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• Netflix snags DVD.com domain, invests in the future of optical media
• IRL: Evernote, Netgear N900 and FiiO's E17 headphone amplifier
• Sony to launch NEX-FS700E 4K cinema camera for $9,000 at NAB?
• LG Optimus Elite gets photographed, decked out in Sprint and Virgin livery
• iRiver B100 wants you to 'touch the supreme sound', pedants grumble
• Nokia Reader comes to Series 40 'touch and type' devices
• DoubleTwist adds Google Music support, gets an alarm clock app
• Apple needs to redefine itself, but that shouldn't take long
• Sega streamlines US, European operations after 2011 figures predict $86 million loss
• RIM sticking with consumer goods, just 'refocusing' on enterprise
• Fisker's Project Nina exposed ahead of New York Auto Show debut
• Engadget Podcast 287 - 03.29.2012
• Prince of Persia creator finds lost source code, cues delicate chip fanfare
• Distro Issue 34 takes a 'Shot in the Dark' with Canon's 5D Mark III
• PSA: Interactive Starry Night now available for the iPad (video)
• Google Drive leaks suggest 5GB free storage, in-app document editing
• Liquor stores will laugh in the Face.com at your fake ID
• Google reCAPTCHAs now featuring Street View addresses, 221b Baker St. to get even more famous
• HTC One X and One S on sale now in Germany, flagship gets unboxed in France (video)
• Apple has Apple Stores, Samsung has... this!
• Intuit shows off MicroMint concept app for the WIMM One smartwatch, we go hands-on
• DICE+ digital chance cubes rolling out at E3
• Plex Media Server beta adds DLNA support, streams to PS3, Xbox 360, WP7 and more
• Sprint outlines LTE coverage plans at RCA Expo
• Sony outs Xperia Play ICS beta for unlocked phones, wants to know which games work
• Nano-SIM standard vote postponed while RIM accuses Apple of cheating
• ZTE announces 2011 financials: turnover up, profits down, political scandals tricky
• Bump Pay lets you tap a friend for cash
• Paper: the iPad sketchbook app from the brains of Courier (video)
• UK's National Media Museum opens permanent 'Life Online' gallery
• Grace Digital's FireDock is a speaker dock for your Kindle Fire
• Verizon's CEO has a plan for wireless pay-TV, if the government will allow it
• NVIDIA CEO suggests $199 Tegra 3 tablets in the summer
• PSA: TurboTax on Android is free through Sunday if you start your taxes before then
• Google patent app details method for generating a 'ghost profile,' a world of anonymous G+ users
• Interactive Game of Thrones content comes to HBO Go iPad app
• WSJ: Google to sell ASUS, Samsung tablets from its own online store
• Tricorder designs go open source: can detect magnetic fields, reveal Trekkies (video)
• ViewSonic ViewPad VS14445 passes through the FCC's database
• Incident Tech's gTar gets teased, remains largely silent (video)

Netflix snags DVD.com domain, invests in the future of optical media Posted: 30 Mar 2012 11:21 AM PDT Looking for a shortcut to Netflix's home on the web? Try hitting up DVD.com -- it'll take you there, for now. The latest address to join the family of Netflix redirects actually brings you to a subdomain -- dvd.netflix.com -- suggesting that the company could once again be planning to split its streaming and physical media services, at least from an access perspective. A shareholder letter lists the company's U.S. DVD subscriptions at 11.17 million at the end of Q4, bringing in a total of $370 million in revenue, with a profit of $194 million. Compare this to domestic streaming, which represents $476 million in revenue with a mere $52 million profit, and it's clear that the DVD rental market is still quite strong. So what could this latest domain acquisition mean for snail mail subscribers? DVD-only customers may soon have a new site to call home, with focused content and perhaps an upsell opportunity or two. At the very least, it certainly can't hurt when it comes to SEO.

IRL: Evernote, Netgear N900 and FiiO's E17 headphone amplifier Posted: 30 Mar 2012 11:00 AM PDT Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. Best of the best, best of the worst and best thing we didn't need. Those are some ringing endorsements we've got for you in this week's IRL. On the more enthusiastic end of the spectrum there's Darren, who finally found a dual-band router with strong enough range to service all three floors of his new home. Terrence is closing in on his fourth year using Evernote, the "least bad" note-taking app of the bunch. As for James, well, has he ever met a piece of audio equipment he didn't like? Evernote Digital note-taking apps are a dime a dozen, and I've tried a pretty good chunk of them. Simplenote (in conjunction with Notational Velocity and ResphNotes), OneNote, Tomboy, Zim, Springpad... they've all left me feeling a little meh. Eventually, after plenty of soul searching, I settled on Evernote. When I first signed up for the service, shortly after the beta launch in 2008, I primarily used it as a recipe book. Even to this day I still dump directions for whipping up tasty meals into my online repository. This is how I discovered the Evernote's sheer power. As I started collecting dishes, I tagged them by cuisine, course, dish type and ingredients, allowing me to quickly figure out what I could make based on what was available in my refrigerator, or narrow down my choices if I was in the mood for soup. Part of the reason I made the jump to Evernote full- time after using it in conjunction with Simplenote was the top-notch Android app. Don't get me wrong, the iOS version is pretty good and the desktop clients are undeniably awesome, but the widget is what makes this a killer tool for capturing info. With a single tap I can snap a pic of the newest beer to grace my palate, take some notes and tag it with the style and brewery. But I don't want to get too wrapped up in singing its praises. The omission of a Linux app, a painfully slow web interface and the lack of free offline access on Android irk me more than a little. And it still isn't an ideal solution for quickly making or updating lists. Sadly, I don't actually feel like I've landed on the perfect note-taking solution; it's more that I've accepted defeat and settled for the least bad option. Maybe it's time to pay more attention to that Moleskine I splurged on. -- Terrence O'Brien E17 I ditched any semblance of a normal audio setup a long time ago. As a result, my poor girlfriend can't just switch on the radio, or play a CD -- she has to navigate a world of DLNA, media centers and WiFi. Needless to say, then, any audio toy I can get my hands on, I likely will. Enter the FiiO E17 DAC / headphones amp. Do I need one of these? Probably not, but that stopped being a major factor of purchasing decisions some time ago. The E17 (or Alpen, as it's also known) looks very much like an exquisite MP3 player with its luxurious brushed metal finish, crisp LED display and tactile buttons. None of this matters one jot, however -- not even the cute dual-color ring that lights up around the power button. What does matter is that it sounds great. Over USB you'll get 24 bit / 96kHz of slightly warm loveliness. If you're using the SPDIF, you can go all the way up to 192 kHz, and why the heck not! I could probably spare myself the extra gadget in the chain for the majority of my listening, but there is definitely a satisfaction to be gained from plugging into this little fella, and watching it sit there motionless, feeding your ears thanklessly. The fact that I was looking for something to justify a new pair of over ear headphones is beside the point. -- James Trew Netgear N900 Routers. Even the thought of buying a new one is daunting, even for someone that's toyed with just about all of them. If you're in the market for one, and you need insane range, I'd encourage you to stop hunting. Netgear's dual-band N900 is -- without question -- the most impressive wireless router I've ever had the pleasure of using. I recently relocated, and due to the amount of space between the top floor and lower floor of my new abode, I went through three routers that simply wouldn't broadcast wireless waves throughout the place. Then, I tried the N900. At all points in my home, I can latch onto a 2.4GHz signal. As you'd expect, the 5GHz waves peter out when you get more than a hundred or so feet away from the base station, but for keeping my Wii connected downstairs and my wireless printer online in the upper regions, the N900 excels. In four months of use, I haven't had to reboot it once. That's pretty impressive. It also features a fairly useful admin panel, including a notification option that'll ping you when you're approaching your monthly bandwidth limit (yeah, some of us have those). At $160-plus it ain't cheap, but it's far better than buying a lesser router and a flaky extender. -- Darren Murph

Sony to launch NEX-FS700E 4K cinema camera for $9,000 at NAB? Posted: 30 Mar 2012 10:36 AM PDT What would you pay for the ability to capture cinema quality 4K video? $36,000? $18,000? Try $9,000. That's the expected price of Sony's rumored NEX-FS700E, which could launch at NAB next month with a June ship date. EOSHD reports that the camera will pipe 4K video to a dedicated external recorder over 3G HD-SDI. It will reportedly use the same NEX E-mount as its predecessor, the FS100, and may include a trio of neutral density filters to increase versatility. We haven't been able to track down an image of the rumored cinema cam (the model in that image above looks identical to the FS100), but we wouldn't be surprised to see another detail or two leak out before the broadcast community's annual Vegas gathering kicks off in a little over two weeks. For its part, Canon is also expected to announce a 4K EOS-format DSLR at NAB, as a less-expensive alternative to the $16,000 C300, while RED's Scarlet already has 4K capabilities, and a $9,000 price tag. [Thanks, Andrew]

LG Optimus Elite gets photographed, decked out in Sprint and Virgin livery Posted: 30 Mar 2012 10:09 AM PDT Not a fan of that 5-inch, IPS display on the Optimus Vu? Perhaps, you'd be more interested in a smaller, lesser-specced member of the family. According to PocketNow, the Optimus Elite is sprinting its way toward The Now Network and Virgin Mobile, with an expected launch on the former "rather soon" and the latter as early as May. The Elite is allegedly packing some run-of-the-mill features, including a 3.5-inch, HVGA screen alongside a five-megapixel rear shooter and an 800Mhz CPU. Both flavors look identical, save for Virgin's prepaid flavor going with a darker look, which you can gander at by jumping past the break.

iRiver B100 wants you to 'touch the supreme sound', pedants grumble Posted: 30 Mar 2012 09:47 AM PDT It's been some time since we heard much from iRiver but the PMP maker is keeping busy with the snow-white B100. This capacitive touchscreen media player will offer up to 36 hours of music playback, or eight and a half hours of video watching. The 3.1-inch TFT screen has a resolution of 320 x 480, but it's backed up by a (relatively) long list of media codecs, including OGG, WAV, APE and ASF compatibility. If you're sick of limited playback options, you might want to consider downscaling those screen-size desires for improved format freedom. The PMP launches today, with prices starting at 11,800 yen (around $144) for the 4GB model, while the 8GB version will set you back 13,800 yen (around $168) at online Japanese retailer, Rakuten. The Google-translated PR awaits your quizzical looks below. Show full PR text Touch the Supreme Sound High-spec audio player with a touch capacitive display AFFS New release of iriver "B100" 4GB/8GB April 6, 2012 on sale (Fri) Mouse Computer Co., Ltd. (President & CEO gate Hisashi Komatsu, Headquarters: Tokyo, computer mouse below) has adopted a 3.1-inch touch display AFFS capacitance, high-quality digital audio player of commitment pulled up earphone design, iriver " (Friday), and Rakuten store iriver e (http://www.rakuten.ne.jp/gold/iriver-jp/), leading nationwide April 6, 2012 4GB/8GB models of B100 " will be launched sequentially at retail electronics stores, specialty stores and personal computer. Direct sales price, 4GB: yen 11,800, 8GB: 13,800 yen. Will begin accepting reservations ahead of Rakuten iriver e store from Friday, March 30. Computer mouse, listen to the voice of the user actively in the future, the expansion of recognition, "iriver" brand wide-ranging lineup of portable devices, and for gaining market share, a strategic product introductions in the Japanese market we will strive. B100 product name Iriver brand 4GB/8GB built-in memory Color White / 8GB song about 960: about 1,920 songs * 1 4GB recording the number of music files that can be About 36 hours continuous music playback time * 2 Approximately 8.5 hours continuous video playback time * 5 3.1-inch body display (320x480) AFFS-TFT Kara - liquid crystal (touch panel capacitance) 76.0MHz ~ 108.0MHz FM frequency band (Tax included) 4GB iRiver direct price: £ 13,800: / 8GB 11,800 yen * If you save (format MP3) 128Kbps compression rate on four minutes per song and a. * 2.MP3, 128Kbps, if the volume 15, EQ Normal, off-screen * If 5.MPEG4, 480x320, 30fps, 1Mbps, MP3, 128Kbps, 10 brightness of the screen, volume 20

Nokia Reader comes to Series 40 'touch and type' devices Posted: 30 Mar 2012 09:22 AM PDT This week, everyone's favorite Finnish phone fabricator announced the availability of Nokia Reader for Series 40 touch and type devices. Those familiar with the software know that Reader provides a flow of local and international headlines -- customized by you -- directly to your device's home screen. Nokia boasts that users of its C2-02, X3-02, C3-01, Asha 303 and Asha 300 handsets will be able to stay abreast on all the news without having to worry about battery consumption, thanks to Nokia Notifications. If we've piqued your interest, mosey on past the break to see a video of the bits in action then hit the source link to grab the goods. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

DoubleTwist adds Google Music support, gets an alarm clock app Posted: 30 Mar 2012 09:00 AM PDT DoubleTwist is certainly still one of the better music management options for Android, and it just keeps improving. Two days ago the player app got an update and now it can hook into Google Music, though, it only recognizes songs that you've checked for offline access from within the Google app. An unfortunate restriction, but at least your tracks don't disappear into the ether if you prefer to play back your tunes via DoubleTwist. There's also new functionality coming to what is now less an app than an ecosystem, thanks to the just released DoubleTwist Alarm Clock. The functionality is pretty much what you'd expect -- set a time and pick a song from your DoubleTwist library to gently rouse you from your slumber (or kick your butt out of bed). The Alarm Clock is just $0.99 in the Play Market right now for the first 10,000 customers. After that it'll go up to $1.99. So don't waste any time, go download it now. DoubleTwist Alarm Clock

Apple needs to redefine itself, but that shouldn't take long Posted: 30 Mar 2012 08:25 AM PDT

Sega streamlines US, European operations after 2011 figures predict $86 million loss Posted: 30 Mar 2012 08:07 AM PDT Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. has announced that it will begin streamlining its American and European operations after posting an 7.1 billion Yen ($86 million dollar) extraordinary loss for the 2011 year. The move is expected to create a "smaller company positioned for sustained profitability" with the company planning a shift to a new "digital content" strategy. It'll cancel work on new, forthcoming titles and just concentrate on key earners like the Sonic, Football Manager and Total War franchises. There's no official word on if it'll involve job losses, but the company is setting aside 4.9 billion yen ($59.7 million) of that loss figure in order to cover the costs of the corporate reorganization. In the meantime, we're off to pour one out for one of our childhood staples.

RIM sticking with consumer goods, just 'refocusing' on enterprise Posted: 30 Mar 2012 07:41 AM PDT Some people got the wrong idea yesterday when RIM's new CEO Thorsten Heins said the company was refocusing on the enterprise market and would stop trying to be "all things to all people." Many took the post-earnings call comment to mean that RIM would be exiting the consumer market, an assumption that didn't seem like much of a stretch considering its failure to capture the imagination of users outside the office place. Things weren't made any better when Heins seemingly left the door open for the manufacturer to leave the hardware business entirely. However, in a statement, managing director of global sales and regional marketing Patrick Spence clarified that "the claim that RIM has said it will withdraw from the consumer market is wholly misleading." He continued to explain that, "whilst we announced plans to refocus our efforts on our core strengths, and on our enterprise customer base, we were very explicit that we will continue to build on our strengths to go after targeted consumer segments." In particular there still seems to be hope that BBM can become a staple in the lives of young trend setters, but it'll probably need some help from cross platform clients to do so.

Fisker's Project Nina exposed ahead of New York Auto Show debut Posted: 30 Mar 2012 07:13 AM PDT An unreleased gadget is pretty easy to conceal, but an upcoming automobile? Not so much. Thanks to some quick reflexes, you're looking at the first spy shots of Fisker's second and smaller plug-in hybrid sedan, heretofore known as Project Nina. Last we heard, the BMW-powered auto had been put on life-support, as the remainder of the company's DOE loan evaporated as it failed to meet timely deadlines in bringing its first EV, the Karma, to market. That could mean the above is a mere concept designed to woo potential investors -- but with less than a week before its supposed New York auto show debut, it won't be long until we know for sure. Until then, ogle at more eye candy of the beaut over at Autoblog in the source link below.

Engadget Podcast 287 - 03.29.2012 Posted: 30 Mar 2012 07:01 AM PDT You know those shows where we're all iPad this, iPhone that? This isn't one of them. Today we're doing it all, heading to the department store of consumer electronics news categories and picking random stuff off the shelves of all ten floors to chat about until someone from the UK calls or tweets @us to distract us into talking about something else. And yes, we did stop by the Apple floor for a few minutes too. So sue us (lawsuit joke). Host: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater Guests: Dana Wollman, Dan Cooper, Richard Lai Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: Orbital - Never 00:02:55 - The Engadget Show 31: Douglas Rushkoff, Sony, iRobot, MWC and air combat 00:04:58 - Sony pulls another game from PlayStation Store after new Vita exploit found 00:09:43 - Best Buy to close 50 big box US retail stores, open 100 Mobile stand-alone outlets in 2013 00:18:15 - Samsung ships five million Galaxy Notes in just five months 00:25:45 - RIM putting BlackBerry 10 test units in developers' hands in May 00:29:58 - Apple offers refund over Australian 4G iPad confusion 00:33:25 - Tim Cook pays a visit to a Foxconn factory, smiles for the camera 00:37:35 - Nokia unveils the Lumia 800 in China, calls it the 800C 00:42:39 - US Judge rejects Hasbro / ASUS sales ban, Transformer Prime prevails 01:03:46 - Boston Dynamics lies down with BigDog, gets giant fleas (video) Hear the podcast Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget 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 Send your questions to @tim_stevens. Leave us a voicemail: (423) 438-3005 (GADGET-3005) E-mail us: podcast at engadget dot com Twitter: @bheater, @tim_stevens, @danawollman, @richardlai, @danielwcooper This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Prince of Persia creator finds lost source code, cues delicate chip fanfare Posted: 30 Mar 2012 06:44 AM PDT No, we don't mean the modern interpretation and its moody sequels -- this is the 1989 original. Jordan Mechner created the first Prince of Persia game for the Apple II. However, the source code ended up lost in the sands of time -- until Mechner's dad discovered a box filled with 3.5-inch ProDOS disks. The creator's now attempting to transfer the code across to his MacBook Air and get it working on modern platforms. We just have to remember how to beat our evil reflection.

Distro Issue 34 takes a 'Shot in the Dark' with Canon's 5D Mark III Posted: 30 Mar 2012 06:30 AM PDT If you were lucky enough to grab a 5D Mark III when they hit shelves last week, you know how well the slick shooter performs with the lights down low. If you're still pondering plunking down $3,500 for the DSLR, on the other hand, you can check out the camera's night moves in this issue of Distro. And if you're looking for even more of our expert opinions, we have reviews of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 7.7 for Verizon, a 14-inch Series 5 Ultrabook, a pre-production Galaxy Note 10.1 and SYNC by 50 Wireless Headphones. We'll also grill Mutemath's Darren King and give you an Angry Bird's-eye view of the smartphone market in this week's Switched On. So grab your device of choice and hit the appropriate download link below. Distro Issue 34 PDF Distro on the iTunes App Store Distro in the Android Market Distro APK (for sideloading) Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

PSA: Interactive Starry Night now available for the iPad (video) Posted: 30 Mar 2012 06:02 AM PDT Greek Artist Petros Vrellis is a big admirer of Vincent Van Gogh, which prompted him to produce an interactive version of Starry Night. It took him a patience-sapping six months to produce the original PC version, where finger swipes redirect the painter's famous daubs into a light and sound show. Of course, there was such a clamor from users all desperate to have a go, that he managed to produce an iPad app in a little under a month. Now you can pick it up from the App Store at the source link, or head on past the break to see this new version in action (you really do have to see it).

Google Drive leaks suggest 5GB free storage, in-app document editing Posted: 30 Mar 2012 05:43 AM PDT Mountain View has been leaking Google Drive details like a glacial trickle, but we still have no firm notion of how much free cloud storage it'll bring or just how deeply it'll be integrated with other services. There have been rumors of a Dropbox-like 2GB limit, but now a screenshot purporting to show the beta version's main welcome page points to a healthy 5GB instead. Moreover, Google's Support portal mentions that the Drive app for Android will have document-editing capabilities, which brings us back to the question of whether this is a whole new service, or an add-on to Google Docs or indeed a complete re-branding of Google's documents platform. Regardless, calling it 'Drive' still makes it sound like sat nav.

Liquor stores will laugh in the Face.com at your fake ID Posted: 30 Mar 2012 05:22 AM PDT Okay, it's only three months 'till your glorious twenty-first birthday, so near, yet technology has to come along and rain on your parade. You might think you look legal, but if claims by engineers at Face.com are to be believed, they're not having it. Using the firm's face recognition technology and a new API, they believe it can determine age based on a photo. The technology is open to all developers who might want to add age restriction into their apps, although it's unlikely that you would want to rely on this as your sole method of verification. The algorithm takes a number of factors into account, such as face shape, and skin smoothness, so at the very least you'll be able to find out if your t-zone routine is working. Hit up the more coverage link, where there's a free iOS app to learn the harsh reality.

Google reCAPTCHAs now featuring Street View addresses, 221b Baker St. to get even more famous Posted: 30 Mar 2012 05:01 AM PDT If you've enjoyed decrypting the often frustratingly skewed (and occasionally humorously juxtaposed) reCAPTCHAs, you might be a bit sad to learn that Google is mixing things up with some rather more boring numerals. The combinations of two words are typically used as part of a registration form to ensure the registrant is, indeed, human. Google is now replacing one of the words in some of its reCAPTCHA forms with photos gleaned from Street View service. Google says it uses these numbers internally to improve the accuracy of Street View and that pulling them into reCAPTCHAs is part of an "experiment" to "determine if using imagery might also be an effective way to further refine our tools for fighting machine and bot-related abuse online." In other words, Google's bots are already capable of decoding these numbers, which makes this all sound like a bit of a challenge to the rest of the OCR-loving coders in the world. Any takers? [Image Credit: dirtbag]

HTC One X and One S on sale now in Germany, flagship gets unboxed in France (video) Posted: 30 Mar 2012 04:41 AM PDT Itching to get your hands on HTC's new breed of smartphones? Best get yourself over to Germany then, as a batch of the flagship One X and its (slightly) smaller brother, the One S, are up for sale -- early. Mediamarkt is where you'll need to go, with several stores also providing HTC One X models on the shop floor to play with. Better still, some excited Frenchmen have already performed the requisite packaging autopsy on the new plastic capsules, revealing (amongst other things) a new SIM pin that's -- logically -- shaped like a micro-SIM. You can marvel at all the rubber bands and plastic bags after the break.

Apple has Apple Stores, Samsung has... this! Posted: 30 Mar 2012 04:21 AM PDT You know those heady dreams of a new Samsung product launch today? Well consider them punctured. There's no new gadget to announce, but instead a teaming-up with UK retailer Phones 4u, offering a dedicated space for Samsung to dip its toes into retail waters. Located on London's Oxford Street -- and just around the corner from an Apple Store -- the shop-within-a-shop displays all of the Korean makers' big hitters, with several tables housing Galaxy Tab 10.1s, Galaxy Notes and Galaxy S IIs. The rest of that expansive galactic family dot the periphery of the room, but then you'd probably come here primarily to test-drive the aforementioned flagships. The tables themselves are dressed down; no pricing or carrier information clogging up the surfaces, just the devices and some Galaxy branding. Samsung's claimed the whole top floor and the shop is already training up dedicated Samsung staff to answer pressing questions like what's the point of the Galaxy Ace Plus whether that phone has Gorilla glass and when we can expect to see a Galaxy S III in the flesh. Samsung launches store inside Oxford Street Phones 4u

Intuit shows off MicroMint concept app for the WIMM One smartwatch, we go hands-on Posted: 30 Mar 2012 04:01 AM PDT Given the amount of time we spent with the WIMM One smartwatch, you'd think we would have had enough fodder for a full-blown review. Alas, though, one critical piece was missing: apps. Not test apps, like a balance ball game, but honest to goodness apps from major third-party developers. Well, we got a chance to check out a concept app from Intuit, the company behind Mint.com (no TurboTax for this 1.41-inch display, sorry). What can we say? When a device has a screen this tiny, the elevator pitch is going to be mighty brief. Here's how MicroMint works: just swipe left to right to see your balances for different accounts. There's no limit to how many it can display, and when you reach the end of the list, the app will just start cycling through again. As you can see in the video demo below, the app's performance is limited by the watch's 667MHz ARM11 CPU and 256MB RAM, which is to say you'll notice some lag as you swipe from one bank balance to another. And that's it. This is all the app does; don't expect to take advantage of Mint's other features, like budget-planning and mapping out savings goals (not that you'd want any graphs or itemized lists crammed onto that 160x160 screen). For now, of course, this concept app is just that, a prototype. Intuit won't commit to releasing it, much less share any sort of timeline. Interestingly, though, David Siegel on Intuit's development team suggested to us that the app might be of more use when WIMM releases its next-gen watch with NFC. With that radio on board, he says, the app could potentially allow not just for balance-checking, but credit card payments as well. Additionally, the outfit is mulling a similar app for the Sony SmartWatch, which also runs Android and supports Java-based apps. The only development hiccup, he says, would be adapting the app for Sony-specific APIs. That's a whole lot of ifs for one paragraph, though, so for now we'll leave you with a super quick hands-on video, just past the break. Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report. MicroMint concept app hands-on

DICE+ digital chance cubes rolling out at E3 Posted: 30 Mar 2012 03:27 AM PDT As far as random number generators go, the traditional die is about as low tech as it gets. Or at least, it was. Gaming startup GIC has taken it upon itself to update the old chance cube by outfitting it with LED backlights, anti-cheat roll detection and Bluetooth connectivity. DICE+, as the shakers of tomorrow are called, will sell for between $30 and $40 when they launch later this year. Although the digital dice promise compatibility with iOS, Android, Symbian, Linux and Windows, GIC has yet to announce what platforms will be available at launch. We'll have to wait for E3 for the details, but the possibilities are intriguing -- hit the break to see the cubes in action. In the meantime, we'll be dreaming of Dungeons, Dragons, a digital D20 and Microsoft Surface.

Plex Media Server beta adds DLNA support, streams to PS3, Xbox 360, WP7 and more Posted: 30 Mar 2012 02:59 AM PDT Using Plex as your media server software is great, with its ability to organize and transcode media for playback on a variety of devices, but what about platforms that still lack a compatible client? The freshest beta version of Plex Media Server fixes that by supporting DLNA, making it compatible right out of the box with many of the HDTVs, Blu-ray players, game consoles and other connected devices released recently. There are some limitations when it's being used this way in terms of metadata and subtitle support, but we're pretty sure being able to access Plex at all from devices like the PS3 (as shown above), Xbox 360 and WDTV Live (the profiles it's been tested with so far) is worth it. Also featured in the beta is support for Silverlight Smooth Streaming, which comes in handy for the new Windows Phone 7 client app. Check out the blog post for all the details or just head to the download page to try it out yourself if you're on a Windows PC or Mac -- Linux builds are still being tested.

Sprint outlines LTE coverage plans at RCA Expo Posted: 30 Mar 2012 02:26 AM PDT Sprint customer? Still supping from the 3G cup? Well if you were wondering if you'll ever get to try the sweet taste of LTE, wonder no more. The Now Network revealed a coverage map at the RCA Expo, and the image above was kindly grabbed by PC Mag's Sascha Segan. Those green areas are the locales that'll be getting LTE, and as you can see it's a fairly comprehensive -- though not altogether surprising -- spread. The rollout is said to be planned for completion by 2014, so you've still got time for that handset upgrade. Those of you in Montana or one of the many other blue areas on the map aren't entirely forgotten, though, as these regions will have roaming agreements in place, so no need for an extra contract just yet.

Sony outs Xperia Play ICS beta for unlocked phones, wants to know which games work Posted: 30 Mar 2012 01:45 AM PDT While the promised Sony Xperia Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade rollout is quickly running out of March and into April for all models, the company has just unleashed a new beta version of the upgrade for Xperia Play owners. Following the alpha release in December and a beta update in February for the Arc S, Neo V and Ray, Sony has pushed this version for the Play to find out which games may need some work to be compatible with Android 4.0. The usual drawbacks remain however, so because this release requires unlocking your bootloader -- which will keep users from upgrading to the final ICS update when it comes out -- and it lacks such creature comforts as Google Mobile Services apps (Gmail, Google Maps, Face Unlock) it's intended for developers only. If your gamepad-equipped handset is staying official-upgrade only, you can safely check out a video of the beta ROM running on an Arc S embedded after the break and take this as a heads up that the final release is that much closer.

Nano-SIM standard vote postponed while RIM accuses Apple of cheating Posted: 30 Mar 2012 01:15 AM PDT French newspaper Les Échos is reporting that the key ETSI vote to determine whose nano-SIM patent should become the standard has been postponed. The participating companies have failed to reach agreement after Nokia refused to license key patents to Apple in exchange for free use of Apple's technology. As a consequence, the vote will be postponed for a minimum of thirty days. Meanwhile, RIM has followed Émile Zola's example and screamed J'Accuse! at Apple, claiming that Cupertino is trying to rig ETSI's decision by registering its own personnel as representatives from Bell Mobility, SK Telekom and KT Corp. The BlackBerry maker has petitioned the standards agency to ensure that proxy voting is not allowed, in an effort to blunt Apple's alleged plan. You can read the full text of RIM's filing after the break. No Voting by Proxy During a Technical Body Meeting

ZTE announces 2011 financials: turnover up, profits down, political scandals tricky Posted: 30 Mar 2012 01:08 AM PDT ZTE's annual earnings report is out and it's a mixed bag for the Chinese company with aspirations to go west. Revenues grew 23 percent to 86.25 billion RMB ($13.7 billion) but net profit fell a hefty 36.6 percent to 2.06 billion RMB ($327 million). More than half of ZTE's operating revenue came from overseas as the company moves into the global space and, while some of that cash came from its smartphone business, much more poured in from the infrastructure arm that supplies LTE equipment to networks. At the same time, ZTE is having to deal with accusations that it sold $131 million worth of snooping gear to Iran to monitor its own citizens, forcing the company to limit its operations there -- although it insists this won't have any impact on its future income. Show full PR text ZTE Revenue Grows 23% to RMB 86 Billion Company sees 24% increase in revenue in overseas market 28 March 2012, Shenzhen, China – ZTE Corporation ("ZTE") (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ), a publicly-listed global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, today announced its annual results for the year ended December 31, 2011. Based on HKFRS, ZTE recorded revenue of RMB 86.25 billion in 2011, an increase of 23.4% compared to 2010. Net profit was RMB 2.06 billion, down 36.6% from 2010's result. Basic earnings per share were RMB 0.61. Applying PRC ASBEs for the period ending December 31, 2011, the Group's revenue from principal operations was up 23.4% to RMB 86.25 billion from 2010. Net profit was RMB 2.06 billion, down 36.6% from 2010. Earnings per share were RMB 0.61. The Group's domestic and overseas operating revenue grew 22.7% and 24% year-on-year respectively. In 2011, ZTE's terminal products sales continued to grow, with operating revenue of RMB 26.93 billion, up 52.6% from the previous year. The Board of Directors has recommended a cash dividend of RMB 2 (including tax) for every 10 shares. ZTE has issued RMB 2.09 billion in cash dividends over the past three years. The dividend payout ratio was 30.6% in 2011, above the rate of 20.8% in 2009 and 24.2% in 2010. During the reporting period, ZTE reported operating revenue of RMB 39.50 billion from the domestic market, accounting for 45.8% of overall operating revenue and representing a year-on-year growth of 22.7%. The 12th Chinese National Five-Year Plan was also a driver of the company's development. ZTE assisted with the development of large 3G developments in China and construction of the country's national broadband network in 2011. The company's domestic operating revenue grew in the domestic market through its support of 3G carriers. It also deployed broadband access networks and ancillary transmission networks. From the overseas market, ZTE reported operating revenue of RMB 46.76 billion during the period, accounting for 54.2% of overall operating revenue and representing year-on-year growth of 24%. The company endeavored to enhance its market position by taking advantage of changes in the competitive landscape and developing its position in the international market. In 2011, the company reinforced its position in emerging markets and continued to achieve and cooperate with mainstream global carriers. As a result, ZTE sustained relatively fast year-on-year revenue growth from its international business. In emerging markets, ZTE has completed market deployments following agreements with mainstream operators such as MTN and América Móvil. It also strengthened cooperation with multinational operators such as Telefonica and France Telecom. In Europe, the company's system equipment has been implemented by nine of Europe's top 10 operators. In Japan, ZTE was selected by Softbank for TD-LTE projects. The company further strengthened its role as an industry and technology leader in the TDD area with global promotion of TD-LTE in 2011. ZTE secured over 30 commercial LTE contracts and worked with over 100 operators around the globe to build testing networks during the year. ZTE also completed commercial deployments with top operators such as H3G, Hi3G, Softbank and CSL. In addition, market share has grown in both UMTS and GSM products. The company continues to strengthen its cooperation with operators like France Telecom and MTN Group. The company also maintained its leading market share in the PTN area. Furthermore, the company's high-end data communications technologies such as the M6000/T8000 router and next generation PON products reached a high point, with ZTE recording the highest market share in the world for these products. According to a 2011 report by research firm Gartner, ZTE became the second-fastest growing smartphone company in the world during the year. ZTE also was the fourth-largest mobile manufacturer in the world in terms of shipments during the year. Growth from both mainland China as well as high-end markets like the United States, France and the U.K. were the main sources of the company's handset sales growth in 2011. In addition to the company's growth in global market shares, ZTE sustained its strength in patent applications. Based on an announcement by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), ZTE filed for the most PCT patents of any company worldwide in 2011 with 2,826 filings. Of these, more than 60% were related to smart terminals and new technologies such as LTE/3G, cloud computing and The Internet of Things. The company's 4G/LTE patent applications accounted for 7% of patents applied for by global telecom vendors. Its smartphone-related patents applications were the fourth-largest globally and No. 1 nationally. "In 2011, equipment investments by the telecommunications industry varied by region across the globe," said ZTE Chairman Mr. Hou Weigui. "During the year, ZTE adjusted its product lines to continue to provide comprehensive integrated solutions to carriers. A range of measures designed to improve efficiency and optimize production processes also were introduced." Mr. Hou added: "In 2012, ZTE will continue its commitment to technological innovation. The company will proactively shift from being product-oriented to a solutions-oriented business. We intend to further consolidate our market position by expanding into the government enterprise and service sectors. We also seek to increase sales to mainstream carriers. This is part of our ongoing strategy of focusing on major nations and mainstream carriers."

Bump Pay lets you tap a friend for cash Posted: 30 Mar 2012 12:22 AM PDT Taking cues from an ING Direct app that used its API, Bump Technologies has developed its own version of the mobile payments software, enabling phone-to-phone "Bump" transactions using PayPal. Yes, PayPal. That minor processing detail aside, the service appears to offer a fun solution for simplifying the fairly painful process of paying the check at group meals, or splitting a tank of gas with a friend. Both you and your bud need to have the app installed before you can beam that green, and there's no option to send payments remotely, though you could always use plain ole vanilla PayPal for that. The app is free, and if you have a checking account linked you won't have to deal with any fees. Bump Pay is iOS only "at launch" (read: it could be making its way to Android as well), so for now you'll need to bump the App Store to get folks paid.

Paper: the iPad sketchbook app from the brains of Courier (video) Posted: 29 Mar 2012 11:11 PM PDT Go figure -- Microsoft's Courier project lives again... as an exclusive app on Apple's iPad. FiftyThree, a company that features folks who previously worked on the aforesaid Courier initiative, has just put forth a monumental effort dubbed Paper. The app, which is available for free in the App Store, is a sophisticated sketchbook with a highly unique user interface that's seemingly designed with the budding artist in mind. Put simply, the company feels that this app is "where ideas begin," enabling users to capture mental light bulbs as sketches, diagrams, illustrations, notes or drawings before sharing them across the web. Of course, "free" only gets you in the door; in-app purchases ($2 per brush, for example) keeps the creators in business, but it's unclear at this point if a paid edition will be offered for those who aren't much on cherry-picking what they do and don't want to pony up for. Not surprisingly, the app ships with native support for the new iPad's Retina display, and while fingers are welcome, a capacitive stylus is recommended. Eager to see more? Peek the video just after the break, and get your download on in the source link.

UK's National Media Museum opens permanent 'Life Online' gallery Posted: 29 Mar 2012 10:15 PM PDT Planning to be in the neighborhood of Bradford, England anytime soon? Then you may want to set aside some time for a visit to the National Media Museum, which will tomorrow officially open what's being described as the "world's first gallery dedicated to exploring the social, technological and cultural impact of the internet." Dubbed "Life Online" the new gallery will feature one permanent section focused on the history of the internet, and another section that will change each year and feature different "experimental themes" commissioned by artists -- the first being an examination of the open source movement. As the BBC reports, that's the result of some £2 million in funding, as well as contributions from the likes of Vint Cerf, who's featured in some of the videos produced for the exhibit (you can see those at the YouTube link below).

Grace Digital's FireDock is a speaker dock for your Kindle Fire Posted: 29 Mar 2012 09:18 PM PDT Own a Kindle Fire? Can't find an audio dock made specifically for your gizmo, and not an iThing or Android device? Say hello to Grace Digital's FireDock, the $130 solution to your quandary. While we've seen Kindle-compatible docks before, this stereo system is actually made to seamlessly connect with the Fire's bottom ports and power button, allowing it to charge while docked. What's more, there's a turn-and-tilt feature that'll let you switch between landscape and portrait orientations -- perfect for going from books to movies. If that wasn't enough, an optional rechargeable battery can also be attached to the mini-rig for listening sans cords while you're out and about (though, this route disables the ability to charge the Kindle itself). If you're burning with desire for the FireDock, the bad news is that it won't be available for purchase until July. In the meantime, you'll find more info in the press release after the break to help you cool down. Show full PR text Ignite Your Music and Video Experience with Grace Digital Audio's FireDock Speaker Dock for Kindle Fire A refreshingly elegant design caters specifically to Amazon's 7 – inch tablet, enhancing your media with a robust room-filling stereo sound San Diego, Calif. - (March 29, 2012) – Grace Digital Inc, a leading brand of wireless indoor & outdoor audio solutions, announces the FireDock speaker dock for Kindle Fire. In a space cluttered by generic universal docks, Grace Digital announces an innovative charging speaker dock with full-range high quality stereo sound developed exclusively to enhance the Kindle Fire's audio and video experience. Shipping July 2012, the FireDock has a MSRP of $129.99. Engineered for Kindle Fire, the Grace FireDock accommodates the unique USB port, headphone jack and power button, all located on the bottom of the tablet. Many universal 3.5mm speaker docks don't allow charging while in use and make it difficult to access the device's buttons. The Grace FireDock not only charges the Kindle Fire while on AC power, but the optional (sold separately) lithium-ion battery-pack allows for maximum portability. Exclusively sized for the Kindle Fire, the rotating cradle securely holds the 7–inch tablet, while accommodating horizontal and vertical viewing angles. "Grace Digital's design approach on the FireDock was to provide the optimal solution around clearly defined requirements of Kindle Fire users," says Greg Fadul, CEO of Grace Digital Audio. "There are hundreds of iPhone speaker docks, but there is no quality audio solution for the 14 million Americans who have purchased the 7-inch Kindle Fire tablet. Grace Digital engineered the FireDock as a no compromise solution to enhance Kindle Fire's multimedia offerings such as Netflix, Pandora Internet Radio, and Amazon audio books." Grace Digital's full range base ported stereo speakers and Class D Digital Amplifier, provide a crystal clear stereo sound unrivaled by generic Android docks. The FireDock for Kindle Fire will be available July 2012 at GraceDigital.com, as well as numerous online and retail outlets for $129.99. Sign up directly on Grace Digital's web site to be emailed as soon as the dock is available.

Verizon's CEO has a plan for wireless pay-TV, if the government will allow it Posted: 29 Mar 2012 08:48 PM PDT Verizon CEO Lowell C. McAdam doesn't quite have all of those SpectrumCo AWS licenses in his pocket just yet, but if he does get them he has a decidedly old school idea of what to flood the airwaves with: TV. The Wall Street Journal quotes him saying Verizon and its new cable friends could have "the beginnings of an integrated offering" out by the holidays, so pay-TV customers could watch video on their mobile devices. Even though many of the TV services are already streaming video to tablets, PCs and phones, currently most subscription services are limited to the space of the home's WiFi network, unlike the video on-demand seen above. According to McAdam the potential to negotiate rights for outside the home streaming and even busting open the bundles for à la carte programming exist -- provided the FCC and DOJ allow Verizon to complete the proposed $3.9 billion purchase. Of course, consumption based billing would still be on the table, so don't start planning your streaming schedule just yet. For now we'll wait and see if the pros of this arrangement outweigh the cons (and how its Redbox play is mixed up in this), or if the pie-in-the-sky NowTV-style elements of the plan are merely being floated to get the deal done.

NVIDIA CEO suggests $199 Tegra 3 tablets in the summer Posted: 29 Mar 2012 07:57 PM PDT Always talkative NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang is in the news yet again, this time telling the New York Times that his company's Tegra 3 hardware is incorporating enough cost saving that it could be in $199 Android tablets by this summer. Beyond the tantalizing thought of value-priced tablets with the horsepower of the Transformer Prime (perfect for that rumored price subsidized, ASUS-built and Google-branded slate, right?) there's also a shout out Tegra-powered Windows 8 slates and Sony's unannounced VAIO Chromebook that popped through the FCC. The NYT suggests its T25 chip could stand for Tegra 2.5 with a debut planned for Google I/O in June -- we'll find out then if this is misguided line drawing or a very educated guess.

PSA: TurboTax on Android is free through Sunday if you start your taxes before then Posted: 29 Mar 2012 06:48 PM PDT If you've ever filed your taxes on an iPad, you know Intuit's TurboTax app is free to download, but that you'll have to pay up once you're ready to submit those returns. But, in an effort to promote its newish apps for Android tablets and the Kindle Fire, the company's giving the entire number-crunching cow away for free -- at least through this weekend. Just download between tomorrow (Friday) and Sunday and make sure you start your taxes before Monday (it's okay if you finish them later). To be clear, this includes both federal and state-level taxes, which you'd normally pay for separately for $29.99 and up. Another quid pro quo: this won't work on handsets, even though the Kindle runs a customized version of Android 2.3. If you own a tablet it should run smoothly on Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich, though. In any case, to those of you who've been putting off your taxes, happy downloading, procrastinators. Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.

Google patent app details method for generating a 'ghost profile,' a world of anonymous G+ users Posted: 29 Mar 2012 05:36 PM PDT Google hasn't exactly had the easiest time keeping the privacy hawks off of its back, but if a recently published patent application is any indication of its future intentions, well... let's just say we could see a lot more people hiding behind an online veil. Made public today, Google's most recent patent app details a "system and method for generating a ghost profile for a social network," which would -- in theory, at least -- allow a user to use certain features in a social network without converting to a social network profile. For those curious, the ghostly profiles would be unsearchable, and comments that originated from said profiles would be shown as being from "partial names." The real question: are G+ ghosts allowed in the Facebook compound?

Interactive Game of Thrones content comes to HBO Go iPad app Posted: 29 Mar 2012 04:38 PM PDT Home Box Office has been pushing its "interactive viewing experience" for Game of Thrones over at the HBO Go site, but if you weren't sitting in front of a computer there was no way to take part in the fantasy world fun. Now the premium channel is bringing the commentary tracks, interviews, maps and loads of other extra features to the Go iPad app. But, having that content available for season one isn't particularly exciting. What has our little nerd hearts aflutter is that all of the same features will be available for season two, starting immediately with the April 1st premier. As you watch, if the seemingly bottomless well of characters and their rival houses trip you up, you'll be able to pull up a guide to help you separate your Arryns from your Tullys and Redwynes. For a quick preview check out the video and PR after the break. Show full PR text ENGAGE ON THE GO WITH GAME OF THRONES® SEASON 2 GROUNDBREAKING INTERACTIVE VIEWING EXPERIENCE AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO GO® LAUNCHES FOR THE FIRST TIME ON THE iPAD®, APRIL 1 New York, N.Y., March 29, 2012 – On April 1, Game of Thrones fans will have a chance to watch their favorite show like never before when the HBO GO interactive viewing experience becomes available for the first time on the HBO GO iPad app. The Game of Thrones interactive elements on HBO GO allow viewers to engage with original features created exclusively for the service, by watching full-length episodes of the series alongside an "alert feed" showing never-before-seen bonus content. Previously available only online at HBOGO.com, the interactive viewing experience will become available on the HBO GO iPad app beginning with the season 2 premiere episode of Game of Thrones on April 1 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, featuring special enhancements designed exclusively for the iPad. Interactive viewing of Game of Thrones season 2 on the iPad provides an even more immersive and exciting experience for audiences, giving them an elegant, intuitive way to explore the world of Westeros. In landscape mode, a few taps of the screen enables the "alert feed" which appears just below the episode, calling out relevant content timed to specific scenes. As users engage with bonus content, the episode above is automatically paused until the user closes the feature and the episode automatically resumes play. Users can also navigate throughout the feed, scrolling back or forward in time. Special content in the alert feed includes: · Cast/crew commentaries with David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, George R.R. Martin, and more · Behind the scenes interviews with the cast and crew · Descriptions of new characters as they come into a scene · Info alerts providing back stories on specific scenes and character relationships · Detailed set photos and concept art from the series design team · Quotes from series that can be shared through social media · A map with key locations pinpointed · A guide to Game of Thrones houses Interactive features that are exclusive to the experience on the iPad include social functionality–the ability to post status updates to Facebook and Twitter directly while watching. Viewers can also choose to watch the series in portrait orientation on the iPad which enables them to browse locations and characters during episode playback. In portrait mode, a navigable map of Westeros and Essos is always visible below the "alert feed" and a "Guide to Houses" link drives users to view family trees and profiles for all of the series characters. Click the link below for a glimpse of the Game of Thrones interactive viewing experience on HBO GO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY9yLqwEt2M HBO GO can be accessed at HBOGO.com, or via the HBO GO app – now available for download on Apple's iPad®, iPhone® and iPod touch® and numerous smart phones using Google's Android™ operating system as well as platforms such as Xbox 360, Samsung Smart TV™ and Roku – and is free of charge to HBO subscribers through participating television providers. For those who haven't experienced the unforgettable fictional world of Westeros, the entire first season of Game of Thrones can also be found on HBO GO. Follow HBO GO on Twitter at: @HBOGO. Based on the popular book series "A Song of Ice and Fire," by George R.R. Martin, the Emmy® and Golden Globe®-winning fantasy series Games of Thrones chronicles an epic struggle for power set in a vast and violent fantasy kingdom. Among the returning members of the ensemble cast are Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Emmy® winner Peter Dinklage, Michelle Fairley, Lena Headey and Kit Harington. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss executive produce. Games of Thrones Season 2 premieres Sunday, April 1 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, exclusively on HBO.

WSJ: Google to sell ASUS, Samsung tablets from its own online store Posted: 29 Mar 2012 03:43 PM PDT In a move that would be reminiscent of its initial plans for the Nexus handsets, the Wall Street Journal suggests Google will open its own online store this year, but stocked with tablets instead of phones. The Android tablets would be built by Samsung and ASUS who already offer the well received Galaxy Tab and Transformer lines, but have been unable to make a dent in marketshare comparable to that of Apple or even Amazon. Other details seem to be less clear, including the possibility of the lineup including Google branded tablets -- like the one hinted at by Eric Schmidt in December -- or that the store could offer a new tablet from ASUS (maybe running Jelly Bean, maybe not), or the chance that Google will follow Amazon's approach by subsidizing the upfront cost. Right now it seems that all possibilities are still in Play, but if the rumor is right we'll see the store launch this year -- any suggestions for the folks at Mountain View?

Tricorder designs go open source: can detect magnetic fields, reveal Trekkies (video) Posted: 29 Mar 2012 02:51 PM PDT We're still working on our own plans to grab that $10 million Tricorder X-Prize from Qualcomm and our progress has just been given a shot in the arm from Dr. Peter Jansen, who's released the designs for his tricorders. Making all the specifics open source, his Mark 2 model runs on Linux, while the hardware includes an ARM Atmel microcontroller squeezed into a clam-shell with two OLED touchscreens. Schematics, board layouts, and the firmware is all available at the source below and also includes the initial proof-of-concept device. The tricorders need six AAA to run and include sensors for temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, ambient light, distance and even magnetic fields. Dr. Jansen's hope is to make scientists out of everyone -- including your kids. That is, right after they ask you what Star Trek is.

ViewSonic ViewPad VS14445 passes through the FCC's database Posted: 29 Mar 2012 02:27 PM PDT ViewSonic's ViewPad VS14445 -- also known as the ViewPad 10e -- has been kicking around since CES, and other parts of the globe have had access for a few months now. That said, those in America who've been holding out for this particular Android slate won't have to wait much longer. A drop by the FCC's database typically means that a product is just weeks away from being on store shelves, and considering that we've already been waiting months on end to get from 'hands-on' to 'now shipping' in this part of the world, hopefully it'll be out and about before long. Hoping that it'll run Ice Cream Sandwich? We'd go ahead and stash those dreams aside...

Incident Tech's gTar gets teased, remains largely silent (video) Posted: 29 Mar 2012 02:01 PM PDT What you see above is the gTar, an upcoming electronic musical instrument from Bay Area-based startup, Incident Technologies. It's got what appears to be an iPhone docked in the pick-guard and it looks pretty cool lit up in the teaser video after the break. Beyond that, there's not a ton of information about the thing available online, but we did some digging and have pieced together a pretty good idea about the thing. The device made an appearance at South by Southwest earlier this month, and bits and pieces have made their way into the web by way of startup site AngelList and social networks like Facebook, Twitter and, of course, YouTube. A posting on the former describes it as "a consumer electronics device that enables an interactive music entertainment experience to anyone without any kind of previous musical knowledge." From the looks of it, the thing is a little bit Guitar Apprentice and a little bit Tabber. Unlike the plasticky Guitar Apprentice, however, this device looks like a genuine guitar (strings and all), albeit one with a light up fretboard for Tabber-like educational purposes and a "docked mobile device." The guitar also makes it possible to share music socially, though it's not entirely clear whether this is accomplished via the docked smartphone or an external output like a PC, though given the company's connections to the developer community, we suspect that both will be options, be it through built-in functionality or available APIs. The gTar is also being positioned as a music creation device, rather than simply an educational tool (à la Tabber) or a simple overblown Guitar Hero-style controller. Check out a flashy, if rather uninformative teaser after the break.

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