more demanding and selective viewers are becoming.

"The days of shaky video being posted online are gone. People are becoming more demanding about what they watch which means companies or individuals need to improve the quality of their videos and mobislyder can help them do that," added Alastair.

"We see mobislyder as becoming the industry standard piece of gear for Ebay sellers, Amazon product videos, Bloggers - in fact anyone wanting to get high quality video on their site without breaking the bank."

Worlds first elasticated USB cables invent bungee jumpering (video)

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 06:09 AM PST

Recall those stretchy transistors and bendy silicon circuits? Now you can plumb them together with these Roboden elasticated cables. Asahi Kasei corporation came up with the idea while trying to create cords flexible enough to power up humanoid robots. Thanks to its work with Spandex, the company knew human skin can stretch by a factor of 1.5, and a cable with similar properties would be ideal for juicing up them 'droids. USB leads are planned, among other types, meaning you could make it all the way to the fridge in your heated slippers without unplugging. Check out the video below and you'll see why we're already designing next year's Tron costume for Halloween.


Brazil wants to build South American broadband network, says it will bring down costs

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 05:47 AM PST

A pan-South American broadband network: It sounds rather ambitious, but that's exactly what Brazil proposed yesterday, during a meeting of the continent's communications ministers. In an address to his colleagues, Brazil's Paulo Bernardo called for the creation of "a ring of South American fiber optic networks" encompassing the entire continent. This "South American solution," he added, would lower the costs of internet and mobile access across the region, benefiting consumers and ISPs alike. "Connection costs for South American users represent on average between 35 and 40 percent of the total price of the service," the minister explained. "An Internet provider in South America pays, in the best of cases, three times more for the connection than in the United States. This situation must change urgently." Bernardo estimates that the initiative would cost about $60 million and could be completed within two years, though it'll likely have to jump through a few more hoops before nearing reality.

Berg's Little Printer churns out RSS feeds with a receipt and a smile

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 05:25 AM PST

It's hard to think of a device more aptly named than BergCloud's Little Printer. It's little. It prints. It even smiles at you. And why wouldn't it? It's adorable. Equally notable is what it produces -- RSS feeds printed out on grocery store-style receipts. All you have to do is hook it up to your router, configure your RSS subscriptions from your smartphone and press a button to print them out. The Little Printer connects wirelessly to a small box that's plugged into your router. This box, in turn, interfaces with the Berg Cloud (also unveiled this week), providing constant updates and pulling down any web content you've selected. If, for instance, you want to print out Foursquare updates, you can use the app to add them to your queue and print them out for later reading. It's basically like InstaPaper... with more paper. BergCloud has already struck partnerships with ARUP, Foursquare, The Guardian, Nike and Google, though more are on the way. No word yet on pricing, but the device is slated to go up for pre-order sometime next year. Check it out in action, after the break.

[Thanks, Dave]

Ricoh's modular GXR camera getting new 16 megapixel APS-C unit with 24-85mm lens

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 05:03 AM PST

A new lens for your DSLR or Micro Four Thirds camera may make you feel like you have a whole new camera, but that's really the case with the interchangeable units for the Ricoh GXR. The latest addition to the modular camera's bag of tricks a new 16 megapixel unit with an APS-C sensor, which comes paired with a 24-85mm zoom lens (f3.5-5.5 aperture). Unfortunately, Ricoh isn't getting specific with a price a specific release date (saying only early 2012), but photographer Cristian Sorega reports on his blog that Ricoh will make an official announcement at CES in January, with a release set for January 20th.

What's next for Spotify? Apps, apparently

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 04:43 AM PST

We may have to wait until noon ET today to get the official word on "what's next" from Spotify, but The Wall Street Journal has kindly given us an early peak into what we can expect a few hours from now -- namely, apps. The Swedish music streaming service is apparently getting ready to go all Facebook on us, offering up apps galore. When it launches today, the service's "app finder" will include magazine reviews, concert listings, lyrics and the like, so you'll never have to guess at what Tom Waits is saying again.

British Library digitizes 300 years worth of newspaper archives, brings 65 million articles online

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 04:41 AM PST

Britain's historical news junkies are in for a treat today, because the British Library has just digitized a major chunk of its newspaper archive, comprised of four million pages spanning some 300 years of headlines. With today's launch of the British Newspaper Archive, users can search and browse through a staggering 65 million articles from a range of regional UK papers, encompassing the most newsworthy events from the past few centuries. Developed in coordination with online publisher Brightsolid, the archive also allows for remote article access and download, saving researchers a trip to the British Library's newspaper depository in North London. The initiative seems similar to some we've seen from the Library of Congress in recent years, though the archive isn't completely open to the public. Users can search the site for free, but will have to pay a subscription fee to download any article as a PDF. And, expansive as the selection may be, Brightsolid and the Library are aiming to digitize a full 40 million pages over the course of the next decade.

Nevertheless, today's arrival marks an important first step for the British Library and, in a larger sense, British history -- on both individual and collective levels. "For the first time people can search for their ancestors through the pages of our newspapers wherever they are in the world at any time," Ed King, head of the library's newspaper collection, told the Telegraph. "But what's really striking is how these pages take us straight back to scenes of murders, social deprivation and church meetings from hundreds of year ago, which we no longer think about as we haven't been able to easily access articles about them." Be sure to check out the archive at the source link below, and be prepared to lose your entire afternoon in the process.

YaCy's gunning for Google with free-software bullets

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 04:21 AM PST

YaCy's a new free-software search engine aiming to wrest control of your private data back from the Googles and Bings of this world. There's no targeted advertising here, just a global network of peers all connected with the site's software. It currently has 600 peer operators servicing 130,000 queries monthly, with each user able to create individual search rankings so results improve over time. Project head Michael Christen said it's important no person decides what is listed, or in what order -- which makes us wonder what would happen if the Justin Bieber fan club decided to game the system. The software is available on GNU/Linux, Windows 7 and OS X and you can try a web-based tester (if you can get it working) at the source link below.

NASA gets in on the app store action, keeps the pickins slim

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 04:02 AM PST

apps@NASA
Seriously, who is left without an app store at this point? Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Microsoft, NVIDIA, even the US Army has an app outlet to call their own. Now multi-national corporations and DARPA are being joined by NASA, which opened its own depot called apps@NASA over the holiday weekend. The goal is to provide employees and contractors with access to agency data and systems on the go. For the moment, there ain't much there. WebTADS is a time tracking app available for iPhone and BlackBerry, while NASA Contacts is, well, a contacts app for looking up the deets of your aerospace colleagues, but it's an iOS only affair. We expect the selection will be expanded soon and, fingers crossed, Android and WP7 will be added to the mix in the not too distant future.

Visualized: Sweden's Dreamhack in pictures

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 03:34 AM PST

What does a legion of Swedish LAN party-goers and a 120Gbps internet connection look like? Something like this. Dreamhack, officially (according to the Guinness Book of Records) the world's largest LAN party, offered up all sorts of gaming thrills along the lines of StarCraft II and Counter-Strike to the 12,000 attendees. It looks like the air was thick with excitement, perspiration -- and hopefully a little air freshener.

New Samsung chip has two of everything: two cores, 2GHz, 2560 x 1600 graphics

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 03:02 AM PST

Sammy's current Cortex A9-based chips are hardly slackers -- the Galaxy Note already proved that to any lingering doubters. Nevertheless, the next-gen Exynos 5250 SoC promises to double that sort of performance, by harnessing two Cortex-A15 chips clocked at 2GHz each, along with a GPU that can output resolutions of up to 2560 x 1600 (WQXGA). It's like big.LITTLE computing, except without the LITTLE. Samsung reckons it'll start mass producing the 5250 for use in high-end tablets by the second quarter of next year, which should be just in time to stop NVIDIA from getting too cocky.

Stradivarius violin recreated from CAT scan, 'sounds amazingly similar'

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 02:37 AM PST

We've seen all kinds of crazy things being printed -- from bones to blood vessels -- and now you can add antique violins to that list. Music loving Radiologist Steven Sirr popped his into a CAT scanner to see what it was made of, then showed the results to a violin-making friend. Curiosity soon led them to scan everything from guitars to mandolins, so when the chance to take a peek inside a 307-year-old Stradivarius came up, how could they resist? 1000 scans later, the files were converted to 3D CAD format and another violin maker enlisted. Crucially, the images show the density of the wood all the way through, allowing a CNC machine to carve out copies of each section, with different woods used to match the differing densities. With all the parts in place and a lick of varnish, the replicas were complete. Sirr claims the copies sound "amazingly similar" to the original, but we are unsure if he plans to make it open-source.

That rarest of creatures, the white Nokia N9, should appear before Christmas

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 02:13 AM PST

A poet would say it's like a piece of ivory: both beautiful and sad. Meanwhile, Nokia's official blog says the white N9 is coming to the UK before the end of the year with a rarefied 64GB of on-board storage. We have no idea as to the price, but we suspect dedicated MeeGo memento hunters will hardly care.

Update: Oh hell, sorry Britannia. We actually meant to say it's coming to all those (not very many) countries where the N9 is already available. Nokia confirmed to us today that it's on target to supply white N9s to those markets in December. Everyone else will have to get it via a price-inflated import. Apologies for the bad geography.

Sony updates PS3 to version 4.00 ahead of PS Vita launch

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 01:30 AM PST

Sony is setting the table for the PlayStation Vita today, with the release of a new PS3 update. With version 4.00, rolling out now, PS3 users will be able to share content like music, video and images with the forthcoming Vita, scheduled to launch in Japan on December 17th. The refresh also allows gamers to save PS Vita games and data on their PS3 hard drives, while updating their handheld software using the PS3's network. There are some more PS3-specific features, as well, including enhanced PSN privacy settings and game patches, among others. Find out more at the source link below.

Autonomy CEO talks about HP's future, promises 'really stunning technology'

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 12:32 AM PST

New details are emerging today about HP's plans for Autonomy, nearly two months after Whitman & Co. purchased the software-maker for a cool $10.4 billion. In an interview with ZDNet UK, Autonomy chief executive Mike Lynch said his company's search, data analysis and AR technologies will be integrated within a range of HP products, including its printers, servers and storage unit, and its consumer-focused Personal Systems Group, which handles phones, tablets and PCs. "There is a lot of work going on between the different business units at HP," Lynch explained. "Servers and storage is obviously key [but with the] Personal Systems Group stuff is going to come that was only available for very large companies." He went on to say that Autonomy's data analysis artillery will be linked up to HP's public cloud service, and that both companies have developed some "really stunning technology" for printers. The exec didn't offer many details beyond that, but he did promise that more information would be released "very shortly."

Lenovo LePhone K2 to arrive with 4.3-inch IPS display, 1.5GHz dual-core chip

Posted: 29 Nov 2011 11:40 PM PST

Frankly speaking, the phones that Lenovo have announced so far this week haven't been all that exciting (unless, of course, you're somehow aroused by its 5-inch tabletphone), but it turned out the folks had a little surprise for us: the LePhone K2. What we got here is a 4.3-inch IPS display (resolution of which not yet announced), a powerful dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8260 chip, 1GB RAM, 1GB ROM and an eight megapixel 1080p camera. Sadly, like the S2 and the S760, this crouching tiger also packs Android 2.3.5 instead of Ice Cream Sandwich, but without a price or a release date, perhaps there's still a small chance that we'll see it eventually launching with the newer OS. Anyhow, that's just our wishful thinking. Chinese hands-on video after the break.
Lenovo LePhone K2 to arrive with 4.3-inch IPS display, 1.5GHz dual-core chip

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Google: Galaxy Nexus volume fix to roll out next week

Posted: 29 Nov 2011 11:19 PM PST

Hey, remember those volume issues that European Galaxy Nexus users were complaining about? While a software fix may have already floated around the internet ether last week, Google has informed us that it'll be officially distributing the retweak very soon. Or, in its words: "We're currently rolling out a fix for the volume issue which will reach everyone in the coming week."

Sonos software updates bring Android tablet support, Slacker and Spotify upgrades

Posted: 29 Nov 2011 11:01 PM PST

Wireless music streaming kingpins Sonos rolled out a number of software updates tonight, including System Software 3.6, which brings added controls to Sonos Wireless HiFi, integration with Slacker and some improvements to the service's Spotify offerings. The newly revamped Sonos Controller for Android, meanwhile, offers up support for Android tablets running 2.2 or higher. More info after the jump.
Show full PR text
SONOS ADDS MORE CONTROL AND MORE MUSIC TO WIRELESS HiFi SYSTEM

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – November 30, 2011 – Sonos, Inc., the leading manufacturer of wireless music systems, today announced Sonos System Software 3.6, an innovative update that adds more control and more music to the Sonos Wireless HiFi experience. This free software is available to all Sonos customers via a one button update to their system.

"Today's feature update reaffirms our commitment to persistently innovate so that Sonos users have the ultimate music experience in every room of the home," said John MacFarlane, founder and CEO, Sonos, Inc. "Endless music and effortless control are what will keep us as the gold standard for listening out loud in the home."

The free Sonos Controller for Android now supports Android® tablets as well as smartphones, letting you control Sonos from any Android device. With Sonos, you can stream all the music on earth wirelessly in every room, and now control it wirelessly on a larger screen with any Android tablet running 2.2 or higher, including the Kindle Fire, HTC Flyer™, Motorola Xoom™, Samsung Galaxy Tab™, Sony Tablet S™, and many others. Plus, Sonos Controller for Android includes new enhancements such as alarms, music library management and Twitter support for Android smartphones and tablets alike. Download it from Android Market.

Slacker® Radio is now available as a free music service on Sonos in the United States and Canada. With Slacker on Sonos you can tune in for free to over 150 expert-programmed stations and create unlimited custom stations from a library of millions of songs. You can even read artist biographies as you listen in every room. Upgrade to Slacker Radio Plus for an ad-free experience or Slacker Premium Radio for even more features like on-demand access to millions of songs, albums and artists and the ability to create custom playlists. Subscribers can also fully personalize their ESPN Radio stations with their favorite shows, plus team and sports updates. To register or learn more about Slacker on Sonos, please visit slacker.com/Sonos.

With Sonos 3.6 software, Sonos is also introducing Sonos Labs, a new Beta environment where customers will be able to test out music services before they're officially launched on Sonos. New music services will be added to Sonos Labs on an ongoing basis. Media and music service developers can learn more about becoming a Sonos Labs music partner at http://musicpartners.sonos.com.

Sonos 3.6 also includes improved Spotify® integration on Sonos, giving Spotify fans on Sonos access to their Spotify Inbox and ability to play music from Spotify's new releases and top tracks.

Other features of Sonos 3.6 include:

AAC+ codec support

More local language support with Danish and Norwegian

Full details of Sonos 3.6 software can be found here: http://www.sonos.com/support/software_updates/.

Nissan sells more than 20,000 Leafs in first year, high-fives commence on Tokyo Motor Show floor

Posted: 29 Nov 2011 10:27 PM PST

You win this round, hippies! Only a few months after announcing that it sold 10,000 all-electric Leaf cars in international markets, Nissan stated at the Tokyo Motor Show today that the company has sold over 20,000 Leafs since the car went on sale in December of 2010. Of the 9,000 Leafs that have been sold to U.S. owners, over 60 percent went to homes in California, where owners no doubt admire their electric cars while enjoying their tasty organic kale and starfruit smoothies. The company also added that it expects to sell more than 10,000 Leafs in the U.S. by the end of 2011, which dovetails perfectly into their predictions. Given that the Japanese EV's prime competition has been plagued by concerns about its flammability, Nissan might just exceed those expectations.

SandyStation interactive sandbox uses Kinect to make topography much more interesting (video)

Posted: 29 Nov 2011 09:05 PM PST

If you're not really into using your Kinect experiment to launch your new startup or give your next presentation, let us offer another entertaining option. Two students at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen have created an interactive sandbox using Kinect, a projector, a computer and, of course, a box chock full of sand. The Xbox motion / depth detector is installed about two feet above the sand pit to measure each area that is carved out. Using a unique detection program, the topographical information is then transmitted to a data projector that renders an image in the sandpit -- the image being a color based on the height or depth of what has been created. The devs have built out a few different projections. Hills that are constructed by the user are assigned a shade of green based on height, while troughs are given blue hues according to depth. What's that? You built a hill and dug out the center? The projector sees that as a volcano, complete with spewing lava. If you're tired of SimCity and want to actually get your hands dirty, take a peak at the video just past the break.

[Thanks, Mark]

Harvard-designed 'soft robot' shows you how low it can go (video)

Posted: 29 Nov 2011 08:24 PM PST

It's the stuff of slow-moving robopocalyptic nightmares: a 'soft robot' designed by a team of Harvard scientists that draws inspiration from invertebrates like worms and starfish. The wired 'bot is made from a flexible elastomer material that allows it to squeeze into spaces that are inaccessible for more traditional robots. Inside are chambers that inflate and deflate, allowing the thing to undulate forward. Definitely check out the robot in action after the break.

HandyNES mod shrinks console, makes light gun look like light cannon

Posted: 29 Nov 2011 07:41 PM PST

Vita schmita. This red mushroom-themed portable NES is the latest gaming tribute from modder LovableChevy, combining the original Entertainment System's innards with a 3.5-inch LCD screen, built-in controls and a rechargeable battery. The tinkerer has taken the time to include an AV out, headphone jack and an extra USB port for either a light gun or a second controller. However, the old tech involved takes its toll: the whole thing weighs in at around one pound (sans game) and offers up only three hours of play from a single charge. Think you can handle this portable heavyweight? Then check out the video after the break.

Samsung wins a patent battle to sell Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia, war with Apple not over

Posted: 29 Nov 2011 07:13 PM PST

The latest development in the patent skirmish between Samsung and Apple is a decision in Australia's Federal Court to overturn a ban on Galaxy Tab 10.1 sales that was placed in October. The Sydney Morning Herald reports local retailers are still unsure when they may be able to sell Samsung's slate, as Justice Lindsay Foster ruled the ban will remain until 4PM Friday, giving Apple time to appeal the case to the High Court first. Like its battle over the redesigned slate just introduced in Germany, this war between the electronics giants will continue on -- we'll let you know when there's another decision of consequence.

Update: You can read the decision yourself, linked below under more coverage. [Thanks Steve Man!]

Nikon launches $550 Speedlight SB-910 flash: light-up controls and thermal cut-out protection

Posted: 29 Nov 2011 07:12 PM PST

You know what $549.95 gets you in the camera world? About 90 percent of a T3i. Or, you know, a flash. Nikon has just outed the proper successor to the Speedlight SB-900, and at over half a grand, it best be packin' more than just bright lights. The Speedlight SB-910 touts an enhanced operating system and graphic user interface, and comes equipped with a wide zoom range as well as FX / DX-format identification that optimizes zoom settings based on the camera body. The company's also promising better battery life and a bolstered thermal cut-out function -- which offers protection against damage to the flash panel and body from overheating during continuous flash use -- not to mention an improved LCD and the ability to be used as an on-camera flash, wireless commander or remote. You'll get a trio of illumination patterns (standard, center-weighted and even), and it'll be shipping here in the US in just over a fortnight. Here's hoping it's not too late to add a last-minute crush to your wish list.
Nikon Speedlight SB-910 camera flash
Show full PR text
THE NEW NIKON SB-910 SPEEDLIGHT HARNESSES POWERFUL FLEXIBILITY AND CONTROL FOR THE REVOLUTIONARY CREATIVE LIGHTING SYSTEM

New Nikon SB-910 Speedlight Offers Advanced Flash Technology and Intelligent Features

MELVILLE, N.Y. (November 29, 2011) – Today, Nikon Inc. announced the addition of a new flagship speedlight, the powerful and capable SB-910 speedlight. Building on the versatility of Nikon's Creative Lighting System (CLS), the SB-910 incorporates an enhanced intuitive operating system and graphic user interface (GUI). The SB-910 speedlight comes equipped with a wide zoom range covering the most popular focal lengths as well as FX/DX-format identification that optimizes zoom settings based on the camera body. This new speedlight also provides more efficient battery usage as well as an enhanced Thermal Cut-Out function.

"As Nikon's new flagship speedlight, the SB-910 provides exceptional high performance and versatility that users have come to value in Nikon's Creative Lighting System," said Lisa Osorio, general manager of marketing at Nikon Inc. "By addressing the needs of photographers that work in challenging lighting scenarios, the SB-910 delivers a new level of portable lighting functionality, with performance and intelligent features that adapt to a wide range of lighting challenges."

The SB-910 speedlight is designed to provide easy operation and menu navigation, with its enhanced operating system featuring illuminated function buttons, a dedicated Menu button with quick access to custom settings and an improved LCD screen graphic user interface. Whether the unit is used as an on-camera flash, wireless commander or remote, the SB-910 speedlight will provide dependable and consistent flash exposure. Engineered to address the creative lighting challenges faced by today's photographers, the SB-910 speedlight includes quick on-demand performance and the ability to adapt seamlessly to nearly any possible lighting scenario.

Additionally, the new SB-910 incorporates a new Thermal Cut-Out function, which offers protection against damage to the flash panel and body from overheating during continuous flash use. Now, the flash recycling time is automatically delayed if a significant rise in temperature is detected, rather than ceasing operation to protect the unit. For additional durability, heat-resistance and ease-of-use, the SB-910 uses new hard-type color compensation filters for fluorescent and incandescent color temperature balancing. When using these filters, the flash automatically recognizes which filter is being used and adjusts white balance accordingly on the connected Nikon D-SLR camera. Additionally, the AF-assist illuminator of the SB-910 is compatible with the complete line of AF systems used in Nikon D-SLR cameras.

The SB-910 speedlight features three illumination patterns (standard, center-weighted and even) which are designed to match almost any shooting situation when utilizing the speedlight. The "standard" pattern will cover all conventional, standard flash coverage. The "center-weighted" pattern provides larger guide numbers than other light distribution types at the same focal lengths. This illumination pattern is ideal for subjects such as portraits, in which the light falloff at the image edges can be disregarded. When "even" is selected, the light from the flash will cover a subject from the center to the edges without light falloff. This pattern is applicable for shooting group photographs indoors. For coverage with a variety of lenses, the SB-910 speedlight incorporates a multi-step power zoom range that covers a wide 17-200mm angle of view, and can automatically detect Nikon FX and Nikon DX formats to help select suitable light distribution.

The SB-910 speedlight includes support for Nikon's advanced wireless TTL operation and can function as a wireless commander with control over three separate groups of speedlights or as a remote speedlight triggered by other SB-910 speedlights, SB-700 speedlights, SU-800 Wireless Commander or the built-in speedlight set to Commander Mode on compatible Nikon D-SLR cameras. The SB-910 incorporates a high-speed recycling time of approximately 2.5 seconds for full power with NiMH batteries, and approximately 3.0 seconds with AA Alkaline batteries.

Optional water guards will be available for select cameras to protect the connection between the flash and camera, allowing users to utilize the flash when weather conditions are less than ideal. The SJ-4 Color Filter set provides a Warming, Red, Yellow or Blue filter for adding color to the background, foreground or just to accent the scene. The SB-910 will come equipped with the AS-21 Speedlight Stand, SW-13H Diffusion Dome, SZ-2FL and SZ-2TN hard type Color Compensation Filters and SS-910 soft case.

Price and Availability

Nikon's new flagship speedlight, the SB-910, will be available in mid-December 2011 for a SRP*of $549.95. For more information, please visit www.nikonusa.com.

Siri lends a hand via your Bluetooth-enabled car stereo, reminds you to buy milk (video)

Posted: 29 Nov 2011 06:27 PM PST

Sure, we've seen Siri used to do a host of things, including controlling the temperature in a hacker's home. But the folks over at Autoblog were curious to know just how well the virtual assistant would work with Bluetooth-enabled car stereos. Once your iPhone 4S is properly tethered, holding down the handset's home button will activate Siri. Treating her as an incoming call, your Notorious B.I.G. playlist will pause before the ready-for-command chime sounds. The in-car assistant was tested on two Mercedes-Benz automobiles, a Chrysler 300, a Dodge Charger and a Nissan Maxima, with the Maxima showcasing the best results. It comes as no surprise that mic placement on each stereo and in-cabin background noise provided a noticeable difference in Siri's listening abilities during the test. For a glimpse of the action before trying it out yourself, hit the video just past the break.

SSTL designs cheap radar satellite, UK government kicks in £21 million to build it

Posted: 29 Nov 2011 05:59 PM PST

While we have an innate fear of the eye in the sky (and the role it'll play in the coming robot apocalypse), there's no doubt that observation satellites do a lot of good -- from recording weather and climate changes to helping coordinate relief efforts in the wake of natural disasters. Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) has plans to beef up planetary monitoring capabilities with its new NovaSAR satellite, and the company just received £21 million from the UK government to make it happen. NovaSAR works using synthetic aperture radar, so it can see through clouds (unlike optical satellites) and offers its services for £45 million -- or 20 percent of the cost of existing space radar platforms. With governmental funding in hand, SSTL can begin to develop and build its first such satellite, and the plan is to put it in orbit in two or three years. If NovaSAR does what it's been designed to do, SSTL hopes it can sell and launch enough of them so that any place on earth can be under its gaze in less than 24 hours. We're all for improving disaster relief efforts, but if you spy these sats overhead on a clear night, we recommend keeping an ear to the ground in case they're guiding an army of Alpha Dogs your way.
Show full PR text
Government investment brings low cost radar satellites to market

Rt. Honourable David Willetts, Minister of State for Universities and Science, today announced an investment of £21M that will enable British small satellite pioneer SSTL to launch an innovative and highly competitive new space-based radar remote sensing programme in the international market.

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is a powerful tool for monitoring the Earth from space because of its ability to see through clouds and image Earth night or day. Despite growing demand, the cost and complexity of radar satellites severely limit their use where it is urgently needed - such as maritime surveillance (anti-piracy, illegal fishing, drug trafficking, pollution), the oil & gas industry (pollution, ice hazards, arctic passages) and environmental & climate monitoring (deforestation, disaster monitoring, relief co-ordination)

Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts said "Satellites enable us to monitor and manage some of the most important issues affecting our planet. This exciting project will provide the UK with a world-leading constellation of its own and is a clear signal of the Government's continued commitment to the UK space industry.

"NovaSAR will keep us at the forefront of space technology, and will drive growth and innovation as governments and businesses across the globe develop scientific and commercial uses for the data."

Through an intensive development programme, the combined expertise of Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) on advanced small satellite platforms and Astrium UK experience on radar payloads has created a new small radar satellite (NovaSAR) that offers powerful radar remote sensing capabilities for approximately 20% of the cost of conventional radar missions. The Government will provide the necessary seed funding alongside industry to develop and build the first NovaSAR demonstration satellite, enabling the UK to showcase the highly attractive technology to the global marketplace and initiate a constellation of NovaSAR satellites similar to the highly successful Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC) of optical small satellites. The first NovaSAR demonstration satellite could be launched as early as 2013.

Sir Martin Sweeting, Executive Chairman SSTL commented, "This support by the Government is absolutely critical in bringing this world-beating technology to market. Experience with the Disaster Monitoring Constellation has shown that modest Government investment can catalyse an enormous multiplier for high value manufacturers such as SSTL, Astrium and the UK space industry to grow our exports and share in an international space market worth more than £178bn per year."

Government will contribute £21 million to assist in the development and launch of the first satellite, which if the project progresses as planned will leverage an additional £154 million of inward investment to the UK. Once the NovaSAR constellation is up and running, it is anticipated that this small Government investment could yield a 50:1 return of £1bn over the coming decade, creating or maintaining more than 300 highly skilled jobs in the UK space industry and many hundreds more jobs to provide data analysis services downstream. This impressive return has already been demonstrated by the earlier MOSAIC programme investments that have enabled SSTL alone to develop from 80 employees to a highly successful space company of 450 and generated more than £500M in export orders.

In addition to securing export orders for satellites in the constellation, the partnership expects a significant return on investment from sales of data from the constellation by downstream applications and services anchored in the UK. The Government would also benefit from access to NovaSAR data – significantly boosting the UK's sovereign Earth observation capabilities for applications such as monitoring drug trafficking, piracy or identifying illegal logging and deforestation. This represents an example of imaginative 'smart procurement' by government that will not only benefit HMG policy implementation but also facilitate significant export sales for the UK in the years ahead.

About SSTL

Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) is the world's leading small satellite company, delivering operational space missions for a range of applications including Earth observation, science and communications. The Company designs, manufactures and operates high performance satellites and ground systems for a fraction of the price normally associated with space missions, with over 400 staff working on turnkey satellite platforms, space-proven satellite subsystems and optical instruments.

Since 1981 SSTL has built and launched 36 satellites – as well as providing training and development programmes, consultancy services, and mission studies for ESA, NASA, international governments and commercial customers, with its innovative approach that is changing the economics of space.

The Disaster Monitoring Constellation is an international constellation of optical Earth observation small satellites created and led by SSTL that provides commercial imaging and assists in monitoring natural and man-made disasters.

MOSAIC was a Government programme in 2002 that catalysed the use of microsatellites to provide high quality, rapid response optical imaging of disaster-stricken areas and commercial applications which has yielded £200M of direct UK export sales of small satellites for optical Earth observation - a remarkable return on HMG investment for the UK economy.

Based in Guildford, UK, SSTL is owned by EADS Astrium NV.

www.sstl.co.uk

Lenovo LePad S2005 vs. Dell Streak 5... cuddle!

Posted: 29 Nov 2011 05:38 PM PST


It's inevitable that these two 5-inch tabletphones -- the Dell Streak 5 on the left and the Lenovo LePad S2005 on the right -- are to meet in the Chinese capital. With the exception of the slightly taller body on the S2005 everything else are suspiciously similar, especially the button and camera layout. Well, there's a good explanation for this: we've been informed that this new tabletphone hails from the same ODM, Qisda, as Dell's counterpart. Too bad Lenovo decided to keep the same screen resolution though.

According to Stone Ip from Engadget Chinese, he found that the S2005 has a nicer grip than the Streak, and he also digs its more masculine appearance -- obviously this is open to debate. Performance-wise this slate responded well to our input, but the lack of promise on an Ice Cream Sandwich update will probably make potential geeky buyers think twice. Well, good thing we have some awesome modders around the interwebs these days.
Lenovo LePad S2005 vs. Dell Streak 5... cuddle!

YouTube got nearly 21 billion hits in a month, mostly thanks to naughty Fenton

Posted: 29 Nov 2011 05:19 PM PST

The latest report from comScore makes for eye popping reading -- Google's video sites, of which YouTube is the most important, received 20,933,113,000 views in October. To put that into some context, that's roughly three videos watched by every person alive on the planet. According to the statistics, YouTubers spent an average of seven hours watching the month's hottest videos (such as Community's Beetlejuice easter egg and Naughty Fenton). Surprisingly, Facebook came second, but viewers spent an measly average of 18 minutes watching last night's karaoke. In other news, Hulu came top for online advertising and Vevo was the most watched partner site, you guys obviously love your Lady Gaga.

Chanel counterfeiters beware: US federal court orders domain names seized and de-indexed

Posted: 29 Nov 2011 04:58 PM PST

We're well versed in the art of the gadget KIRF 'round these parts, but counterfeiting's a problem faced by the fashion world, too. Chanel filed suit in federal court to stop hundreds of websites from selling KIRFs of its gear, and the judge recently ordered the seizure and transfer of those domain names to GoDaddy to hold in trust until the case is resolved. It was also decreed that they be stricken from the indices of search engines and social media -- including, but not limited to Bing, Google, Facebook, and Twitter. So it seems the federal courts have obtained the ability to order that legal remedy (the de-indexing) be given by companies not party to a lawsuit (Google, et al), though we know of no law granting it such powers. Of course, we can't know for sure until one of the accused copycat sites decides to lawyer up and fight back. Until then, fashion KIRFs beware: the feds can apparently wipe every trace of you from the internet.

Sony's latest Xperia update brings WebGL support to 2011 smartphone lineup (video)

Posted: 29 Nov 2011 04:35 PM PST

Why Sony chose to sit on this one, we have no idea, but the company just revealed that its software update for the 2011 lineup of Xperia phones -- which was released last month -- also adds browser support for WebGL. This means that if you're holding an Xperia Arc, Mini, Neo, Play, Ray... or any other of its most recent handsets, then there's a good chance you're wielding one of the first Android phones to support this modern graphics platform. Designed to bring advanced visuals and gaming to the web, the API holds roots in JavaScript and has been used to develop everything from Angry Birds to far-out music videos. Sony Ericsson first previewed its WebGL efforts back in February, and after all these months, its official arrival is a welcome one, indeed. For a quick demo video, be sure to hop the break.
at 11:49 AM

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