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Engadget News |
- MOG launches iPad app, adds to the list of slate-streaming options
- Archos Arnova A9G3 tablet bares its backside for the FCC
- Apple's new iPad gains Chinese certification, could head to retail soon
- TiVo sues Time Warner Cable, Motorola Mobility in fresh patent assault
- Engadget Giveaway: win a limited edition Sonos Play:3 and ZoneBridge, courtesy of Sonos!
- HTC partners with Intertrust, buys 20 percent of SyncTV
- The Engadget Show 31: Douglas Rushkoff, Sony, iRobot, MWC and air combat
- Logitech's business webcam is an eye on a stalk, and it's pointin' at you
- AT&T confirms HTC Titan II to join Lumia 900 on April 8th for $200 (video)
- Sony to add photo editing to PlayStation 3's repertoire this week?
- Digital Storm launches Aventum range with Cryo-TEC cooling system
- World demands justice for Galaxy Nexus owner who 'beat' Windows Phone
- Nokia Lumia 900 to hit AT&T on April 8th with $100 price tag in tow (video)
- Angry Birds Space hits 10 million mark in three days
- Hume: the bipedal 'Parkour' robot (video)
- NEC's tactile touchscreen nudges at the future (video)
- Apple ready to license its nano-SIM design for free, on one not-so-nano condition
- ICS upgrade leaks for AT&T's Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket
- Huawei hardware won't be part of National Broadband Network, says Australia
- How would you change the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus?
- Engadget Mobile Podcast 131 - 03.25.2012
- Square's Card Case rechristened 'Pay with Square,' is first to bring geo-fenced hands-free payments to Android
- Inhabitat's Week in Green: supersonic biplane, urban algae farm and magnetic tattoos
- Refresh Roundup: week of March 19th, 2012
- Switched On: Tablets are toys. No, really.
- Major ISPs agree to FCC's code of conduct on botnets, DNS attacks
- AT&T Labs, Carnegie Mellon research haptic-feedback steering wheel for turn-by-turn directions
| MOG launches iPad app, adds to the list of slate-streaming options Posted: 26 Mar 2012 11:13 AM PDT  Looking to bring that MOG subscription to your new Apple slate? You're in luck. The music streaming service that has been making headlines over the past week is now getting cozy on the iPad. Via the tablet app, you can enjoy unlimited downloads, access to "all the music you'll ever want," personalized radio, and built-in AirPlay compatibility. To get started, just hit the source link below -- once you have a $10 monthly subscription in hand, of course. |
| Archos Arnova A9G3 tablet bares its backside for the FCC Posted: 26 Mar 2012 10:46 AM PDT  |
| Apple's new iPad gains Chinese certification, could head to retail soon Posted: 26 Mar 2012 10:13 AM PDT  |
| TiVo sues Time Warner Cable, Motorola Mobility in fresh patent assault Posted: 26 Mar 2012 09:42 AM PDT  |
| Engadget Giveaway: win a limited edition Sonos Play:3 and ZoneBridge, courtesy of Sonos! Posted: 26 Mar 2012 09:15 AM PDT   The rules:
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| HTC partners with Intertrust, buys 20 percent of SyncTV Posted: 26 Mar 2012 08:43 AM PDT  Intertrust and HTC Announces Strategic Technology Partnership Sunnyvale, CA and Taoyuan, Taiwan – March 26, 2012 – As part of a strategic initiative to improve the robustness, privacy and security of Android and Windows Phone mobile devices, Intertrust Technologies Corporation, the world' leading inventor and licensor of trusted distributed computing technologies, and HTC Corporation (TWSE: 2498), a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today announced a broad strategic technology partnership. HTC joins many of the world's leading handset manufacturers in licensing Intertrust's patents, securing worldwide access to Intertrust's fundamental patent portfolio in trusted distributed computing and digital rights management (DRM). Further, as part of HTC's ongoing efforts to create comprehensive mobile experiences for consumers, it has acquired 20% of Intertrust's SyncTV subsidiary. SyncTV is a cloud-based video service that delivers video over the Internet to a broad set of devices, including Android, Windows Phone, XBOX, iOS and Internet-enabled televisions. HTC has also license Intertrust's broadly deployed open standards based Marlin DRM software. Marlin DRM is used to protect and manage content in various national video distribution ecosystems in Japan, China and Europe. "HTC's growth in the smartphone market is admirable, their innovative devices have come to define a category and have been broadly emulated by others," said Talal Shamoon, chief executive officer of Intertrust. "We are honored that HTC has license Intertrust technology and we look forward to working together in areas of mutual interest." |
| The Engadget Show 31: Douglas Rushkoff, Sony, iRobot, MWC and air combat Posted: 26 Mar 2012 08:00 AM PDT We're back in our old digs, and boy do we have a lot of show for you. Tim and Brian kick things off in style with a high flying segment involving planes, all-terrain vehicles, a desert sandstorm and ultra-rugged cameras from Contour and GoPro. HD senior editor Richard Lawler sits down with Sony Electronics president Phil Molyneux to discuss the company's home entertainment strategy. Next up, we take a look at some of the month's hottest gadgets, including the new iPad, the Lytro camera and Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1, before heading to Bedford, MA to check out the latest devices from iRobot. Mat Smith, Sean Cooper and Myriam Joire are your tour guides on our trip through this year's Mobile World Congress, and we wrap things up with a visit from media theorist Douglas Rushkoff to discuss his book, Program or be Programmed. Hosts: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater Special guests: Douglas Rushkoff, Phil Molyneux Producer: Guy Streit Director: Michelle Stahl Executive Producers: Brian Heater, Joshua Fruhlinger and Michael Rubens Download the Show: The Engadget Show - 031 (HD) / The Engadget Show - 031 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted) / The Engadget Show - 031 (Small) Subscribe to the Show: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (MP4). [Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (MP4). [RSS MP4] Add the Engadget Show feed (MP4) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically. [HD RSS] Get the Engadget Show delivered automatically in HD. [iPad RSS] Get the Engadget Show in iPad-friendly adaptive format. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Logitech's business webcam is an eye on a stalk, and it's pointin' at you Posted: 26 Mar 2012 07:32 AM PDT  Resembling a surveillance unit from a sinister dystopia, Logitech's newest webcam is strictly for the corporate environment only. The BCC950 Conference Cam holds a Carl Zeiss-lensed HD webcam atop a motorized stalk that can pan across 180 degrees. The camera itself has a 78 degree field of view, ending the era of huddling around a laptop. Its full-duplex speakerphone has a range of eight feet and will also happily let you Skype from the middle of a crowded bullpen. It'll be exclusively available to suited-and-booted customers at a cost of $250 (£200 in the UK) from May -- perhaps a tad too expensive to wheel around your office trying to catch someone napping at their desk. Logitech Introduces New Product Category for Unified Communications: The All-in-One Audio and Video ConferenceCam BCC950 ConferenceCam Enables Small Groups to Collaborate Through Voice and Video on PCs and Mac Computers FREMONT, Calif. - Mar. 26, 2012 - Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) today introduced a new product category for unified communications (UC) and Web conferencing: the all-in-one audio and video ConferenceCam. The Logitech® BCC950 ConferenceCam is the first communications tool to combine a full HD webcam with a high-quality, omni-directional full-duplex speakerphone in one USB device, enabling small groups to collaborate in conference rooms, closed offices or shared work spaces. The BCC950 ConferenceCam features a full HD webcam with motorised pan, tilt and zoom for easily bringing everyone into the picture – either from a control pad on the device or with a convenient remote control. The control pad or the remote can also used to answer calls, end calls, adjust the volume and mute the microphone. Optimised for Microsoft Lync and Skype Certified, the BCC950 ConferenceCam works with most UC and video platforms. With a wide 78-degree field of view and 180-degree video pan, support for 1080p, 30fps HD through plug-and-play UVC H.264 video technology, and a speakerphone that allows everyone in a meeting to hear and be heard clearly from up to eight feet away, the ConferenceCam helps remove the pain point of groups clustering around a computer to be seen and understood during UC calls. Weighing only 568g, the ConferenceCam can be carried easily around an office, allowing for spontaneous meetings anywhere users can place a computer. "The power of unified communications is driving collaboration across multiple locations and multiple devices, giving people the flexibility to work together wherever they are," said Giovanni Mezgec, general manager for Lync at Microsoft Corp. "The Logitech BCC950 ConferenceCam expands the benefits of UC in the enterprise by providing a simple-to-install, high-quality solution for small-group meetings." "We have a number of remote workers who value face-to-face time with their colleagues in the office, but we haven't had an appropriate tool for small-group video meetings," said Jim Hayes, IT operations manager for 24HourFlex, an employee benefits solutions provider in Aurora, Colo. "We've been testing pre-production units of the Logitech BCC950 ConferenceCam for more than a month and it's proved to be an ideal solution for this bottleneck. We can now quickly and easily add audio and video conferencing to any room with an affordable device that doesn't compromise on call quality." The Logitech BCC950 ConferenceCam is ideal for meetings of one to four or more people, whether in conference rooms or individual offices. A high-quality webcam sensor and Logitech RightLight™ 2 technology improve visual quality in low light and backlit situations, while a razor-sharp Carl Zeiss® lens and the camera's autofocus feature allow sharing of detailed documents and other visuals up close, without losing image quality. "The workplace is rapidly evolving toward smaller and more virtual teams, yet communication tools have not kept pace," said Eric Kintz, vice president and general manager of Logitech for Business. "In looking at the needs of our customers, we saw a gap in solutions that bring audio and videoconferencing to small groups. The Logitech BCC950 ConferenceCam fills that gap by combining a webcam and speakerphone into a single affordable device – transforming PCs and Macs into communications platforms, so businesses can set up more locations for small-group meetings." Pricing and Availability The Logitech BCC950 ConferenceCam is expected to be available worldwide beginning in May 2012, for a price of £199.99, from resellers who specialise in the business-to-business market. The product will not be offered by consumer electronics retailers. For more information on the Logitech BCC950 ConferenceCam and other Logitech products for business, please visit www.logitech.com/business or our blog. |
| AT&T confirms HTC Titan II to join Lumia 900 on April 8th for $200 (video) Posted: 26 Mar 2012 06:52 AM PDT  |
| Sony to add photo editing to PlayStation 3's repertoire this week? Posted: 26 Mar 2012 06:37 AM PDT
Limber up those thumbs gaming gurus, because a new challenge may be on its way to your PlayStation 3 console: photo editing. PCWorld is reporting that Sony will be rolling out some new "photo editing software" for the PS3 early this week. Tweaking photos aside, the software's ultimate purpose will be to provide access to and allow the sharing of digital stills through the company's PlayMemories Online (and your other Sony portable media devices), which is set to launch later this year. The report states that the software will be on sale here in the US on Tuesday and carry a price tag of $18 -- a 30-day trial will also be available. What say you PlayStation Legion? Are you ready to retouch your stills with a D-pad? |
| Digital Storm launches Aventum range with Cryo-TEC cooling system Posted: 26 Mar 2012 06:00 AM PDT  Digital Storm Redefines the "Custom" High-Performance PC with Aventum Digital Storm custom designed chassis, liquid cooling system and software enables unparalleled system performance and diagnostic control, creating the world's most advanced PC Fremont, Calif. - (March 26, 2012) – Digital Storm, the predominant name in computer system integration and engineering, unveils Aventum, the first system to feature its patent pending chassis and CES Innovations Award-winning Cryo-TEC cooling system. Designed by Digital Storm engineers from the inside out, Aventum's chassis boasts a proprietary thermal exhaust chamber, intelligent 5 thermal zone regulation and exclusive Aventum software that controls 13 customizable fans to effectively dissipate performance inhibiting heat. Together with the Cryo-TEC liquid cooling system that chills liquid below 0ºC, Digital Storm has designed the industry's first truly custom high-performance PC. The Aventum Advantage Every aspect of Aventum's chassis has been scrutinized during months of R&D by Digital Storm engineers who utilized thermal imaging cameras to perfect the Aventum's air flow design. Starting with the patent pending thermal exhaust chamber, Digital Storm has ensured that performance diminishing heat is contained and dispersed so it doesn't recirculate through the system. The Cryo-TEC liquid cooling system utilizes direct contact heat dissipation to remove heat from the CPU and then processes that liquid through 3 massive 420mm heat exchange radiators. System Monitoring & Control Enthusiasts and creative professionals will delight in the extraordinary level of automated and self-initiated system control. Digital Storm has integrated automated regulation of five thermal zones and their corresponding fans, all of which are monitored by individual temperature probes. With Digital Storm's exclusive Aventum software, users can fine-tune 13 chassis fans, monitor and regulate thermal zones, and personalize chassis LED colors all within Microsoft Windows via exclusive Digital Storm software. Aventum's critical system performance information and personalized systems specs can be displayed on an LCD screen located on the side panel. "Unlike any other chassis, Aventum's intelligent design enables it to exceed the demands of the most power hungry enthusiasts, gamers and creative professionals," remarked Rajeev Kuruppu, Digital Storm's Director of Product Development. "We've spent months analyzing every conceivable way to effectively eliminate heat from Aventum and as a result, our engineers devised new systems that have never been attempted. Every integral component and every zone is constantly being monitored so our customers can ensure their dream machine is always delivering optimal performance." Aventum Technical Specifications Processor Intel Core i7 2700K Intel Core i7 3930K Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition 3960X 2x Dual (Intel Xeon E5-2630 Six-Core) Memory 16GB DDR3 1600MHz 16GB DDR3 1600MHz 16GB DDR3 2133MHz Corsair Dominator GT 32GB DDR3 ECC REG 1333MHz Video Card EVGA GeForce GTX 680 2GB 2x Dual SLI (EVGA GeForce GTX 680 2GB) 3x Triple SLI (EVGA GeForce GTX 680 2GB) 3x Triple SLI (EVGA GeForce GTX 680 2GB) Storage 120GB SSD & 1TB Storage 120GB SSD & 1TB Storage 120GB SSD & 1TB Storage 180GB SSD & 1TB Storage Motherboard ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 ASUS Sabertooth X79 ASUS Rampage IV Extreme X79 EVGA Classified SR-X Optical Drive Slot Loading DVD Writer Slot Loading DVD Writer Slot Loading DVD Writer Slot Loading DVD Writer Power Supply 1050W Corsair Pro Silver 1050HX 1200W Corsair Pro Gold Series 1200AX 1500W Silverstone SST-ST1500 1500W Silverstone SST-ST1500 OS Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Microsoft Windows 7 Pro 64-Bit Price $3,859.00 $4,985.00 $6,687.00 $7,856 |
| World demands justice for Galaxy Nexus owner who 'beat' Windows Phone Posted: 26 Mar 2012 05:51 AM PDT  Update: Looks like the gent got an apology, a laptop and a phone out of the deal. And suddenly, all was well in the world. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in.] |
| Nokia Lumia 900 to hit AT&T on April 8th with $100 price tag in tow (video) Posted: 26 Mar 2012 05:46 AM PDT  Update: AT&T will release the Lumia 900 in Cyan Blue and Black Matte on the 8th, while you'll need to hang tight until the 22nd to get your hands on the high-gloss white version. AT&T Brings First LTE Windows Phone to Market With Nokia Lumia 900, Available for Customers April 8 for $99.99 DALLAS, March 26, 2012 -- The Nokia Lumia 900, the Windows Phone named "Best of CES" for all smartphones, will be available exclusively in the U.S. from AT&T* on April 8 for $99.99. One of the first 4G LTE Windows Phones in the world, the Nokia Lumia 900 gives AT&T customers more 4G LTE choices than ever before and the largest selection of Windows Phones in the U.S. For more information, customers can visit www.att.com/lumia or AT&T's Consumer Blog. Consumers who can't wait to get their hands on this new smartphone can pre-order it in cyan or black beginning March 30 by visiting http://www.att.com/lumia or any AT&T company-owned retail store. Qualified business customers who receive wireless service discounts can pre-order the Lumia 900 online, beginning the afternoon of March 30, at http://www.att.com/nokialumia900. Running on AT&T's superfast 4G LTE network, the Lumia 900 delivers an unsurpassed mobile experience. With 4G LTE speeds, the people-first style of Windows Phone 7.5 and outstanding design lets customers access their emails, music and social media quickly and helps them look good while doing it. The Lumia 900 will be available in unique and eye-catching cyan blue and a matte black on April 8, with a newly announced high-gloss white version on sale beginning April 22. "AT&T and Nokia's relationship spans many years and we're thrilled to introduce their first 4G LTE Windows Phone only for our customers," said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president – Devices, AT&T Mobility. "The Lumia 900 is impeccably designed with clean lines and a camera that rivals stand-alone digital cameras on the market today. Combine that with the people-first Windows Phone experience and our 4G networks – the nations' largest – and it's clear that this is one of the best phones customers can find." The Nokia Lumia 900 has a 4.3-inch ClearBlack AMOLED display for rich, bright images both indoors and out and a long-lasting 1830 mAh battery for enjoying content. Its 8 megapixel camera includes Nokia's exclusive Carl Zeiss optics, with large aperture (F2.2) and wide angle focal length (28mm) for high-quality, uncropped images even in low-light conditions. The front-facing camera boasts a large aperture and a wide angle lens that ensures sharp, bright images for high-quality video calling, right out of the box. Additionally, customers can enjoy their favorite music and videos from their Lumia 900 wherever they are with the Nokia Purity HD On Ear Stereo Headset by Monster, also available beginning April 8.** The Nokia Lumia 900 offers AT&T customers a range of leading content experiences such as: AT&T U-verse Mobile lets U-verse TV subscribers browse the U-verse TV program guide, schedule and manage their DVR recordings, and watch hit TV shows while on the go. The U-verse Mobile library includes more than 100 TV series and more than 700 TV shows from a variety of genres. Nokia Drive, available to download from Windows Phone Marketplace, provides free voice-guided, turn-by-turn navigation with a dedicated in-car user interface that turns the Nokia Lumia 900 into a GPS navigation device. The exclusive ESPN sports hub is pre-loaded on the Nokia Lumia 900, and provides a one-stop sports application for news, videos and scores. Limited 4G LTE availability in select markets. 4G speeds delivered by LTE, or HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul, where available. Deployment ongoing. Compatible device and data plan required. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. Learn more at att.com/network. Limited-time offer. Nokia Lumia 900 requires a new 2-yr wireless agreement with voice (min $39.99/mo) and min monthly data plan ($20/mo). Subject to Wireless Customer Agrmt. Credit approval req'd. Activ fee $36/line. Geographic, usage and other terms, conditions and restrictions apply, and may result in svc termination. Coverage and svcs not avail everywhere. Taxes and other charges apply. Data (att.com/dataplans): If usage exceeds your monthly data allowance, you will automatically be charged overage for additional data provided. Early Termination Fee (att.com/equipmentETF): After 30 days, ETF up to $325. Restocking fee up to $35. Other Monthly Charges/line may include a Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge (up to $1.25), a gross receipts surcharge, federal and state universal svc charges, fees and charges for other gov't assessments. These are not taxes or gov't req'd charges. Visit a store or att.com/wireless to learn more about wireless devices and services from AT&T. |
| Angry Birds Space hits 10 million mark in three days Posted: 26 Mar 2012 05:28 AM PDT
In its opening weekend (give or take a day or two) Rovio's space-based reinvention has picked up more than 10 million downloads. Presumably assisted by its freebie status on Android devices, Rovio's self-congratulatory tweet didn't give a breakdown across platforms. While we're now assured that a Windows Phone version will join the intergalactic fight, Rovio doesn't appear to need the help. |
| Hume: the bipedal 'Parkour' robot (video) Posted: 26 Mar 2012 04:54 AM PDT  |
| NEC's tactile touchscreen nudges at the future (video) Posted: 26 Mar 2012 03:59 AM PDT  |
| Apple ready to license its nano-SIM design for free, on one not-so-nano condition Posted: 26 Mar 2012 03:01 AM PDT  If you hadn't heard, there are two rival nano-SIM designs going around, but there's only room for one of them to become an industry standard. Nokia, Motorola and RIM sit together in one corner, and we've already covered why they think their design is superior. On the other side of the ring sits Apple, which has its own tactics for bringing ETSI, the European Telecoms Standards Institute, over to its way of thinking. According to a legal letter shown to FOSS Patents by a "perfectly reliable source", Apple is prepared to license its nano-SIM design royalty-free, so long as it becomes the new standard and all other nano-SIM patent holders reciprocate the gesture. Such a gambit may not appease Cupertino's rivals and it certainly doesn't address their technical concerns, but it might show that Apple isn't looking to profit out of this particular format war and is simply continuing its quest for greater clarity on FRAND licensing terms. Then again, it could all just be lawyer-speak.Update: Nokia has responded to Apple's move, making it clear that it still prefers its own design. Mark Durrant, director of communications for the Finnish firm said, "the principal issues remain the technical superiority of our proposal and that Apple's proposal does not meet the pre-agreed ETSI requirements... Apple's proposal for royalty free licensing seems no more than an attempt to devalue the intellectual property of others." We expect this to go back and forth a few more times. |
| ICS upgrade leaks for AT&T's Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket Posted: 26 Mar 2012 01:00 AM PDT  |
| Huawei hardware won't be part of National Broadband Network, says Australia Posted: 25 Mar 2012 11:43 PM PDT  |
| How would you change the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus? Posted: 25 Mar 2012 07:52 PM PDT  We're big fans of Samsung's work and the prevailing feeling is that the Galaxy Tab 8.9 is the pinnacle of the family. The original 7-incher was too expensive and ran Android 2.2, so we were delighted to see the revamped edition running Honeycomb and costing a very reasonable $400 (it's even cheaper now). In our review, we couldn't find too much wrong with the device, in fact it's on a par with the 8.9, just a little bit smaller. But you, our friends out there, have had three or four months of constant use with this slate now, so how do you feel about it over the long-term? Does the slightly weaker screen resolution get you down? Do you wish you could make calls from it? Do you long for an S-Pen enabled edition? In a world chock-full of Samsung slates, what would you do to make this one the most desirable? |
| Engadget Mobile Podcast 131 - 03.25.2012 Posted: 25 Mar 2012 07:13 PM PDT  Hosts: Myriam Joire (tnkgrl), Brad Molen, Joseph Volpe Guest: Sascha Segan Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: Tycho - Coastal Brake (Ghostly International) 00:01:40 - The iPad Wins Because Android Tablet Apps Suck: An Illustrated Guide 00:10:23 - Android Lacks Focus, and It's a Problem 00:29:42 - New iPad's Screen Hogs Battery Power 00:45:10 - AT&T rolls out Android 4.0 to HTC Vivid, other devices getting ICS in the 'coming months' 00:56:53 - FreedomPop rumored to introduce iPhone case with free WiMAX service 00:58:30 - NetZero launches '4G' wireless service, we go hands-on 01:04:10 - Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 review (Verizon Wireless LTE) 01:15:30 - Verizon updates Revolution with Remote Diagnostics, HTC turns to LogMeIn 01:25:30 - HTC and Sprint ready to show off a new 'collaboration' April 4th, might be the One X 01:32:05 - Nokia to Apple: don't cha wish your nano-SIM was hot like ours? 01:43:00 - Apple's nano-SIM proposal draws fire from Motorola, Nokia, RIM 01:44:50 - Galaxy Note ICS upgrade pushed back to Q2, adds exclusive set of stylus-ready apps (video) 01:49:00 - FCC weighs Dish 4G network and 700MHz interoperability (updated) Hear the podcast Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) Contact the podcast podcast (at) engadgetmobile (dot) com. Follow us on Twitter @tnkgrl @phonewisdom @engadgetmobile @jrvolpe @saschasegan This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 25 Mar 2012 06:33 PM PDT  You might know Square for accepting payments on your smartphone via a cute dongle, but you're probably less familiar with its second offshoot, Card Case -- a separate app that has enabled hands-free and NFC-free payments at over 70,000+ merchants for more than a year now. That effort is getting a complete overhaul today, cumulating in an entire rethink of the app and experience, in addition to its more-apt new title: Pay with Square. The redesigned UI loses its former card and leather-based garnish, opting instead for a simplified list of merchants sorted by distance and relevancy. Also making its debut is a search box, a spiffy map view and the ability to share merchants to friends through text, email or Twitter. We're most excited, though, for feature parity across iPhone and Android, which means formerly iOS-exclusive features like the auto-creation of tabs at pre-approved venues (thanks to iOS 5's geo-fencing APIs) are now present to green little robots everywhere. That's no small feat, as the company's had to roll their own geo-location API to pick up where Google's left off. We're still waiting for the Google Play listing to update, but we'll have a fresh link for you when it does. |
| Inhabitat's Week in Green: supersonic biplane, urban algae farm and magnetic tattoos Posted: 25 Mar 2012 05:26 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.  Energy-efficient transportation soared to new heights this week as MIT unveiled designs for a supersonic biplane that promises to be the successor to the Concorde. Meanwhile Boeing, Airbus and Embraer partnered to develop a new breed of affordable biofuels, and Volkswagen used space foil to make cars safer. In hot car news, Porsche announced plans to release a plug-in hybrid Panamera in 2014, and we brought you sneak peeks of several sexy electric vehicles that will be unveiled at the New York Auto Show in just over a week: Fisker's Nina plug-in hybrid and Infiniti's new Nissan leaf-based EV. On the subject of energy efficiency, it was a big week for clean tech as Inhabitat reported that the world's most powerful wind turbine was just installed off the Belgian coast, and the National Ignition Facility flipped the switch on the world's first two-megajoule ultraviolet laser in an attempt to unlock nuclear fusion. Meanwhile, scientists discovered a link between trees and electricity by studying the way they affecty the concentration of positive and negative ions in the air, and OriginOil announced plans for an urban algae farm near Paris that will heat buildings while treating wastewater. The solar industry heard good news this week as a report showed that solar installations in the US more than doubled in 2011, and President Obama toured the states touting his "all of the above" approach to energy. This week Inhabitat also showcased several amazing public infrastructure projects - including a series of gigantic fruit-shaped bus shelters in Japan, gmp Architekten's gorgeous new Hangzhou South Railway Station, the fresh new designs for section 3 of NYC's High Line elevated park, and a soaring 30-storey-tall wood skyscraper in Vancouver.  In robot news, a Virginia Tech team created a self-charging robo-Jellyfish that harvests hydrogen fuel from water, and we shared 6 incredible inventions made possible by nanotechnology. F.A.T. Labs released a Free Universal Construction Kit that can connect LEGOs to 8 other types of building blocks, and Amazon purchased a robot company to improve working conditions in its warehouses. As most of you probably know, This American Life issued a retraction of its Apple factory exposé - and while Mike Daisey may lost his credibility, we believe strongly that distrust in the integrity of his "reporting", should not be a reason for consumers to turn a blind eye to working conditions at Foxconn and other electronics ODMs. This week Nokia filed a patent for magnetic tattoos that could vibrate when someone calls, and we learned that free smartphone applications could consume 75% more energy than paid versions. Speaking of mobile phones, new research linked cellphone radiation during pregnancy to behavioral disorders in offspring so we looked at ways pregnant mothers can protect their babies from potential cellphone radiation exposure. Last but not least, we brought you an interesting high-tech clothing concept from Stella McCartney - a sports bra with a built-in heart sensor. |
| Refresh Roundup: week of March 19th, 2012 Posted: 25 Mar 2012 04:14 PM PDT  Official Android updates
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| Switched On: Tablets are toys. No, really. Posted: 25 Mar 2012 02:30 PM PDT Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.  Clearly, kids are drawn to tablets at least as much as they are other digital platforms such as smartphones and PCs. The increased focus on ease of use means that there are fewer issues around navigating file systems, folder hierarchies, and other configuration issues. In addition to being less complicated compared to PCs, they provide a richer media experience than smartphones, and their larger surface areas not only provide a bigger canvas for content but are arguably more stable and forgiving one than smartphones or the likes of an iPod touch With support for full Web pages not a key priority and weight and size even more of an issue for younger, weaker arms,, 7" seems to be the de facto kids' tablet size. This generally helps to keep prices at around $200, which is inexpensive for a tablet, but expensive for a toy. The hardware expense may be justified by the relatively low cost of software, especially compared to PCs or game consoles, even as many parents may not like the prospect of ad-supported freeware games. And there is something about the combination of a relatively large and touch-enabled display that has opened the door to specialized appcessories. Several toy and game makers -- from Discovery Bay Games to giants such as Disney and Mattel -- have released physical add-ons that interact with digital games to create experiences that live somewhere between a game and a toy. But many of those products are exclusive to the iPad, at least for now. At least until they can attract enough popularity to woo such app developers, kids' tablet vendors seem to be relying on a few differentiating approaches beyond price:  Ruggedness and designDonning what may be the defining characteristic of the subcategory, early all kids' tablets have some kind of rubbery coating to prevent damage to the display or other parts. This can have the added advantage of minimizing the importance of thinness, a quality that commands a premium in the general tablet market, and thus allowing further cost reductions..AccessoriesIf they will not come (at least not yet), build it (yourself). Oregon Scientific, for one, plans to go all-in in the kids' tablet market with a host of accessories, including a piano keyboard, game controller and a creative case that serves double duty. Content Some kids' tablet makers, though, are taking the opposite tact on specialization, and trying to straddle the markets for parents and children. The Web site of kids tablet maker Nabi, for example, hedges that its tablet is "powerful and entertaining enough for adults." Indeed, the strongest competitors these tyke-targeted tablets will likely face is not each other, but hand-me-downs from their parents and perhaps older siblings. While the new entrants may be low-priced, they are certainly not less expensive than the tablets already owned. 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. |
| Major ISPs agree to FCC's code of conduct on botnets, DNS attacks Posted: 25 Mar 2012 01:13 PM PDT  The FCC's campaign to secure the internet gained new momentum last week, when a group of major ISPs signed on to a new code of conduct aimed at mitigating cybercrime. Adopted by the FCC's Communications, Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council (CSRIC), the new code targets three main security threats: botnets, DNS attacks and internet route hijacking. The Anti-Bot Code of Conduct invites ISPs to adopt sharper detection methods, and to notify and assist consumers whenever their computers are infected. The DNS code, meanwhile, offers a list of best practices by which ISPs can tighten security. Though it doesn't call for a full adoption of DNSSEC technology, the guidelines do represent a "first step" toward implementation, allowing web users to verify the authenticity of their online destinations. As for internet route attacks, the CSRIC calls for a similarly collective approach, asking ISPs to collaborate on new technologies within an industry-wide framework. In a statement, FCC chairman Julius Genachowski said that these practices "identify smart, practical, voluntary solutions that will materially improve the cyber security of commercial networks and bolster the broader endeavors of our federal partners." The industry apparently agrees, as heavyweights like AT&T, CenturyLink, Comcast, Cox, Sprint, Time Warner Cable, T-Mobile and Verizon have already signed on. For the FCC's full statement, check out the source link below. |
| AT&T Labs, Carnegie Mellon research haptic-feedback steering wheel for turn-by-turn directions Posted: 25 Mar 2012 11:56 AM PDT  According to Technology Review, this isn't the first time haptic feedback has been tested as a driving aid, although past tests have, notably, resulted in "fewer turn errors" by those behind the wheel. Best of all, the tech is capable of sending more than just navigation cues -- it could certainly be useful in a Telsa. So when can you expect to find a force-feedback steering wheel in your ride? Technology Review cites Kevin Li, an AT&T Labs researcher on the project, who says the main hurdle is making something that people will just "get," and that it's still "years" away from becoming a possibility. While there's no photos of the setup just yet, a full report on the research will get released in June. Hey, there's always Forza and Gran Turismo, at least for now -- right? |
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