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Saturday, December 10, 2011

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Mitsubishi Electric's EMIRAI concept goes back to the future, refuses to fly (video)

Posted: 10 Dec 2011 11:13 AM PST

The Jetsons were a lie, people. If you want a flying car, glue a parachute to a Matchbox racer. Automotive companies like Mitsubishi Electric have a distinctly different idea about our auto future, one where we'll all be driving in a 1980s-by-way-of-2011 Tron roadster with seatback-embedded (glasses-free) 3D TVs and a big 'ol curved rear projection display. At least, that's the vision put forth by the company's EMIRAI concept, shown off at this year's Tokyo Motor Show. The demo vehicle's biggest innovation, supposedly on deck for the next decade and beyond, is its biometrically-sensitive interface, which can adjust the position of your seat based on current heart rate and facial temperature. There's also a driver side touch panel configured to recognize handwriting (Japanese, for now) and dynamically-changing buttons, mounted on the W-shaped "steering wheel," that rise and fall in correlation to the dashboard's UI. It's neat stuff, no doubt, but we'll let you go ahead and get excited at your own risk. Because until production models hit showroom floors, it's all still very much promises, promises. Check out the video after the break for a brief peek at the wheels of tomorrow.



Belle to make a pass at Symbian handsets early in 2012, Anna pretends to looks the other way

Posted: 10 Dec 2011 10:07 AM PST

We already know Donna and Carla are waiting in the wings, but you're likely wondering what's the deal with Belle. And no, that Symbian update isn't being held captive by a Beast in a lonely French castle, thank you very much. According to a report on All About Symbian, Espoo's OS refresh -- currently shipping on the trio of handsets pictured above -- is slated to roll out worldwide for a "range of smartphones such as [the] N8, E7, X7, C6-01, C7, Oro, E6, and Nokia 500" sometime early next year. Nokia's confirmed to us that this Q1 2012 timetable is, indeed, very much true. So while many of you are just now getting comfy with Anna, it'll soon be time to find comfort in the mobile arms of another.

Microsoft launches ExcelMashup.com, looks to make spreadsheets both hip and exciting

Posted: 10 Dec 2011 09:37 AM PST

Most of our day jobs aren't nearly as amusing as life at Wernham Hogg and Excel doesn't make things any more exciting. But, if you're looking to spice up your spreadsheets, Microsoft's ExcelMashup.com may be just what you've been waiting for. The site lets you create apps of your very own using Redmond's various products. For example, you can combine some Excel JavaScript, a workbook stored on SkyDrive and a little HTML to create apps that run in a browser. Add a dash of Bing Maps and you've got a Destination Explorer! For the uninitiated, there are tutorials and for the showoffs a shared code space. There's even nifty Interactive Code Snippets for trying out bits of script before adding them to your own project. Want to make the cute girl in reception notice you? Coding your own apps in Excel won't help, but it'll probably land you in less trouble than putting Gareth's stapler in Jello again.

App review: Infinity Blade 2 (iOS)

Posted: 10 Dec 2011 07:59 AM PST

The 3D duel-fest is back, and attempting to answer some of the questions left over from its first installment (and a few major updates). Infinity Blade has had a huge effect on promoting the iPad and iPhone as valid gaming options, with high quality visuals and intuitive touchscreen controls. Well, Epic hasn't tampered with the formula too much, but has tried to instill some considered expansions and pour even more eye-honey all over it. Will it stretch gamers beyond the original? We've now spent a fair bit of time slashing away at those pesky immortals and their underlings -- see what we thought of this little big adventure after the break.

Infinity Blade 2 screen shots

The game follows on from the end of the first game, the protagonist now wielding the Infinity Blade and attempting to finish the ruling Deathless once and for all. Unsurprisingly, his plans soon come unstuck, and you start anew with bottom-rung equipment and skills. You also now have the curious honor of naming the hero as you please. We stuck with the staple Siris, a thinly veiled nod to the voice assistant of Apple's latest smartphone. We'll leave the narrative to reveal itself, but the sequel has done away with those "nordish" voices of old, with a very swift transition within the first ten seconds to English voice actors. Purists may scream that it's a dumb-down, but we felt a little more involved in the plot exposition.

Sound is suitably grand, although you will tire of the same grunts and huffs by the hundredth battle. While the battles themselves remain, at their core, pretty similar to the first release, there are now three different weapon styles. There's the typical sword and shield combo from Infinity Blade, a high damage (but slower) two-handed weapon where defense is now exclusively block-based and dual-wielding weapons for faster attacks with defense limited to dodges. You'll find a style that suits, although overall damage is less of an issue, and it's more decided by your preferred method of damage limitation. The power attacks that charge up during fights will also differ between the three weapon classes. A new customizable option for weapons and armor, gems, now add extra elemental damage and defenses. Depending on which jewels you embed, you can also increase the spoils of battle with extra money or higher chances of equipment drops.


Equipment and item management has been overhauled, as has the in-game store, with new pre-fight energy drinks offering health regeneration and double experience points -- for a price. Minor gambling has arrived here in the form of new prize wheels (in three pricey flavors) offering the chance of high-end weaponry, if you're willing to risk the chance of a sub-optimal weapon at the same time. You're no longer able to resell mastered equipment, so it's now well worth taking the time to search around the environs for extra money. You'll now come across keys too; around half of the treasure chests are now locked-down, unless you have the right key. (Or grab them from the in-game store.)


Journeying around the stages of Infinity Blade 2 will take you from oriental temples with plenty of eastern style licks, to what appears to be the increasingly ruined locale of the first game. They've cranked up the light effects here, so expect to be impressed all over again if you were wowed by the original. Granted, it can't stun players with the same "a phone's capable of this?" sort of way, but the game is noticeably sharper, taking full advantage of the high-resolution screens of the Apple hardware. Load times barely ever get in the way, although they are slightly more pronounced on the older iPhone 4 and original iPad. Any difference between devices seems negligible from the time we spent playing on the original hardware -- we did, however, play most of this review slashing away at the screen of our iPhone 4S. The gameplay is still very well suited to mobile devices -- you can literally spend a minute exploring and fighting, lock your phone, make a phone call and jump back in where you left off.

There's still room for improvement -- the game rewards obsessive replay, and it can get very repetitive, although Infinity Blade 2 does attempt to add more variety to its character designs (female baddies!), kill animations and wacky helmets. If you're looking to get to the ending, you can skip ahead by exchanging your real-world money for in-game gold, but even then, you should find plenty of gaming hours here -- it took us over a week of concentrated gaming to go through the whole storyline. Unfortunately, the multiplayer option found on the original app hasn't yet been translated to this release, although it's already earmarked a space in the game menus, promising to reward challengers with in-game goodies. Similarly, updates are already in the pipeline and the makers are promising more creatures to slice and more weapons to dice them with.


Infinity Blade 2 is, in no uncertain terms, a sequel. If you weren't drawn into obsessing over beating the Deathless in the first game, then you're not going to be converted here. It looks like a console game, but there certainly isn't the same level of depth or longevity. However, the new game arc does force you to explore the labyrinthine screens, even if only in a point-and-tap way, and the character customization and expanded fight system does allow you change and tweak your character to your tastes. The game is sumptuous, with textures and lighting effects pushed beyond what we saw almost exactly this time last year. $6.99 is a very good price for one of the grandest -- and technically greatest -- gaming challenges available on iOS.

Mobile Miscellany: week of December 5, 2011

Posted: 10 Dec 2011 06:00 AM PST

This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of December 5, 2011:
  • C Spire announced this week that it's launching the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. The device is currently available for purchase for $50 with a two-year commitment and after a $50 mail-in rebate. [AndroidCentral]
  • Images and specs of Philips' first Android device, the W920, surfaced this week, and its spec sheet doesn't look very good: Froyo, a 1GHz Qualcomm QSD8250 CPU, 512MB of RAM, a 4.3-inch WVGA display, a 5MP camera, 10.5mm thin frame and it has a 1,280mAh battery. The fun part is the rumored price tag: £400 ($627). [LandofDroid]
  • Ting is a new Sprint MVNO that'll launch mid-2012. It'll be prepaid and use a bump-up and bump-down model for pricing -- in other words, going over your minutes will just bump you into the next higher plan, while using fewer minutes can bump you to a lower plan. [Cnet]
  • Another prepaid provider in the news this week is PrepaYd Wireless, which launched this week. It offers a "Y Pay More" plan that will give you unlimited talk, text and 3G data for $40 per month. If you don't need data, you can get all-you-can-eat talk and text for $35. Much like Ting, PrepaYd Wireless utilizes the Sprint network. [MobileTechNews]
  • If you use a BlackBerry OS 7 device on AT&T, the carrier is offering you two free months of BBM Music. Normally you need to pay $5 a month to store 50 songs. [Crackberry]
  • While we're on the subject of BlackBerry phones, Twitter for BlackBerry just got updated to version 2.1 and now offers multi-account support. In addition to being able to view up to five accounts in the same feed, it also includes the ability to tweet one thing to more than one account simultaneously. [BlackBerry]
  • Pandora and Windows Phone may never mix well, but at least the radio service can be enjoyed now through an unofficial Pandora app called MetroRadio. It's free, and is finally available in the Windows Phone Marketplace. [WPCentral]

Ofcom releases 2012/13 plan: no UK 4G until you've eaten your vegetables

Posted: 10 Dec 2011 05:08 AM PST

UK telecoms regulator Ofcom has released its draft plans for 2012/13 with big changes ahead for nerds on this side of the Atlantic. The auctioning off of the 800MHz and 2.6GHz spectrums for 4G internet is coming as soon as the British FCC has booted off the remaining TV services that still use 'em. It's gonna open an online complaints site (for when the Saturday evening show of your choice offends you), crack down on slow broadband speeds and keep the airways clear for the Olympic Games. Nearly 16 percent of Scotland and five percent of Wales has non-existent mobile coverage, something Ofcom's pledging to fix. TV-on-demand content also better keep its nose clean over the next 18 months -- it'll be getting the same level of government scrutiny that standard broadcasts receive. Rather wisely, the paper buries the real bad news: it looks like there won't be nationwide 4G mobile internet until 2015 -- so you win this round, America.

Skype co-founder's latest company signs deal with LightSquared, promises free broadband and voice services

Posted: 10 Dec 2011 03:41 AM PST

A mysterious startup promising free wireless broadband and voice services to all Americans should rightly prompt a fair bit of skepticism, but FreedomPop isn't quite your average fly-by-night organization (despite appearances). It's backed by Skype co-founder Niklas Zennstrom, and it's just signed an agreement with LTE wholesaler LightSquared to provide the backbone for the service. Unfortunately, details remain decidedly light otherwise. The company says that the service will launch sometime in 2012 (LightSquared's network itself is slated to go live in the second half of the year, though it still faces some hurdles), and it will apparently be focused on serving markets most in need of wireless broadband initially, before rolling out across the country. As FierceCable notes, the service brings to mind the many free internet dial-up services of the 1990s, which relied largely on advertising, although it remains to be seen if that's the route FreedomPop has in mind.
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LightSquared and Skype Co-Founder's FreedomPop Partner to Offer Free Broadband Services

RESTON, Va. and LOS ANGELES, Dec. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- LightSquared™, a wholesale carrier building a nationwide wireless broadband network that will create consumer choice and drive industry innovation, and FreedomPop, a disruptive new company that will offer free broadband and voice services to all Americans, have signed a wholesale network agreement.

FreedomPop is spearheaded by Niklas Zennstrom, co-founder of Skype, and his venture capital firm Atomico. The company will launch in 2012 with its ultimate objective to ensure that every American has access to fast, free and convenient communication services. FreedomPop will initially target underserved markets.

"The Internet is a right, not a privilege," said Matt Ingrid, COO of FreedomPop. "With the economic efficiencies delivered by LightSquared's wholesale business model, we can achieve our objective to deliver flexible high-speed wireless access to anyone at a fraction of the cost and inconvenience seen in today's market."

As LightSquared's 4G-LTE network comes online starting in the second half of 2012, FreedomPop will use the company's world-class network to power its mobile broadband service and provide advanced wireless services to customers across the country.

Bringing connectivity to all Americans is a key tenet of LightSquared's vision. "FreedomPop represents the kind of disruptive service model that LightSquared is enabling, and shares our belief that broadband access is a right for everyone," said Sanjiv Ahuja, chairman and chief executive officer of LightSquared. "Our nationwide network will allow FreedomPop to make a profound impact by delivering affordable high-speed wireless access to underserved communities across the country."

About LightSquared

LightSquared's mission is to revolutionize the U.S. wireless industry. With the creation of the first-ever, wholesale-only nationwide 4G-LTE network integrated with satellite coverage, LightSquared offers people the speed, value and reliability of universal connectivity, wherever they are in the United States. As a wholesale-only operator, LightSquared will deploy an open 4G wireless broadband network to be used by existing and new service providers to sell their own devices, applications and services – at a competitive cost and without retail competition from LightSquared. The deployment and operation of LightSquared's network represent more than $14 billion of private investment over the next eight years. For more information about LightSquared, please go to www.LightSquared.com, www.facebook.com/LightSquared and www.twitter.com/LightSquared.

About FreedomPop

Founded in 2011, FreedomPop is building a new wave telecom company. Its aim is to provide disruptive voice and internet services to all Americans and to ensure that no one is left off the "connected grid." FreedomPop's initial service will launch in 2012. Visit www.FreedomPop.com for more information.

iPhone 4S cleared for use in China, sino-Siri coming soon

Posted: 10 Dec 2011 02:05 AM PST

While Apple fans around the globe have had the iPhone 4S for awhile now, many of our friends in the Far East haven't gotten to enjoy the fruits of their countrymen's labor due to a lack of governmental approval. You see, before a handset makes it onto Chinese networks, it's got to be approved by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). The good news is, the 4S has finally been blessed by Beijing and will be brought to the masses by Chinese Unicom sometime soon. That means that China's home-grown superphone, the Meizu MX, is going to have some Siri-ous competition for Chinese hearts and yuan in 2012.

Coby to intro five Ice Cream Sandwich slates at CES, satiate your budget tablet cravings

Posted: 10 Dec 2011 12:39 AM PST

Not prepared to pony up for the ICS-ready Transformer Prime? No worries, Coby has five alternative flavors, each offering its own helping of Android 4.0. The quintet of tablets bear the same model number format as the outfit's Kyros tablets, and all share the same 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU. Coby plans to debut the slates at CES 2012, making them available to consumers within the first quarter. The slabs range between seven and ten inches, and will offer up to 1GB of RAM with up to 32GB of expandable memory -- WiFi radio and HDMI-out come standard. Want to see the official details? Hit the break, we've got a good 'ol fashion press release just waiting for your peepers.
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Lifestyle CE Leader to Be Among the First to Market with Extensive Lineup of Powerful Ice Cream Sandwich-Operated Capacitive Touch Units - Q1 2012

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., Dec. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Coby Electronics Corporation, the CE leader with products designed to fit every lifestyle, today announced it will ring in the New Year with the exciting launch of its all-new, highly-anticipated collection of Android™ 4.0 OS – "Ice Cream Sandwich" – Internet tablets. Among the first to market with one of the largest lineups of Ice Cream Sandwich-operated tablets, Coby will debut five standout introductory models, giving consumers a wide variety of unique styles and sizes to choose from – all at incredible prices – starting Q1 2012. The brand-new Coby Android 4.0 OS tablet collection will be unveiled at the International Consumer Electronics Show, Booth #12027, in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, January 10-13, 2012.

"Coby is thrilled to announce our premiere range of feature-packed Android 4.0-powered Internet tablets that will put the world in consumers' hands as never before," said Jodi Sally, Vice President of Marketing, Coby Electronics. "We also are proud to be among the first companies to make available a wide range of the newest, Ice Cream Sandwich-operated units, helping to further underscore our commitment to meeting the demands of a broad base of consumers with innovative products in the hottest CE categories."

Following on the success of Coby's current top-selling Internet tablets, the exciting Android 4.0 assortment will include the 7" MID7042, 8" MID8042 (4:3 aspect ratio), 9" MID9042, 9.7" MID9742 (4:3 aspect ratio), and 10" MID1042. With lightning-fast access to thousands of apps and wireless web browsing, the upcoming units all will feature 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU and offer capacitive multi-touch screens, up to 1GB of RAM, expandable memory up to 32GB, Wi-Fi and HDMI 1080p output. Overall, Coby has stream-lined its features to address the core applications including: browsing the web, playing games, email and viewing one's favorite media.

Chrono Trigger hits the App Store, lets Square Enix fans turn back time

Posted: 09 Dec 2011 10:47 PM PST

Square Enix just couldn't resist plucking at our heartstrings -- not to mention willing bill folds. As a timely holiday treat, the company's made good on its end-of-year promise, delivering the SNES RPG epic and cult hit -- Chrono Trigger -- to Apple's App Store. If you're wielding either a third generation and up iPhone or iPod touch, the endless hours of non-linear, time-traveling gameplay can be yours for the re-hashing, albeit on a maddeningly tiny screen. That 16-bit nostalgia won't come cheap, either, at $10. But it's a small price to pay for a welcome walk down gaming's memory lane.

Aldebaran Robotics announces Nao Next Gen humanoid robot (video)

Posted: 09 Dec 2011 08:51 PM PST

Aldebaran Robotics' Nao robot has already received a few upgrades from both the company itself and other developers, but it now has a proper successor. Aldebaran took the wraps off its new and improved Nao Next Gen robot today, touting features like a 1.6GHz Atom processor and dual HD cameras that promise to allow for better face and object recognition even in poor lighting conditions. What's more, while robot's outward appearance hasn't changed much, it has also received a number of software upgrades, including Nuance voice recognition, an improved walking algorithm, and a number of other measures to cut down on unwanted collisions. As before, the robot is aimed squarely at researchers and developers, but the Aldebaran's chairman notes that the company is continuing to pursue its goal of providing a Nao intended for individuals -- a goal he notes is being aided by the contributions from its developer program. Check out the gallery below and the video after the break for a closer look.
Nao Next Gen


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NAO Next Gen: Aldebaran Robotics launches a new generation of its humanoid robot

Aldebaran Robotics, the world leader in humanoid robotics, has released its latest version of the NAO robot - NAO Next Gen. The power of NAO Next Gen, the new fully programmable humanoid robot that has the most extensive worldwide use, is opening up new perspectives and fields of application for its users.

(December 9, 2011 - Paris, France) "The inception of this new generation of NAO robots means a lot to our company. We are proud to be in a position to provide our customers with endless options, whatever their sector. With NAO Next Gen coming of age, we shall be able to make it serve organisations that care for autistic children and those losing their autonomy. I created Aldebaran Robotics in 2005 with this aim: to contribute to humankind‟s well-being," states Bruno Maisonnier, Founder and Chairman of Aldebaran Robotics. See pictures: http://www.aldebaran-robotics.com/en/Pressroom/Photography/nao.html

Three years after it started selling its first NAO models, the company has sold 2,000 robots worldwide. Aldebaran Robotics has now released the latest generation of its programmable humanoid robots, which is intended for research, teaching and, more generally, for exploring the new area of service robotics.

Stemming from six years of research and dialogue with its community of researchers and users, NAO Next Gen is capable of a higher level of interaction, thanks to increased computing power, improved stability and higher accuracy. Therefore, the latest version of the NAO robot widens considerably the range of research, teaching and application possibilities made available to specific user groups.
One of the NAO Next Gen‟s novel and most remarkable features is the fact that it is fitted with a new on-board computer, based on the powerful 1.6GHz Intel® AtomTM processor, which is suitable for multi-tasking calculations. It also has two HD cameras that are attached to a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). This set-up allows the simultaneous reception of two video streams, significantly increasing speed and performance in face-and-object recognition, even under poor-lighting conditions.

As well as its innovative features with respect to hardware, NAO Next Gen boasts a new, faster and more reliable vocal-recognition programme called Nuance. This programme is coupled with a new functionality known as „word spotting‟, which is capable of isolating and recognizing a specific word within a sentence or a conversation.

"On top of this new hardware version, we shall be delivering new software functionalities like smart torque control, a system to prevent limb/body collisions, an improved walking algorithm, and more. We have capitalised upon our experience and customer feedback in order to deliver the most suitable and efficient platform. In terms of applications especially at high-school level, we are focused on educational content, while, when it comes to improvements in personal well-being, we are working on developing specialized applications," explains Bruno Maisonnier.

"We are also pursuing our goal to provide a NAO intended for individuals through the Developer Program - a community of programmers who are working with us today to invent tomorrow‟s personal robotics," adds the chairman of Aldebaran Robotics.

About Aldebaran Robotics

Founded in 2005 by Bruno Maisonnier and with offices in France, China, Japan and the United States, ALDEBARAN Robotics designs, produces and commercialises autonomous humanoid robots with the aim of contributing to the well-being of humans. Today over 2,000 NAOs are in use throughout the world as research and educational tools in 45 countries. ALDEBARAN Robotics brings together more than 150 stuff, including 60 engineers and PhDs, who are involved in the development and production of the robots.

For further information, visit: www.aldebaran-robotics.com

Sharp nearing 1 million big-screen TV sales in North America, expanding global market

Posted: 09 Dec 2011 06:26 PM PST


Sharp Corporation claims they may top 1 million big-screen televisions (60 inches or above) sold in North America alone by March of next year, and expects growth the next fiscal year. With a stronger hold on the Japanese market then its competitors, the company is expanding overseas to bolster competition and avoid Asia's current market forecast -- a projected $6 billion decline in LCD sales by 2015. According to Kozo Takahashi, head of the American operations division, big-screen purchases in the United States are set to triple this upcoming year despite a declining trend in the North American market. While audio visual equipment accounts for more than half of Sharp's revenue, the company sees the need to market its other products more aggressively in the Americas to remain globally competitive.

ViaSat-1 sends its first words through the stratosphere to cooing stateside relatives

Posted: 09 Dec 2011 05:04 PM PST

The ViaSat-1 story seems to be orbiting its way toward a happy ending in time for Christmas. The world's highest capacity telecommunications satellite sent down its first words on December 2nd: sadly it didn't chime a romantic "Mommy!" but a somber collection of high-bandwidth video streams, emails and websites. It'll continue back-and-forth testing, probably sending back pictures of red firetrucks until mid-December, which is when the company will assume "full control" (handed over from Space Systems / Loral) of the orbiting router and begin prepping commercial service before the end of the year. At which point, it'll be available to cover the US, Canada and Hawaii with KA-Band broadband service with partners WildBlue, Xplornet and JetBlue domestic flights.
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ViaSat-1 Satellite Successfully Communicating with WildBlue Network Gateway and Satellite Broadband Terminals

High-speed email, web browsing, and video are all part of first satellite transmissions

CARLSBAD, Calif., Dec. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ViaSat Inc. (Nasdaq:VSAT) has transmitted the first data over the ViaSat-1 high-capacity satellite and the WildBlue high-speed data network. The initial transmissions and receptions were completed the evening of December 2 from a SurfBeam® 2 terminal at ViaSat's Carlsbad campus, through the ViaSat-1 satellite and a gateway located in Milford, Utah. The test included email, web surfing, and video streaming, proving the power of the integrated network. The satellite, designed and owned by ViaSat, is the highest capacity satellite in the world.

Once in-orbit testing is complete (planned for mid-December), satellite manufacturer Space Systems/Loral will hand over operation of the 140 Gbps capacity satellite to ViaSat and partner Telesat. ViaSat will then begin the final phase of integration with the network of 20 SurfBeam® 2 ground stations that connect the satellite to the Internet backbone. Commercial service is expected to begin prior to the end of calendar year 2011.

"We have advanced satellite technology to the point that satellite can now be a better alternative for broadband Internet than DSL, and 3G / 4G wireless offerings for fixed home use - an enormous leap for satellite broadband technology," said Mark Dankberg, chairman and CEO of ViaSat. "The ViaSat-1 satellite will help bridge the 'digital divide' in the U.S., and we're confident that this new service has been designed in a way where it will be attractive to a large segment of the U.S. population - delivering both speed and value to the underserved."

The ViaSat-1 high-capacity Ka-band spot beam satellite includes coverage over North America and Hawaii, enabling a variety of new, high-speed broadband services for WildBlue in the U.S., Xplornet in Canada, and JetBlue Airways on its domestic U.S. fleet.

About ViaSat
ViaSat delivers fast, secure communications, Internet, and remote network access to fixed sites or on-the-move. The company provides networking products and managed network services for enterprise IP applications; is a key supplier of network-centric military communications and encryption technologies and products to the U.S. and allied governments; is the primary technology partner for gateway and customer-premises equipment for consumer and mobile satellite broadband services; and offers high-speed Ka-band satellite broadband services under the WildBlue brand. ViaSat also offers design capabilities and a number of complementary products including monolithic microwave integrated circuits and modules, DVB-S2 satellite communication components, video data link systems, data acceleration and compression, and mobile satellite antenna systems. Based in Carlsbad, Calif., ViaSat has established a number of worldwide locations for customer service, network operations, and technology development.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements include, among others, statements that refer to completion of in-orbit testing, final integration and entry into commercial service. Readers are cautioned that actual results could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include: in-orbit test or satellite failures, performance degradation, in-orbit risks and anomalies, or improper orbital placement of ViaSat-1. In addition, please refer to the risk factors contained in ViaSat's SEC filings available at www.sec.gov, including ViaSat's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. ViaSat undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason.

Step aside Arduino, TinkerForge is the new sheriff in mod-town (video)

Posted: 09 Dec 2011 03:35 PM PST

Does Arduino coding bring you out in a cold sweat? Perhaps what you need is the new open-source gear from TinkerForge. The modular system is designed for even novice users to whip up fully functioning robots in a matter of minutes hours. You start with a 4 x 4cm Brick, which you program over USB, but it won't do anything until you add accessories in the form of Bricklets: switches, joysticks, motors, accelerometers and LCDs. You can stack up to eight Bricks to expand the potential of your projects, including a step-down transformer and a (forthcoming) WiFi unit. If the rules-based programming software is too easy for you, the hardcore can bust out their mad C, C++, C#, Java and Python skills. The first models are available today, Bricks cost between €30 ($40) - €50 ($70) and Bricklets cost €3 ($4) - €20 ($25). Head on past the break to catch the press release and a video of some of the brilliant ways you can use this technology, including an infra-red theremin, self-positioning telescope and robots -- so many robots.

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Startup Tinkerforge presents modular open source hardware

Developing, discovering, learning and tinkering made easy. The new system of hardware building blocks from Tinkerforge allows to plug sensor and actor modules together and to program the desired behavior of the modules without prior knowledge in hardware programming.

The building blocks can be used professionally or as a hobby for the automation of processes or for the development of prototypes. Users will be surprised how simple it is to e.g. control a robot with this system.

A developer can build a system out of modules that are suitable for his application. Each module has one specific function, such as the controlling of a motor or the sensing of a temperature. The modules can be stacked on top of each other or connected with a cable. The system is expendable at all times, additional modules can be added as they are needed.

The modules can be controlled from a PC, mobile phone or tablet. For the programmer it does not matter in which way the modules are interconnected. Modifications of the system, without changing the source code, are always possible. The Tinkerforge hardware is currently programmable in C, C++, C#, Java and Python. More programming languages are supposed to follow.

The core of the new system are so called Bricks. Bricks are 4x4cm in size, they can be stacked on top of each other and connected to a PC via USB. With so called Bricklets it is possible to extend the features of Bricks. Bricklets can be connected to Bricks with a cable. There are bricklets to measure brightness, distance, voltage, to control LCDs and many more.

The Tinkerforge GmbH is a German Startup. Both hardware and software of the new system are Open Source. The developed software is published under GPL and the hardware uses the CERN Open hardware Licence. More information and videos can be found at www.tinkerforge.com.

Judge to reconsider DoJ's AT&T antitrust suit

Posted: 09 Dec 2011 01:59 PM PST

Late last month AT&T withdrew its application with the FCC to acquire T-Mobile, in an attempt, it said, to focus on winning approval from the Department of Justice, first. Now a district court judge is considering dismissing the US' antitrust suit against ole Ma Bell. According to Bloomberg, the DoJ is looking to either "withdraw without prejudice" or "stay" the suit, as a result of AT&T pulling its application from the FCC. Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle scheduled a hearing for December 15th to decide whether the deal is still possible in the proposed timeframe and the suit still worth pursuing. She had this to say:

We don't have any confidence that we are spending all this time and effort and the taxpayers money and that we're not being spun. The landscape has changed.

AT&T's lawyers remained steadfast, however, demanding the company's "day in court," and reiterating that approval from the DoJ would improve its chances of getting the thumbs-up from the FCC. For more sordid details on this legal ping-pong match, hit the source link below.

Sphero shipments delayed due to high demand, won't be here-o until January

Posted: 09 Dec 2011 01:17 PM PST

Our hearts were aflutter with anticipation when the Sphero went up for pre-order last month, but that excitement has since been supplanted by a big knot of disappointment, because the smartphone-controlled robotic ball won't be hitting the market until after the holiday season. In a letter published yesterday, Orbotix CEO Paul Berberian attributed his company's setback to a fundamental economic quandary. "Demand has been greater than expected and our production capabilities are slower than we planned," Berberian wrote. "What that means is only a handful of orders are going to be fulfilled before the holidays and the majority of orders will be fulfilled in January." Writing on behalf of the manufacturer, Berberian went on to accept full blame for the delay, with rather admirable honesty: "We simply underestimated the number of units we'd need to make and, more importantly, we miscalculated how long it would take to bring up the production line." To make up for it, Orbotix is offering free expedited shipping to all customers who pre-ordered the device in time for the holidays, along with a free Sphero t-shirt.

Programmable robots coming to Korean stores, will assimilate your Android phone

Posted: 09 Dec 2011 12:50 PM PST


South Korea loves its robots. While the country prepares them to teach the kids and guard its prisons, smartphone-compatible models are now propping up shelves in hobbyist shops. Dongbu Robot (previously Dasarobot) is launching several new products for wannabe bot engineers, but it's the Google OS-compatible HOVIS kits that caught our eye. While we already know Android-powered bots can make a mean cocktail, these kits will get new features programmed to them through a phone's Bluetooth and WiFi connections. The basic wheeled model can be upgraded to fully-fledged legs, while Dongbu Robot is working alongside the country's SK Telecom network to offer speech recognition as the first software add-on, with plans for education and home security all in the pipeline. The price of sowing the seeds of the Robopocalypse? Around $620 for the starter model. Sound like too much? Well, there's always Romo.

Acer will stop making cheap crap, but keep selling netbooks. Discuss.

Posted: 09 Dec 2011 12:27 PM PST

Acer Netbooks
Here's a bit of a head-scratcher: Acer has said it will stand by its man, which in this case is the netbook, but CEO J.T. Wang also recently told Dow Jones that his company will stop making "cheap and unprofitable products." So, which is it? Will the manufacturer keep churning out the low cost (and even lower specced) machines that it managed to sell 1.7 million of last quarter? Or will it stop "[blindly] pursuing market share" with affordable, but poorly made crap? Wang specifically said that Ultrabooks would become the company's "key growth driver next year" and hopefully return Acer to profitability. If that fails, we're sure there's plenty of room for some of its pastel wares over at the Home Shopping Network.

Deezer announces ambitious global rollout, ignores US and Japan

Posted: 09 Dec 2011 12:04 PM PST

Deezer added a few notches to its music streaming belt yesterday, with the announcement of its long awaited rollout to (nearly) every corner of the globe. The launch, confirmed at Le Web in Paris yesterday, has already brought the service to both Ireland and the Netherlands, with plans to expand across Europe by the end of this month. Users in Canada and Latin America can expect to receive the French service by the end of January, Australia and Africa should see it by the end of February, and everyone else by the middle of next year. Conspicuously absent from that list are the US and Japanese markets, both of which have been passed over "due to market saturation and low growth forecasts," as well as the fact that the two countries comprise "only" 25 percent of worldwide music consumption. Le sigh.

[Thanks, Paulo]

Listen to the Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 5PM ET!

Posted: 09 Dec 2011 11:45 AM PST

The Engadget Mobile Podcast is one week older. Episode 116 is upon us, and Myriam Joire, Brad Molen and Joseph Volpe are ready to unleash cellular vibes directly into your live broadcast and / or recorded podcast. Join us at 5PM ET today, and feel free to tweet us any comments or questions you might have from this week's news!

Federal domain seizure raises new concerns over online censorship

Posted: 09 Dec 2011 11:21 AM PST

It's been a little more than a year since the US government began seizing domains of music blogs, torrent meta-trackers and sports streaming sites. The copyright infringement investigation, led by US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities, quickly raised eyebrows among many free speech and civil rights advocates, fueling a handful of legal challenges. Few are more compelling, or frightening than a case involving Dajaz1.com. As TechDirt reports, the popular hip-hop blog has been at the epicenter of a sinuous and seemingly dystopian dispute with the feds -- one that underscores the heightening controversy surrounding federal web regulation, and blurs the constitutional divide between free speech and intellectual property protection.

Dajaz1 was initially seized under the 2008 Pro IP Act, on the strength of an affidavit that cited several published songs as evidence of copyright infringement. As it turns out, ,any of these songs were actually provided by their copyright holders themselves, but that didn't stop the government from seizing the URL anyway, and plastering a warning all over its homepage. Typically, this kind of action would be the first phase of a two-step process. Once a property is seized, US law dictates that the government has 60 days to notify its owner, who can then choose to file a request for its return. If the suspect chooses to file this request within a 35-day window, the feds must then undertake a so-called forfeiture process within 90 days. Failure to do so would require the government to return the property to its rightful owner. But that's not exactly how things played out in the case of Dajaz1. For more details on the saga, head past the break.

Acting within their rights, Dajaz1's owners filed a request for return, and were reportedly told that the forfeiture process would soon get underway. When the 90-day deadline came and went without any movement, the site's lawyer, Andrew B. Bridges, reached out to the government for explanation. In response, the feds said they had received an extension from the court, but refused to provide evidence of this extension, claiming that the court order and motion papers were filed under seal. The documents, they replied, could not be disclosed, even in redacted form. This came as news to Bridges, who claims to have never been informed of the extension. According to the lawyer, authorities told him he wouldn't be notified of future extensions, either, and wouldn't even have the chance to file counterarguments during an adversarial hearing.

This stalemate dragged on for months, thanks to a series of mysterious extensions. These extensions, moreover, were not even accessible through a Los Angeles court docket. When Bridges asked the US attorney for proof of the extensions, he was told that he'd simply have to "trust" that they were obtained. After letting the last extension expire, the government ultimately informed Bridges that the domain would be returned to its owners. That happened on Thursday.

ICE has yet to offer a thorough explanation for the change of heart, with spokesman Ross Feinstein curtly telling Ars Technica that "the government concluded that the appropriate and just result was to decline to pursue judicial forfeiture." RIAA spokeswoman Cara Duckworth, meanwhile, continues to defend the initial seizure, telling Ars that "Dajaz1 profited from its reputation for providing links to pre-release copies, and during that time nearly 2,300 recordings linked to the site were removed from various file-sharing services."

Looking back on the case, one can't help but wonder whether the rule of law may have been gravely compromised. First, the government hoovered up a buffet of domain names with an urgency that seemed to imply imminent danger. Then, instead of proceeding to the next step, prosecutors simply let the case marinate in an ironclad pot of secrecy, without so much as entertaining a request for adversarial hearings. After apparently realizing it had no evidence to stand upon, ICE finally let it drop -- but not without branding Dajaz1 as a bastion of copyright criminality, and shutting it down for more than a year.

If Bridges' account is indeed accurate, this would effectively amount to what TechDirt describes as "lawless, unconstitutional, cowboy censorship" -- a distinctly Kafkaesque brand of criminal prosecution executed under the guise of jurisprudence. We sincerely hope, of course, that this isn't the end of the story. At a time when concerns over federal censorship is reaching a fever pitch, you'd think the government would take every precaution to reassure consumers of its commitment to due process, and of the prosecutorial restraint that the Constitution mandates. But unless someone steps in to clear away the clouds of suspicion blanketing Dajaz1, it's hard to envision these concerns fading away anytime soon.
at 12:28 PM

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