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Monday, March 19, 2012

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A closer look at Apple TV's software update and 1080p movies

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 11:35 AM PDT

The new iPad was upgraded with a display an HD junkie would give his universal remote for, but the Apple TV simply received an update to a capability many believe the original should've had the first go around: support for 1080p content. In addition to that all-important resolution bump, both this and the last-gen model received a modest software update that brings a few features and enhancements. Those tweaks aren't necessarily worth a review, if you ask us, especially since the price remains the same and existing Apple TV owners will reap the benefits of most of these improvements. Still, we'd be remiss if we didn't poke around just a bit. Follow past the break to see what's changed.
A closer look at Apple TV's software update and 1080p movies

User interface

The new main menu is the most noticeable change on tap here. In its current iteration, it's little more than an icon-based gateway to the user experience that the Apple TV has been offering for years. The icons make sense now, considering all the additional content that's been added to the Apple TV over the past years. In many cases, too, they eliminate some of the clicks required to find whatever it is you're looking for.

The bad news is that no matter how useless an icon may be to you (e.g., the one for the now-defunct MobileMe), you can't remove them. You also can't rearrange them to make your favorites more accessible. The other new addition is the ability to access more iCloud content -- including, most notably, digital copies of movies that came bundled with DVDs or Blu-ray discs. Not all of the movies you own as a digital copy are available via iCloud, but you can still stream them from your computer. Some of the iCloud streams are in 1080p with 5.1 sound, others are 720p, some in SD and others only have stereo sound -- it's all over the place with no obvious rhyme or reason. Even with the unpredictable quality, though, it's a nice feature that took us by surprise, considering movie studios' penchant for charging a different fee for every way you might want to enjoy a movie. The ability to buy or rent movies via the Apple TV instead of iTunes is finally a reality -- just sign in with your Apple ID and confirm you still know the security code from the credit card you have on file with Apple.
Apple TV software update


1080p movies


The real reason to get excited about the new Apple TV (and to read this overview, frankly) is to find out how Apple's 1080p content looks. We've been Blu-ray fanatics since the early days and for years have had a hard time enjoying non-disc movies owing to the constant distractions posed by bad picture quality. Vudu's HDX titles have always been the exception, along with Zune Video on the 360. So we're happy we now have another choice for high-quality, full HD video.

We rented a few 1080p movies and the one that really left an impression was Inglourious Basterds. Having watched it on Blu-ray more times than we care to admit, we didn't hesitate to rent it for $3.99 from Apple ($1 less than Vudu's HDX) and switch obsessively the HDMI inputs our Blu-ray player and Apple TV was connected to. Watching a number of familiar scenes on both and sitting unusually close to our 60-inch 1080p Pioneer Kuro, we were hard-pressed to spot any differences. Most impressive was the lack of noticeable compression artifacts in the background of dark scenes, or during, say, explosions.

This is no small feat for a 1080p h.264 stream that Apple claims requires at least an 8Mbps internet connection. Blu-ray can do it no problem, thanks to its 40Mbps of throughput, but keep in mind that both Apple and Blu-ray use very similar codecs. You will notice some compression artifacts from time to time, but not to the point of distraction. And while the video quality is comparable to Blu-ray, there is a noticeable lack of detail in certain scenes, as well as some judder during extreme pans, which we attribute to the movie being encoded at 1080p24 when the Apple TV only outputs 1080p at 60 frames per second -- do the math and then search for 3:2 pull-down.


Unfortunately not all the clips we sampled left us impressed. In fact we rented The Invention of Lying and every single scene was plagued with dancing backgrounds and compression artifacts everywhere else you can imagine. Hard to know who's to blame, Warner or Apple, but we have certainly never seen a movie on Blu-ray look that bad. This does give us pause when renting or buying a title, not knowing which level of quality we can expect, though.

Apple's store isn't the only source for 1080p, though -- you can also use AirPlay to stream 1080p video clips from your new iPad or iPhone 4S (mirroring is limited to 720p). In addition, we're sure it's only a matter of time before a 1080p profile is added to your favorite encoding software. We were able to use MKVTools to change the audio codec and container of a sample clip in the amount of time it takes to copy a file and found that, contrary to Apple's declared specs, the Apple TV easily handled 1080p H.264 High Profile 5.1.

What's missing

There are some big missing features from the Apple TV and we're not talking about an App store, Siri or hand gestures. The biggest is the lack of HDMI-CEC, something almost every Blu-ray player features and that holds the promise of letting the Apple TV remote turn your television on and off, as well as adjust the volume. Content already available on other streamers is the other biggie, and while AirPlay does fill the gap, it doesn't allow us to watch live sports via WatchESPN in HD or access popular content on HBO Go or Hulu Plus. There are a few other notable misses like the lack of unified search, or content queue. What's more, we're not too keen on the fact that you have to use the remote to key in your iTunes account details before you can get rolling; we miss the original Apple TV that let us link up with a code as you would when pairing Bluetooth devices.
Apple TV (2012) hands-on!

Outlook


Ultimately, we're happy Apple finally joined the 1080p party and has continued to develop what has become quite an appealing complement to iLife. We know a lot of folks call the Apple TV an accessory, and Apple itself calls it a hobby, but the reality is that if someone buys into the iTunes ecosystem, owns a HDTV and doesn't have an Apple TV, they are missing a big part of the experience. Between AirPlay, iCloud and the iTunes store, there isn't a better way to extend Apple's experience to the television. The addition of 1080p is appreciated, now, how about some HBO, eh?

Google gets go ahead to provide video services to all Kansas City residents

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 11:13 AM PDT

In what may be a watershed moment for in-home entertainment, both Kansas and Missouri have given Google permission to provide video services to Kansas City residents as a part of its Google Fiber project. Missouri's Public Service Commision gave Big G the thumbs up on March 1st, and Kansas' Corporation Commission followed suit last Friday, meaning Google now has the green light to provide video services to residents on either side of the state line. Of course, the folks in Mountain View haven't committed to taking down the cable companies just yet, but these approvals put the necessary franchise licensing in place for them to do so if they choose. Comcast, Cox, Time Warner... your newest competitor has arrived.

Google gives us some insight on the inner workings of Google Translate

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 10:56 AM PDT

Google may have started out as a search engine, but the scope of its services has grown considerably in the 20-plus years since its origin. Of the many products in its grand stable, Google Translate has become a workhorse platform, lending its multi-lingual chops to Chrome, Google +, Android, iOS, Gmail, and even Google eBooks. Few of Google's other services can claim to serve the company's core mission "to organize the world's info and make it accessible" as well as the digital interpreter. Since many take Translate's prodigious powers for granted (guilty), we figured a quick history lesson was in order. So, join us after the break for a video interview with one of Translate's senior software engineers and let him hit you with some knowledge about its origins and operation.


Google Translate is a service that translates text, documents, web pages and the spoken word to and from any of the languages it currently supports. It works using statistical machine translation (SMT), where computers analyze millions of existing translated documents to learn vocabulary and look for patterns in a language. Translate then picks the most statistically probable translation when asked to translate a new bit of text. Now, Google Translate didn't always work this way. Initially, it used a rules-based system, where rules of grammar and syntax, along with vocabulary for each language, were manually coded into a computer. Google switched to SMT because it enables the service to improve itself as it combs the web adding to its database of text -- as opposed to linguists having to identify and code new rules as a language evolves. That's not to say Translate is fault-free. Any veteran user will tell you that its interpretations can be better at giving you the gist of the original document than they are at consummately reproducing the message. Getting a computer to learn the morphology and nuances of so many disparate languages ain't easy, after all. So, now that you know how it works and where it came from, here's a few more Translate tidbits you might not know:
  • Google Translate was introduced in 2006 supporting only English and Arabic, but can currently translate 64 languages.
  • With such broad linguistic support, Translates services have increased tenfold in the last three years, and now processes hundreds of millions of translations every day.
  • Got friends from foreign lands you like to GChat with? Add a chatbot to the conversation for every language involved, and you can each type in your native tongue while the bot translates the text in real-time.
  • Translate makes getting around abroad easier with its Android app's speech-to-speech translation in conversation mode... as long as you're in Western Europe, Asia, or the Middle East (it only supports 14 languages at present)
  • If you've got a translation you know isn't quite right, let Google know with the "Contribute a better translation" feature. Translate's engineers use that feedback to target specific problems in Translate's operation.

NEC adds speakers to lightbulb, Edison wishes he'd had the idea (video)

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 10:29 AM PDT

NEC Lighting has produced a union 'twixt wireless speaker and LED ceiling light that's controllable with an Android phone. You can rock out to your favorite tunes over Bluetooth at the same you play with the brightness and color temperature of the light. Or you can switch to one of three presets that offer active, natural or relaxed light and sound to permeate your living room. The company's hoping to have it perfected in time for the end of this year and if your imagination can't stretch to picture a singing light fitting, then head on past the break to see it in action.

Humble Bundle brings Canabalt and more to Android

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 10:00 AM PDT

January saw the release of the first ever Humble Bundle for Android, and now the organization is back with a first of another sort for the platform -- five of them, in fact. The second mobile-focused Humble Bundle sees five games making their Android debut, including iPhone favorite Canabalt (now with a two-player mode and Android-exclusive 3D option), plus Zen Bound 2, Cogs, Swords and Soldiers and Avadon: The Black Fortress HD (the latter specific to Android tablets). Along with those comes a beta version of Humble Bundle's own app (up from an alpha release before), which makes it a bit easier to download the games and check for updates since all of this is handled outside of Google Play. As with all Humble Bundles, you can set your own price for the bundle, with an amount of your choosing going to the Child's Play charity and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and you'll also get desktop versions of all five games for Windows, Mac and Linux. A Steam key is included with all purchases over $1 as well (although it doesn't yet include Canabalt), and they've even thrown in soundtracks for three of the games for good measure.


LG launches new A540-T/D 3D notebook, adds A540-P IPS model

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 09:22 AM PDT

While LG neatly folded its glasses-free A540-H model into its CES line-up at the start of the year, it's now added another pair of notebooks to launch alongside it in Korea. This includes another 3D model that requires a pair of stylish squash goggles passive 3D glasses to gain that extra dimension. For those less disposed to hanging techno eye-wear off their face and watching Avatar again, there's the simpler two-dimensional joys of the A540-P, which houses a 15.6-inch AH-IPS display. All three versions house the same Core i7 processors and a GeForce GT555M for the necessary graphical grunt work. Fans of both mono and stereoscopic computing can consult the (Google-translated) press release below for more details.

Show full PR text
Autostereoscopic 3D notebook 'Xnote A540' released

■ 'child tracking' technology Autostereoscopic 3D notebook cinema release
- Eye webcam to track the location offers the best Autostereoscopic 3D Imaging
- 2D to 3D conversion of images easily adopt the touch of a button
- 'SRS Premium Sound 5.1' technology provides realistic surround sound
■ maximize the brightness and clarity apply IPS panel simultaneous release model, and general 3D models


"3D, take off the glasses"


LG Electronics 3D capabilities greatly enhanced notebook 'Xnote A540 series' launch on the 19th and went on expanding domestic 3D market leadership.



Autostereoscopic 3D Cinema flagship laptop (A540-H) without having to wear glasses seem tantalizingly possible to enjoy 3D images.



In particular, LG Electronics, the user automatically optimized according to the movement that brings 3D images of the 'child tracking' technique was applied. 'Eye Tracking' at the top of the product with a Webcam (Web Cam) two real-time tracking of changes in eye position, viewing angle and distance moved by automatically calculating the optimal Autostereoscopic 3D effect.



Easy to use 3D also features. One-touch buttons to convert any regular 3D stereoscopic images as vivid and easy to convert whatever you can enjoy. A grouping of a variety of 3D applications and '3 D Space 'by default seolchidwae games, movies, etc. 3D images can be enjoyed more easily.



This product 4.1-channel speaker (Sub Woofer included) and 'SRS Premium Sound (Premium Sound) 5.1' technologies by adopting realistic stereo sound.



This product is 20% better multitasking performance second-generation 'Core i7' quad-core processor was mounted. A strong graphics card GeForce stereoscopic 3D (GeForce) GT555M all.



Silver sophistication of light aluminum material, pebble-shaped Pebble (Pebble) and numeric keyboard dedicated key (Number Keypad) is added convenience.



LG Electronics, the consumer choice model in order to expand the 3D Cinema 3D glasses effect Laptop (A540-T / D) also introduced. All functions except 3D approach is the same as the laptop Autostereoscopic 3D cinema.



Meanwhile, LG Electronics, the AH-IPS panel, applying the model implementing crisp, sharp image quality (A540-P) was released in July 1996. This product pan Borden, clear, clean image at any angle to the Internet search and you can watch the video. The Full HD (1920x1080) resolution, multitasking support is excellent. 3D is not supported.



Autostereoscopic 3D model 2 price 2.25 million won each paper / 2,850,000 won, 1,730,000 won glasses, 3D models, IPS model is 1,930,000 won.



Suh, vice president of LG Electronics, IT project manager, "Autostereoscopic 3D Autostereoscopic 3D display after the notebook market is also expected to lead" and "the most easy and comfortable to enjoy the 3D '3 D = LG 'solidify its image," he said.

Mountain Lion Developer Preview 2's new features detailed

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 08:55 AM PDT

When Apple dropped the second developer preview of Mountain Lion on Friday it didn't see fit to include release notes, instead leaving it to us and the rest of the blogosphere to dig up the new features ourselves. The big ones are clearly Twitter alerts in the Notification Center and the introduction of tab syncing in Safari through iCloud. The latter of which should sooth iPhone fans that were jealous of Chrome for Android. Smaller enhancements were also turned on, including warnings when a program asks to access your contacts and location-based alarms in the Reminders app -- which can be shared with your iOS-based mobile device as well. We'll keep looking for more, but let us know you discover any new features in the comments.

Apple's Tim Cook says 'pipeline is full of stuff,' AT&T affirms record sales of new iPad

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 08:43 AM PDT

Apple's 'cash balance' conference call this morning was mostly uninteresting for folks not immediately involved with Wall Street (the actual thing and the Shia LaBeouf masterpiece, as it turns out), but CEO Tim Cook did let loose a few nuggets of interestingness for those hoping for insight into the future. For one, he stated that Apple's pipeline is "full of stuff," further impressing upon the masses the message he planted at the tail-end of the new iPad keynote on March 7th. He also stated: "I think our customers will be incredibly pleased with what they see coming out." Hardly a surprise, but Apple rarely hands out confirmation of boom times unless it truly has something significant in the labs.

He also confirmed that Apple had "a record opening weekend" in regard to the new iPad launch, but stopped short of handing out actual figures. In fact, we could be talking about a record low -- we jest, we jest. At any rate, AT&T has stepped in to announce that on Friday, March 16th, the carrier "set a new single-day record for its iPad sales and activations." Again, no hard figures, but something tells us the number crunchers (and auditors) are hard at work to bring us precisely that. Ma Bell's laughably brief press release can be found in its entirety after the break -- all 45 cliffhanging words of it.
Show full PR text
AT&T Statement on iPad Sales

DALLAS, March 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, March 16, AT&T set a new single-day record for its iPad sales and activations, demonstrating robust demand for the new iPad on the nation's largest 4G network, covering nearly 250 million people.

Chris Blizzard bids farewell to Firefox, heads for unnamed startup

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 08:09 AM PDT

Chris BlizzardChris Blizzard, a man who has been with Mozilla since its founding in 1998, has left the group and his position as director of web platform to work with a startup. Who the company is and what it does Blizzard didn't specify when announcing his move. In a blog post he said only that the Palo Alto-based outfit was doing "great (and difficult!) work that deals with the intersection of systems, compilers, and web-scale problems." Blizzard's decision to leave the foundation comes a time of relative turmoil, including a number of high-profile personnel changes, a major shift in the development cycle and a landscape that is increasingly mobile minded and hostile to Firefox. Still, after more than a decade, the browser has proven its resilience and we wouldn't worry much about its future. We wish Mr. Blizzard the best of luck in his future endeavours.

[Image credit: Mozilla]

Indian court drops censorship case against Microsoft, Google and Facebook still on the hook

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 07:39 AM PDT

With so many patent trolls out and about, you'd be forgiven if the Indian government's censorship case against Google, Facebook, Microsoft and other web companies slipped under your radar. Indeed, not a whole lot has happened since then, but Microsoft, at least, is making an early exit from the proceedings. Delhi High Court has dropped the outfit from the list of companies accused of failing to rid their sites of offensive material -- specifically, perceived religious attacks, or anything else that might violate local laws against inciting communal tensions. (In particular, according to a three-months-old New York Times report, technology minister Kapil Sibal, pictured above, took note of comments criticizing Sonia Gandhi, widow of the assassinated former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi). For now, this leaves Google and Facebook to defend themselves, though the two internet giants are moving to have their cases dismissed as well. The High Court will hear those petitions on May 3, with the trial set to resume on May 23.

Qbo robot gets Xtion Pro motion sensor add-on, can't help but gloat (video)

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 07:05 AM PDT

Who would spend their allowance on Asus's expensive Xtion Pro motion sensor? Qbo the cute open-source robot would, because he needs a constant stream of new abilities to maintain his youthful self-image. The sensor's laser emissions create a "3D point cloud" that is added to data from Qbo's existing odometer and gyroscope to create maps, model objects in 3D and plan movements. Why the Xtion instead of the cheaper Kinect? The robot's builders, The Corpora, simply say they picked it for its "small size and weight" as well as its ability to adapt easily -- which was precisely Asus's developer-friendly intention in the first place. See the world as Qbo sees it, right after the break.

Digiboo kiosk video service launches, opts for USB drives instead of DVDs

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 06:42 AM PDT

Judging by its quirky name, you'd think Digiboo is anything but an à la carte video service hoping to fight it out with the famed Redbox, or even Qwikster Netflix. The outfit's kiosks allow you to grab a two-day rental from a 700-plus film menu for $3.99, while $14.99 makes any title yours to own. Here's the interesting part -- rather than getting a DVD for your cash, though, you'll insert a flash drive to download your movie in as little as "30 seconds." Digiboo's setting up shop at airports in Portland, Seattle and Minneapolis-St. Paul to start, but mum's the word on its plans for expansion. Taking a trip over to P-Town anytime soon? Be sure to let us know your results if you happen to try it out.

Logitech selects Bracken Darrell as president right now, next CEO in 2013

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 06:20 AM PDT

When current CEO Guerrino De Luca took over the reigns at Logitech following huge losses on Google TV and its business in the EMEA region, we knew it was only temporary and now Logitech has appointed a successor. Bracken P. Darrell is coming over from Whirlpool (where he lead its efforts in, you guessed it, Europe, Middle East and Africa) to be its new president effective April 9th. The plan is for him to take over for De Luca on January 1st, 2013 (who will return to his former role as Chairman), while leading an improved, slimmed down product roadmap -- the theme is said to be quality over quantity -- for the second half of the 2013 fiscal year. On the conference call De Luca indicated more would be revealed during an upcoming earnings announcement in April which, combined with a hint at a Harmony remote refresh during the last call in January, has us marking our calendars already.
Show full PR text
Logitech Names Bracken P. Darrell President

FREMONT, Calif. & MORGES, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Logitech International (SIX: LOGN) (Nasdaq: LOGI) today announced that Whirlpool EMEA leader Bracken P. Darrell will join Logitech as president, effective April 9, 2012. Reporting to Guerrino De Luca, Logitech chairman and chief executive officer, Mr. Darrell will assume responsibility for research and development, sales and marketing, manufacturing, supply chain, IT, human resources and legal functions. The company's finance organization and LifeSize division will continue to report to Mr. De Luca until January 1, 2013, at which time Mr. Darrell will succeed Mr. De Luca as chief executive officer.

"Bracken Darrell and Logitech are an excellent match," said Guerrino De Luca. "Bracken has a proven track record in highly successful global companies, with experience in operations, product innovation, marketing, service and brand management. He is a change agent, having driven innovation and transformation for iconic consumer brands. Bracken brings a passion for keeping the consumer at the heart of decisions as well as a fresh perspective on our business. The board of directors and I believe that Bracken is the right individual to drive our company to renewed profitable growth, and I am thrilled to work with him on his transition from president to CEO."

Bracken Darrell, age 49, joins Logitech from Whirlpool Corporation, where he has been serving as executive vice president of Whirlpool Corporation and president of Whirlpool EMEA. Prior to joining Whirlpool in 2008, Mr. Darrell was with Procter & Gamble, most recently as president of Braun globally, based in Germany. In addition to serving in Procter & Gamble for twelve years, Mr. Darrell spent five years with General Electric Company, most recently as general manager of Consumer Home Service for GE Appliances. Mr. Darrell previously held positions with PepsiCo and Arthur Anderson. He received an M.B.A. degree from Harvard University in 1991 and a B.A. degree from Hendrix College in 1985.

"I'm very excited to take on this role," said Bracken Darrell. "Logitech's strong history of innovation, design, and leadership in this space makes it extremely compelling to me. I've been a fan of Logitech products for years, so I'm eager to join Guerrino in driving the company toward renewed growth and increased profitability."

HTC One X could be coming to Sprint on June 10th, bearing LTE and 'Jet' codename

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 05:56 AM PDT

If unnamed "internal sources" at Sprint are to be believed, then HTC's new flagship phone is set to become one of the Now Network's first LTE handsets as soon as June 10th. The only sticking point, beyond us having no notion of whether these sources are credible, is that they didn't use the right name for the phone -- calling it the "HTC Jet" instead of the One X. Despite this switched moniker, S4GRU reports that all the leaked specs match up perfectly with the LTE variant of the One X, including a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm S4 processor (Tegra 3 being reserved for non-LTE version in other markets), 4.7-inch 1280 x 720 SLCD display, 1GB RAM, NFC, Gorilla Glass 2 and a polycarbonate unibody. As for the branding, 'Jet' would surely be a disposable codename, replacing the earlier Endeavor disguise, otherwise HTC's fresh start has already taken a hit.

Liveblogging Apple's 'cash balance' conference call

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 05:53 AM PDT

Apple announces dividend and share repurchase program for 2012, expects to spend $45 billion over three years

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 05:32 AM PDT

Surprise, surprise -- Apple just let the cat out of its own bag. In right around a half-hour, the company will officially unwrap plans to initiate a dividend and share repurchase program commencing later this year. 'Course, analysts have been clamoring for such an announcement for quite some time, and with a stock price near $600 and some $100 billion in the bank, the outfit can clearly afford it. More specifically, Apple plans to "initiate a quarterly dividend of $2.65 per share sometime in the fourth quarter of its fiscal 2012, which begins on July 1, 2012." Granted, that's all subject to the Board of Directors giving the ole a-okay, but we highly doubt the company would issue such knowledge without a practical guarantee that everyone is on board. Additionally, the Company's Board of Directors has authorized a $10 billion share repurchase program commencing in the Apple's fiscal 2013, which begins on September 30, 2012; we're told that said program will be executed over three years, with the main goal being to "neutralize the impact of dilution from future employee equity grants and employee stock purchase programs."

As for CEO Tim Cook's thoughts on the matter?

"We have used some of our cash to make great investments in our business through increased research and development, acquisitions, new retail store openings, strategic prepayments and capital expenditures in our supply chain, and building out our infrastructure. You'll see more of all of these in the future. Even with these investments, we can maintain a war chest for strategic opportunities and have plenty of cash to run our business. So we are going to initiate a dividend and share repurchase program."

Naturally, this all shows that Apple is supremely confident in its future, but it doesn't shed any light into potential acquisitions from a technology standpoint. Strangely enough, it was just a few days ago that Mr. Cook ended his new iPad keynote with a promise that 2012 would be chock full of unbelievable things from his company, but it sounds like the only folks celebrating this particular announcement are those with a hand in the stockpile. We don't expect to glean much more than what's given in the presser just past the break, but we'll be liveblogging the actual conference call starting at 9AM ET.
Show full PR text
Apple Announces Plans to Initiate Dividend and Share Repurchase Program

Expects to Spend $45 Billion Over Three Years

CUPERTINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apple® today announced plans to initiate a dividend and share repurchase program commencing later this year.

"Even with these investments, we can maintain a war chest for strategic opportunities and have plenty of cash to run our business. So we are going to initiate a dividend and share repurchase program."

Subject to declaration by the Board of Directors, the Company plans to initiate a quarterly dividend of $2.65 per share sometime in the fourth quarter of its fiscal 2012, which begins on July 1, 2012.

Additionally, the Company's Board of Directors has authorized a $10 billion share repurchase program commencing in the Company's fiscal 2013, which begins on September 30, 2012. The repurchase program is expected to be executed over three years, with the primary objective of neutralizing the impact of dilution from future employee equity grants and employee stock purchase programs.

"We have used some of our cash to make great investments in our business through increased research and development, acquisitions, new retail store openings, strategic prepayments and capital expenditures in our supply chain, and building out our infrastructure. You'll see more of all of these in the future," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "Even with these investments, we can maintain a war chest for strategic opportunities and have plenty of cash to run our business. So we are going to initiate a dividend and share repurchase program."

"Combining dividends, share repurchases, and cash used to net-share-settle vesting RSUs, we anticipate utilizing approximately $45 billion of domestic cash in the first three years of our programs," said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple's CFO. "We are extremely confident in our future and see tremendous opportunities ahead."

Apple will provide live streaming of a conference call to discuss its plans beginning at 6:00 a.m. PDT on Monday, March 19, 2012 at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/call31912. The Company will not be providing an update on the current quarter nor will any topics be discussed other than cash. This webcast will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter.

This press release contains forward-looking statements including without limitation those regarding future business outlook and plans for dividends and share repurchases. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation the effect of competitive and economic factors, and the Company's reaction to those factors, on consumer and business buying decisions with respect to the Company's products; continued competitive pressures in the marketplace; the ability of the Company to deliver to the marketplace and stimulate customer demand for new programs, products, and technological innovations on a timely basis; the effect that product introductions and transitions, changes in product pricing or mix, and/or increases in component costs could have on the Company's gross margin; the inventory risk associated with the Company's need to order or commit to order product components in advance of customer orders; the continued availability on acceptable terms, or at all, of certain components and services essential to the Company's business currently obtained by the Company from sole or limited sources; the effect that the Company's dependency on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties may have on the quality, quantity or cost of products manufactured or services rendered; risks associated with the Company's international operations; the Company's reliance on third-party intellectual property and digital content; the potential impact of a finding that the Company has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; the Company's dependency on the performance of distributors, carriers and other resellers of the Company's products; the effect that product and service quality problems could have on the Company's sales and operating profits; the continued service and availability of key executives and employees; war, terrorism, public health issues, natural disasters, and other circumstances that could disrupt supply, delivery, or demand of products; and unfavorable results of other legal proceedings. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company's financial results is included from time to time in the "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" sections of the Company's public reports filed with the SEC, including the Company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 24, 2011 and its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2011. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates.

Unnamed Samsung exec says quad-core Exynos inside Galaxy S III, LTE on-chip

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 05:31 AM PDT

An unnamed Samsung exec hinted to the Korea Times that its upcoming flagship, the Galaxy S III, will include a next-gen quad-core Exynos chip that will incorporate LTE and WCDMA radios. Of course, such a revelation shouldn't come as too much of a surprise since both its predecessors were built around home grown silicon... at least originally. According to the source, Sammy is trying to become more self reliant and distance itself from Qualcomm which has provided single-chip solutions for a number of the manufacturer's high-end handsets. The new AP appears to be the 32nm slab of silicon we heard about before MWC, which is sporting four A9 cores and not the more powerful A15. The executive said the development of the all-in-one chip is complete and its simply a matter of sticking them inside smartphones. Now, when exactly we can hope to see such a device hit the market is still a bit of a mystery.

New Motorola phone elbows RAZR aside with bigger screen, gets caught on blurrycam

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 05:18 AM PDT

Motorola has apparently bored itself with battery expansion and moved onto that other mobile upgrade chestnut; screen size. Posted on the Mfunz forums, we're apparently gazing upon a 4.6-inch high-definition display -- one that dwarfs the existing RAZR model on its right. We don't know much more just yet, although the apparent Verizon badging suggests this new phone is US-bound. This could be the first peak at the rumored Droid Fighter -- a name that's bounced around the web recently on supposedly leaked Verizon documents with a mid-April release date in tow. We're not sure what else to expect from this device, aside from what looks likely to be software-based buttons like those found on the Galaxy Nexus. We wouldn't refuse a Moto device with Ice Cream Sandwich from launch -- it'll beat waiting (and waiting) on those OTA updates.

FAA to take 'fresh look' at gadget restrictions on flights

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 04:53 AM PDT

The only thing worse than the Terrible 10,000 Feet is the underlying sense that it's all so unnecessary. Why should using an iPad, Kindle or bag-holding alarm clock be banned during take-off and landing, even with all wireless comms switched off? Nick Bilton from the New York Times has been hounding the Federal Aviation Administration over this issue for a while, but he's suddenly received a reply other than "Just turn it off, sir." A senior official told him that the agency as decided to take a "fresh look" at the rules, not for cell phones, but for the myriad of other gadgets that can make a flight so much more peaceful and productive. Currently, airlines complain that they have to test each model of device individually, on every single plane in the fleet, and with a separate empty flight used for each test, before they're allowed to relax the rules for that model. That's why personal electronic devices remain so closely restricted, but also why there's so much room for a smarter solution -- even if there are still reams of red-tape to overcome before anything changes.

NetZero launches '4G' wireless service, we go hands-on

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 04:05 AM PDT

Remember NetZero? Today the company announced that it's launching NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband, a wireless service rolling out in 80 US cities and offering value-priced monthly data plans without activation fees, contracts, commitments or overage charges. Customers can chose between two levels of service -- Lightspeed (up to 1Mbps down / 384Kbps up) to conserve data and Warpspeed (up to 10Mbps down / 1.5Mbps up) for maximum performance -- and can switch back and forth by simply logging into NetZero's website (this can take up to 15 minutes). Five monthly data plans are available:
  • Free, $0, 200MB (limited to Lightspeed and limited to one year)
  • Basic, $9.95, 500MB (limited to Lightspeed)
  • Plus, $19.95, 1GB
  • Pro, $34.95, 2GB
  • Platinum, $49.95, 4GB
Two devices are offered -- the NetZero 4G Stick ($49.95 + shipping) is a Windows and OS X-compatible USB modem and the NetZero 4G Hotspot ($99.95 + shipping) is an eight device-capable WiFi hotspot with an LCD and a 2,200mAh battery.

So far, so good -- NetZero is becoming an MVNO. Yet strangely, there's no mention in any of the PR as to which network the company is using. We test drove NetZero's new wireless service over the weekend using the WiFi hotspot and figured out that it's using Clearwire's WiMAX network. In fact NetZero's 4G Stick is identical to the Clear 4G Mobile USB modem (manufactured by Ubee), and its 4G Hotspot is the same as the Clear Spot Apollo (a rather bulky unit made by Gemtek)-- see the FCC links below and read on for our impressions after the break.
NetZero 4G Hotspot hands-on

We used NetZero's 4G Hotspot set to Warpspeed in various parts of San Francisco and experienced the same spotty performance that we've come to expect from WiMAX in the city by the bay -- downloads between 363Kbps and 4.7Mbps, uploads between 195Kbps and 1.7Mbps, with ping times between 74 and 223msec. You're basically looking at "4G" (faux-G) levels of performance here -- HSPA+ speeds at best and EDGE speeds at worst. That said, we encountered few areas without service and Clearwire's network was quite reliable if not a bit slow. While we didn't perform a full battery test, the power drain we observed appears to be consistent with the claimed 6+ hours battery life.

NetZero launches '4G' wireless service, we go hands-on

Pricing is pretty competitive for a non-contract offering as long as you're within the coverage area with a decent signal since there's no fallback to legacy networks. Most commitment-free options are only 3G or cost more -- except for AT&T and Verizon's iPad data plans which, well, require an iPad with a cellular radio. Otherwise, you're looking at signing your life away for two years to get similar prices (at least for heavy users) plus access to 4G speeds. Want to know more? Take a look at our gallery above and check out the full PR below.
Show full PR text
UNITED ONLINE LAUNCHES NETZERO 4G MOBILE BROADBAND SERVICE

NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband Offers Disruptive Pricing, Fast 4G Speeds, No Contract-No Commitment Data Plans, and Secure Internet Access

Woodland Hills, Calif. – March 19, 2012 –NetZero Wireless, Inc., a subsidiary of United Online, Inc. (NASDAQ: UNTD), today announced the launch of NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband, a fast, affordable and protected Internet service for laptops, iPads® and other tablets, and netbooks.

This new service, which launches today in over 80 cities nationwide, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Miami, lets consumers create their own personal Internet connections without being tied to unsecure public hotspots at places like coffee shops, airports and hotels. And unlike public Wi-Fi networks, where credit card numbers and other personal information may be exposed to hackers and data thieves, the NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband service delivers a protected, private Internet connection anytime, anywhere within its coverage area.

NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband data plans start at just $9.95 per month. Customers are not required to sign a contract, and can upgrade their data plan at any time. Each plan delivers 4G service with download speeds of up to 10Mbps and upload speeds of up to 1.5Mbps.

"NetZero is bridging the digital divide by letting consumers purchase a secure, quality, mobile broadband service at very affordable prices with plans designed to meet the consumers' data needs," said Mark R. Goldston, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of United Online. "Our service gives customers the freedom to take the Internet anywhere in our coverage area, without being tied to public Wi-Fi service or having to purchase higher-cost, sometimes multi-year plans offered by other mobile broadband providers. With NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband, there are no contracts or commitments, and our customers can even try our service for up to one year for free."

All data plans, including the free plan, require the purchase of one of two affordable access devices: the NetZero 4G HotSpot™ and the NetZero 4G Stick™. The NetZero 4G HotSpot simultaneously supports up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including iPads® and other tablets, within a 150-foot range. The NetZero 4G Stick supports a single laptop or netbook via a USB port. The NetZero 4G HotSpot costs $99.95 and the NetZero 4G Stick costs $49.95, much less than the cost of most comparable contract-free devices available today.

NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband includes an innovative feature that lets customers switch the speed of their service to meet their data needs. NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband subscribers can set their service at either LightSpeed, which delivers download speeds of up to 1Mbps, or WarpSpeed, which provides download speeds of up to 10Mbps. Customers in any of the service plans can toggle their speed setting to LightSpeed (to conserve data) or WarpSpeed (to maximize speed) at any time, allowing them to match the speed of their service to their current activity and maximize their data consumption.

With NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband, there are no overage charges. Customers cannot accidently exceed monthly data allotments. An alert lets customers know when they reach their monthly data limit, at which point, they have three options. Option 1: If customers are on a pay plan, they can buy extra data "Top Ups" that they can use through the end of their current billing cycle. Option 2: Customers can upgrade to a higher capacity data plan. Option 3: Customers can wait until the next month to utilize the service with a fresh allotment of data according to their existing plan.

Is this the Nokia Lumia 719c?

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 03:10 AM PDT

China is getting even closer to its first taste of Nokia Windows Phone and it might include a new phone entirely. While we're still two weeks away from Mr. Elop's proposed March 28th launch, the leaked shot above is purported to be the Lumia 719c -- a previously unseen Windows Phone that could arrive in time for Nokia's latest smartphone push. It has that familiar curved shape and plastic build, but there's some slight design riffs to set it apart from both the Lumia 710 and 610 -- one of which it'll likely replace in Chinese stores. We only have Mr. Blurrycam's one-shot portrait to go on so far, but expect to see some price-constrained specs like those seen on Nokia's other entry-level smartphone when (or if) it gets an official reveal.

Linux kernel 3.3 released with merged Android code and more

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 01:58 AM PDT

The latest refresh of the Linux kernel, 3.3, is now available, and the second release of 2012 brings with it the long-awaited merging of code from Google's little side project. While that is particularly interesting to developers looking to boot Android or run apps on the stock Linux kernel (FYI: optimized power management and other infrastructure that didn't make it this time will arrive in the next release, 3.4) and represents a resolution to the issues that kept the two apart for so long it's not the only new feature included. There are improvements to file systems like Btrfs, memory management, networking, security and much, much more. Hit the source link below for the full changelog or grab the code and from the usual locations and get your compile on directly.

Sphero goes modular, spins out for a drive (video)

Posted: 18 Mar 2012 11:36 PM PDT


Sphero's hooked up with a new whip, albeit a retro-fitted one. Skylar, a Junior Developer at Orbotix, modded an old RC car with an Arduino board, H-bridge and a few trackball parts, enabling the remote control ball to serve as its brain. Just in time too -- there's only so much fun you can have getting the little orb stuck behind the filing cabinets. Still, it's certainly a leap beyond purposing it to pull an iPhone-toting chariot.

Sean Buckley contributed to this post.

EverQuest turns 13, blows out the subscription candles (video)

Posted: 18 Mar 2012 09:18 PM PDT

EverQuest? More like Ever-cost -- until now that is. The popular subscription-based game has dropped the need for recurring charges as the franchise marks its thirteenth year on the scene. If you're still set on forking out that $14.99 for full access, you can, but there's now a one-time $5 silver membership as well as the totally free option. Of course, it's free as in beer, with parts of the game restricted (only four character races and classes etc) meaning it mightn't be long before you're opening up the wallet again. But, if this doesn't turn you off, saving up for another classic just got a lot easier.

How would you change the Nook Tablet?

Posted: 18 Mar 2012 07:25 PM PDT

It's hard not to make a series of reductive comparisons between the Nook Tablet and the Kindle Fire. After all, it's the conflict between Barnes & Noble and Amazon that frames these two 7-inch tablet / e-reader hybrids. When released, this one was $50 more expensive, but is technically more impressive: you get more expandability, it's faster and the screen is better for images and video. Statistically, at least three out of every ten e-book readers purchased were Nooks, so plenty of you out there use 'em. What we want to know, is what are they like to use on a daily basis? What little gripes did we not pick up during our week-long review and, if William Lynch was reading what you had to say, what would you change?

Inhabitat's Week in Green: cloning a woolly mammoth, mesmerizing kinetic facade and LED-suited break dancers

Posted: 18 Mar 2012 05:33 PM PDT

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.

This week Inhabitat reported on several breaking technological controversies as South Korean scientists announced plans to clone a woolly mammoth and a group of researchers suggested bioengineering the human body to combat climate change. Printing tech also got a green upgrade as researchers developed a laser "unprinter" capable of erasing pages with a quick zap, and scientists used a 3D printer to create the world's smallest F1 car. Speaking of print, the University of Texas in Austin just developed a revolutionary paper sensor that can detect HIV and malaria for less than 10 cents and a group of aerospace engineers created a pacemaker that's powered by the human heart.

In alternative energy news, this week we showcased a solar-powered shipping container office that produces twice as much energy as it consumes, and Arup unveiled its striking net-zero arena for the 2022 world cup. We also highlighted 6 brilliant sun-powered art installations, a pair of massive oil pumps sprang up in Midtown Manhattan, and we brought you a mesmerizing kinetic facade that changes with the wind. President Obama also delivered a speech where he slammed opponents for their single-minded views on energy and a team of researchers developed a ultra thin battery that could power displays on credit cards.

Several groundbreaking green transportation projects launched this week as the first 2012 Coda all-electric sedan hit the streets, and scientists proposed a crazy maglev "Startram" train that could make space travel cheaper and more efficient. We also brought you the latest on the Chevy Volt saga as Bob Lutz went on the defensive for the Volt, Bill O'Reilly got caught red-handed as he flip-flopped his position on eco vehicles, and we got the scoop from Chevy's Rob Peterson about the Volt production shutdown. Last but not least, we published you several dispatches from the field of wearable technology - including a dazzling "Aurora" dress made from 10,000 LEDs, a line of space-age fashions inspired by Hubble photography, and a team of pop-locking LED-suited break dancers.

Is your new iPad heating up?

Posted: 18 Mar 2012 05:04 PM PDT

Apple's latest hot ticket seems to be a tad too hot to hold, some users are reporting. New iPad owners on the MacRumors forums and Apple's own support community complain that the slab's lower left corner can get a little warm during extended use. Don't get excited though, reports seem to vary by user -- some are reporting that their tablet becomes too uncomfortable to hold while others say that it only gets "slightly warm" and that it's "expected." How's your new iPad treating you? Click on through to the comments and let us know.

Refresh Roundup: week of March 12th, 2012

Posted: 18 Mar 2012 04:51 PM PDT

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

Official Android updates
  • T-Mobile G-Slate: The Magenta-branded tablet from LG was updated to version 10p this week, which brought a host of security fixes, USB game controller support and a fix for the Android Market. A new version of the baseband software (V909-V10p) is also on board. [Android Central]
  • ASUS Transformer TF101: Fresh off its update to Ice Cream Sandwich, the original Transformer has been updated to version 9.2.1.17. It brings a new round of bug fixes to the tablet, but unfortunately, there's no change log to reveal exactly what's been remedied. [Mobile Syrup]
  • Motorola Droid Pro: Verizon gave its Droid Pro handset a bit of lovin' this week. The new update, 4.7.3.XT610, resolves an issue that'd caused the device to power on automatically and is also said to bring improvements to the OTA update process. The refresh brings support for the Wireless Alerting System and also solves a nasty bug that'd lock up the phone after a mere press of the spacebar -- our sympathies to anyone who had to suffer through that one. [Ubergizmo]
  • T-Mobile myTouch 4G and myTouch 4G Slide: T-Mobile began rolling out updates for the myTouch 4G on March 15th, and similarly, its QWERTY-slider counterpart will be receiving a similar outpouring of goodwill tomorrow. In each case, the software is based on Android 2.3.4 and brings security fixes. Unique to the myTouch 4G Slide, it'll be receiving improvements to WiFi Calling, the Genius button and its Netflix app. [TmoNews]
  • Motorola Droid X2: The list of changes is relatively short for this dual-core smartphone, but software version 1.3.418.MB870 will bring support for the Wireless Alerting System, include Google security patches and will preload both Verizon Video and VZ Navigator 3D City -- awesome, guys, just keep piling it on. [MobileBurn]
  • Vizio Tablet (VTAB1008): Did you happen to snatch up a tablet from America's low-price television leader? If so, good news -- your Honeycomb update finally has arrived. Owners will now be treated to Android 3.2.1 along with V.I.A. Plus 2.0. [Thanks, Miguel] [Android Central]
Unofficial Android updates, custom ROMs and misc. hackery
  • ReloadedICS: If you'd like to bring a bit more personalization to your custom Android 4.0 ROM, be sure to check out ReloadedICS. Most notably, it adds a new and customizable set of toggles to the status drawer, which includes the ability to easily change the screen's brightness. Users will also find a number of new options for the system clock and a horizontal layout for recent apps. The flashable ZIP can be applied to any deodexed Ice Cream Sandwich ROM. [Android Community]
  • Samsung Galaxy Nexus (LTE): A new mod for the Galaxy Nexus LTE was released that's designed to make your phone's interface appear more tablet-like. Users will find flashable ZIP files for a number of custom ROMs that are available for the Verizon handset. Support for the HSPA+ version of the Galaxy Nexus is said to be in the works. [RootzWiki]
  • HTC One S: Following in the footsteps of the One X, a root method now exists for HTC's mid-range handset. Appropriately enough, this exploit also comes courtesy of MoDaCo. [Android Community]
  • HTC Rezound: Looking to give your Rezound a taste of the bleeding edge? A pre-release version of HTC's ROM for this handset has appeared in the wild and can be yours to play with. Users may choose from a stock version of the ROM, or a version that's pre-rooted for your convenience. [xda-developers forum]
Other platforms

BlackBerry Bold 9900 and Torch 9810: T-Mobile began pushing out Blackberry 7.1 OS to both of these handsets this week. In either case, the updates add support for voice calls over WiFi, along with hotspot and tethering functionality. [Electronista]

Refreshes we covered this week

Apple to announce plans for its $100 billion cash reserves tomorrow morning

Posted: 18 Mar 2012 03:41 PM PDT

A slew of successful, high margin products have left Apple sitting on an almost unimaginable amount of money -- $97 billion as of its last earnings report -- and led to the natural question of just what to do with it. According to a press release just issued, we'll all find out about "the outcome of the Company's discussions" tomorrow on a conference call with CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer at 9AM ET. What does $100 billion or so of iMac, Macbook, iPhone and iPad money buy? Speculation has already included dividends for investors, a spending spree of acquisitions or even a dip into philanthropy. We'd have blown the entire bundle on the largest indoor laser tag facility ever built long ago, so this time we'll leave the question to the experts -- what do you think the folks in Cupertino will (or should) announce?

March 19, 2012 08:00 AM EST
Show full PR text
Apple Conference Call
WHAT: Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, and Peter Oppenheimer, Apple's CFO, will host a conference call to announce the outcome of the Company's discussions concerning its cash balance. Apple® will not be providing an update on the current quarter nor will any topics be discussed other than cash.

WHERE: Via conference call. The dial-in number for press is (877) 616-0063 (toll-free) or (719) 219-0041. Please enter confirmation code 592016.

WHEN: Monday, March 19, 2012 at 6:00 a.m. PDT/9:00 a.m. EDT

REBROADCAST: The conference call will be available as a continuous rebroadcast beginning Monday, March 19 at 9:00 a.m. PDT/12:00 p.m. EDT through Monday, April 2 at 9:00 a.m. PDT/12:00 p.m. EDT. The dial-in number for the rebroadcast is (888) 203-1112 (toll-free) or (719) 457-0820. Please enter confirmation code 6274937.

WEBCAST: Apple will provide live audio streaming of its conference call using Apple's industry-leading QuickTime® multimedia software. The live webcast will begin at 6:00 a.m. PDT on March 19, 2012 at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/call31912 and will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter. The webcast is available on any iPhone®, iPad®, iPod touch® or any Mac® or PC running QuickTime 6 or later. If you do not have QuickTime installed on your Windows PC, it is available at www.apple.com/quicktime.

This recording is the property of Apple and protected by U.S. copyright law and international treaties. Any reproduction or distribution is strictly prohibited without prior written approval from Apple. Please contact Apple Public Relations or Investor Relations with any questions.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

Switched On: Extra Sensory Perception

Posted: 18 Mar 2012 02:30 PM PDT

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

At Intel's CES 2012 press conference, the giant chipmaker justified calling thin notebook PCs "ultrabooks" by noting how the devices would increasingly be characterized by more than their thinness.

The integration of sensors has become so core to the modern smartphone experience that their absence would make using such devices untenable.

Most of that differentiation was based on plans to integrate the kinds of sensors that have become commonplace in smartphones and tablets, sensors that can detect location, motion, orientation and proximity. The integration of sensors has become so core to the modern smartphone experience that their absence would make using such devices untenable. Imagine if we had to manually reorient a display every time we wanted to play a game or take a photo or if we had to avoid activating a button with our cheeks when holding a phone against them.

But as Switched On discussed in taking on how screen size affects form factors, what is a limitation of form factor today may not hold true tomorrow. Already, of course, smartphones can tap into remote intelligence for applications such as remote camera viewing or unlocking of doors via services from home security companies such as ADT and Vivint. From around the world, you can even remotely start a vehicle using the Viper SmartStart app. But there are increasing opportunities for smartphones to act on information from sensors that are not embedded into their shells.

One of the best such opportunities is in the vehicle, a four-wheeled sensor brigade that includes information on everything from speed to tire pressure. As car manufacturers build out APIs, smartphones will be able to tap into their native sensors. For example, a future smartphone app could issue warnings to slow down based on sensor information from the vehicle that you are driving too close to the car in front of you or alert a driver drifting into the next lane or even call a trusted friend or relative if the driver is driving erratically..

Beyond that, though, connectivity-enhanced sensors can be used for a whole range of activities. Want to know when a front door is opened? When a car pulls up in a driveway? When the temperature in a child's room gets too cold or too hot? When something is placed in a physical inbox at work? In the past few months, at least three separate Kickstarter projects have been funded to create devices that can detect these situations.

The first, TWINE, includes an accelerometer and temperature sensor; a simple Web app lets users create simple actions such as sending a tweet or SMS when the sensor is triggered. The second, Ninja Blocks, has taken things a bit farther with a two-way bridge that can also receive information from key Web services as well as creating additional sensors for light, humidity, distance and motion, as well as a push button.

The most recent, Node, which is still in the funding stage, boasts the most polished industrial design. A cylindrical core of sensors including a gyroscope, magnetometer and accelerometer can be topped off by any number of caps that can include a ring of LEDs for use as a flashlight, an infrared thermometer, a radiation sensor, and a range of gas sensors that can detect and measure carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, chlorine, nitric oxide, hydrogen and sulfur dioxide.

Clearly, sensor input detection will have a broad range in terms of their mainstream interest. One factor that may hold back these extended outposts, though, is connectivity. While attaching to Wi-Fi is a simple path, consumers may want to have sensors in place where there is no access to Wi-Fi or it does not exist. The best prospect seems to be a shared cellular data plan, where the very lightweight demands of sensors would barely be noticed compared to the demands of delivering high-definition video to a tablet. Alliteratively, perhaps there's an opportunity for the paging networks to not only have another day in the sun, but to help relay how warm it is outside.

Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) is executive director and principal analyst of the NPD Connected Intelligence service at The NPD Group. Views expressed in Switched On are his own.

Apple TV (2012) gets torn down, confirmed to have 512MB of RAM, 8GB of storage

Posted: 18 Mar 2012 12:12 PM PDT

We already knew about most of the latest Apple TV's technical upgrades, but a few key specs have eluded us since its announcement. That's now changed, however, thanks to user aicjofs over at XBMC's forum, who ripped a fresh unit apart to find out exactly what's inside of its shell. Apart from its documented single-core A5 SoC, it's now confirmed that the 1080p-capable streamer features 512MB of Hynix-branded RAM (up from 256) along with an unchanged 8GB of storage, courtesy of Toshiba. Interestingly, there's no word on whether it's still packing Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR like the 2010 variant (Apple's website only lists 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi), but MacRumors notes that aicjofs has discovered what's possibly an additional WiFi antenna. A few parts are still under investigation, but you can check out the links below for more info.

Sony Tegra 3 slate benchmarked, Tablet S successor on the way?

Posted: 18 Mar 2012 11:19 AM PDT

If you're looking to benchmark tools for hints at Sony's next slate, then you're looking at a little number that calls itself the V150. According to the NenaMark Android GPU benchmarking tool, this 1.4GHz tablet rocks a 1280 x 752 display and Android 4.0.3. An Nvidia Tegra 3 helps this slate achieve a benchmark score of 59.70, which is well above the Tablet S' 42.89 average. Considering that Sony's last wedge-shaped wonder has already seen a sizable price drop, it's looking like the firm may be gearing up to announce its replacement. We're reluctant to make the call with only a single benchmark score to go by, but we won't stop you from speculating.
at 12:19 PM

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