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Friday, April 13, 2012

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PSA: Sony details ICS rollout for 2011 Xperia smartphones, Nordic regions to get first dibs

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 11:32 AM PDT

Good news for all you owners of 2011 edition Xperia smartphones -- Sony's Xperia Product Blog has just confirmed that the devices will begin receiving a tasty upgrade to Android Ice Cream Sandwich. The update is set to first rollout in the Nordic countries of Norway (naturally), Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Finland -- specifically for the Xperia arc S, ray and neo V -- followed by an expansion into other markets within the next "four to six weeks." Don't fret if you don't own one of the aforementioned devices, though, as Sony has noted that near the end of May it should have ICS ready for the Xperia arc, Play, active, neo mini, mini pro, pro and Sony Ericson Live. If you're hungering for more specific information on when you'll be able to update your device, you'll have to keep it posted to the source links below in the meantime.

HTC One V review

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 11:00 AM PDT

HTC One V review

It's the other One. While HTC's One X and One S jostle over which has the more potent processor, and customers weigh high-definition screens against high-science coatings, the One V has held back. Quite rightly, as this phone has no delusions of flagship grandeur. Negri Electronics has lent us an off-gray HTC One V to try out, although it will also be available in a black finish. With a nod to HTC's design past, a now relatively modest 3.7-inch screen and a ho-hum single-core 1GHz processor, the phone's looking to capture first-time smartphone buyers, along with anyone looking for a reasonably priced upgrade. For the money -- around $346 (£229) -- they'll get the latest version of Android topped by a slightly tweaked version of HTC's Sense 4 skin. Is this the new benchmark for entry-level smart phones? Can a such a weedy processor handle Android 4.0? And what's with that chin? We'll answer all those questions and more after the break.

HTC One V review

Hardware


A re-imagined HTC Legend for the new smartphone world. That's probably the best way to describe it. The reassuringly solid aluminum unibody has returned and, given the 3.7-inch screen, you should almost certainly be able to handle the One V with ease. The anodized shell is tightly beveled -- almost to the point of being too sharp-- while the screen is raised slightly above the rest of the construction (a relief, then, that there's a layer of Gorilla Glass shielding it). In day-to-day use, we found the phone resilient to scratches on both the front and back sides -- possibly more so than the acclaimed micro-arc oxidized coating on the One S.

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This slightly raised surface includes a trio of capacitive controls, including the ICS-friendly multitask button at the bottom right. The speaker grille is the only feature that disrupts the flat front -- presumably due to cost constraints, it isn't an integral part of the body like the machined speakers found on the One X and S. A front-facing camera is also conspicuously absent and we assume this was another cost-cutting measure. The frame is just 9.4mm (.36 inches) thick, and remains uniform through the phone's curved base. Yes, the chin is back and it'll be as divisive as ever. Unlike the Legend, it's a largely blank addition to the phone -- there's no optical trackpad this time, and all the buttons have migrated to other parts of the handset. It keeps the rest of the body flat while bringing the mic closer to your mouth. The rear, made in part from soft plastic, covers slots for the microSD and SIM (not micro-SIM) slots.

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Removable storage is a necessity, not a choice on the One V, which arrives with under 1GB of useable space. To put that in perspective, you'll need a microSD card to use even the likes of Spotify and Instagram. The contoured sides are interrupted only by the volume rocker and non-MHL micro-USB port, hewing to the simple aesthetic marking the rest of the One series. Up top, you'll find the notification light alongside the headphone socket, with the power button also sitting along that top edge. The 5-megapixel camera and LED flash are both housed in a soft grey plastic panel similar to the removable cap at the base.

Admittedly, the whole design may appear pretty safe compared to HTC's recent forays, but it still registers as playful. We kept rocking the phone upwards onto that chin, and we dare say it's even a bit adorable.

Display

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The One V squeezes 800 x480 resolution into a 3.7-inch screen, and it's another Super LCD 2 panel, like the One X. And though it lacks high-definition credentials, with a screen density of 252 ppi it's not embarrassingly grainy. Viewing angles are also impressive, and it fares respectably outdoors. More importantly, though, it embarrasses existing entry-level phones -- a group where quality screen technology has often (if not always) been sacrificed. Sure, it doesn't stand up to the expansive likes of the One X or Galaxy S II, but color composition is excellent (better than the One S, even) and 3.7 inches isn't that small. At least, not for a lot of people. We noticed, however, on our two review samples that there was some worrying yellow discoloration on both screens in the top left corner and was especially noticeable when on full brightness white.

Camera

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You're not going to get HTC's state-of-the-art imaging technology here -- a 5-megapixel sensor is a notable drop from the 8-megapixel shooter found on the rest of the One series. HTC's ImageChip is on board -- but the difference in performance is presumably due to that gap in processing power. The app still steers like the rest of the series, however, with the same stripped-down interface. The HDR mode, simultaneous video and still capture and faux-tilt shift have all made the transition to this humble handset, although burst capture and speedy shot-to-shot times have disappeared along with that dedicated camera chip.

Compared to samples taken with the One S colors weren't as vivid, and while HTC's second-in-command had a tendency to over-do it on the contrast, the One V's results were still slightly drab. Fortunately, the f/2.0 lens is still in tow, which means low-light performance was predictably strong. The sensor often struggles with adjusting to sudden light changes, but it gets there in the end -- something that would be less forgivable on video capture.

HTC One V sample shots

The One V can record video in up to 720p resolution, and also comes with the same slow-motion option found on other recent HTC models. Light performance is good, and HTC kept both auto-focus and touch-to-focus on the camera -- something that might well slot it above many high-end models capable of recording full 1080p video but lacking these focus controls.

Software

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Android 4.0 on an entry-level device. HTC's drawn a line in the sand, and it's something that other manufacturers would do well to copy. Even better, the single-core processor seems largely up to the task. Because of the power differences there have been some sacrifices -- and these have mostly come in the form of a watered-down Sense 4 skin. You'll find that while it looks similar, certain visual flourishes such as the full-screen weather animations and globe view within the weather widget have been cast out.

Pinching to view all your home screens at once doesn't have any effect and the 3D transitions between screens are gone too. The keyboard has also been tweaked, losing the navigational arrows found on HTC's larger 2012 phones -- a sensible choice, we say, given the reduced screen size. We've already done an in-depth take on HTC's latest Android skin, but the differences between the One V and the rest of the One series are worth noting. Minor touches, like the ability to "zoom" on text within SMS messages, are still here, while menu and settings navigation is also indistinguishable from other phones running Sense 4. However, the One V isn't compatible with the HTC's Media Link HD dongle and -- like the One S -- misses out on the NFC train, both hardware- and software-wise. Something we didn't catch while poring over the One V's spec sheet when it was first announced is that there's also no digital compass, meaning Google Maps' orientation won't change as you turn to face a different direction.
HTC One V screenshots

Performance and battery life

The phone largely performed better than expected on our benchmarks. Despite a single-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S2 MSM8255 ticking away at 1GHz, the phone kept up with most of our demands. However, browser performance is underwhelming, and the phone occasionally stutters while navigating menus and using apps. It often needs a few seconds to catch its breath when starting apps and transitioning between then.

HTC One V Samsung Rugby Smart HTC One S
Quadrant (v2) 1,636 1,386 5,053
Linpack single-thread (MFLOPS) 34.33 50.9 103.88
Linpack multi-thread (MFLOPS) 31.27 N/A 222.22
NenaMark1 (fps) 52.8 41.48 61.0
NenaMark2 (fps) 28.7 22.8 60.8
SunSpider 0.9.1
(ms, lower scores are better)		 3,214.7 4,319.45 1,742.5
Vellamo 1,155 758 2,452


Compared to the Samsung Rugby Smart, another recent single-core smartphone, the One V performs well. As we've already said, the phone is generally capable, but struggles with moderately to intensely challenging challenges, like graphics-heavy games and visually dense websites. Swiping around Engadget, the browser often stuttered, attempting to parse the next picture as we scrolled. There were occasionally greater hurdles, like when we used Google's autocomplete search box, and the One V really had to think about what it was doing. One area where the One V does excel -- and something that surprised us, given HTC's past record on this -- is the device's boot-up time. Seconds after turning on the phone, we were able to boot up apps and make calls. We suspect this is thanks to HTC's FastBoot option, found in the battery settings.

The One V offers admirable runtime, lasting just over nine hours during our standard battery run-down test, which entails playing a video at 50 percent brightness, with WiFi and mobile data on. In more typical use, with plenty of music playback, Twitter, email and Facebook all synced and several browser missions, we got closer to two days of use on a single charge. Given the battery's relatively frugal 1,500mAh capacity, it's a pretty respectable showing.

Alongside WiFi (802.11b/g/n) and Bluetooth 4.0, the One V juggles tri-band HSPA (850/900/2100), capable of 14.4Mbps down and 5.6Mbps up and quad-band GPRS (850/900/1800/1900) radios. On the HSPA connection, we saw speeds around 2Mbps down and 1.2Mbps up, which is comparable to other HSPA devices we've tested. We also enjoyed clear calls, even on the busy streets of London.

Wrap-up

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The One V is the third and final piece of HTC's game plan: a stylish, petite, entry-level model that will hopefully draw in anyone looking for a new phone running Android's latest. Indeed, it's a capable phone on par with several once high-end single-core devices from last year. Even better, this one is cheaper and arrives with Android 4.0, in all its multitasking, adjustable widget glory. It's also a phone that's visibly HTC and exudes as much character as the-lovely One S and One X -- a boon, given the sheer number of Android phones floating around these days.

Our main complaint here isn't the camera, nor the build quality, nor the screen (aside from the discoloration); it's the processor. A little bit more horsepower would have really helped the One V stand out as the go-to low-price Android phone. Aside from that, the One V is a compelling proposition for anyone hunting for their first smartphone, or who knocked on the Android party door a little early (still packing that original HTC Legend?). Sure, with a bit more cash you can get the Galaxy S II, with its bigger screen and more potent processor, but are you willing to wait around (like many people still are) for that software upgrade? Here, there will be no update hassles; just Ice Cream Sandwich with a newcomer-friendly Sense skin and a tempting sub-$350 price tag. And a chin. Don't forget the chin.

Spotify's got a 'special announcement' coming next week

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 10:32 AM PDT

Looks like Spotify's not done with its big news. Two days after launching the new Play Button, and a day after getting entirely too excited about adding the Red Hot Chili Peppers to its catalog, the music streamer sent out invites for an event in New York City featuring the company's CEO, Daniel Ek on center stage. Oh yeah, and we'll be there too, of course.

ChevronWP7 officially closes up shop for good, hands out App Hub memberships

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 10:32 AM PDT

We were a tad disappointed when ChevronWP7 stopped handing out unlock token for Windows Phones in early January, only two months after launching. But, we held out hope that one day the shop might reopen its doors and once again offer a cheap option to those of us that wish to free our WP7 devices from Microsoft's shackles. Sadly, that dream is officially dead, as ChevronWP7 has been shuttered for good. On the plus side, current customers will be rewarded with a one-year membership to Microsoft's App Hub -- currently the only legit way to unlock your Windows Phone. So, we're sad to see ChevronWP7 go but, if you were lucky enough to score a token before the 10,000 available sold out, you got a pretty sweet deal in paying $9 for a $99 App Hub membership. Hit up the source link for full details.

[Thanks, Joe]

Cowon Plenue Z2: US pricing, availability and hands-on impressions

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 10:00 AM PDT

Just mention the company's name, and a pair of things come to mind: world-beating sound quality, and above-average prices. Such is life when you're Cowon, which has informed us that its Plenue Z2 portable media player will be shipping to the US of A in May. Based on details shared to us from a Cowon spokesperson, "early May" is the targeted release window, which makes sense given the unit's FCC debut back in December of 2011. We've learned that it'll ship in 16GB (white only) and 32GB (black only) sizes, with prices set for $279.99 and $319.99 in order of mention. As for specs? Glad you asked. Rather than relying on one of Cowon's proprietary operating systems, the Z2 will ship with Android 2.3.5 (Gingerbread), while measuring 62.8- x 116.5- x 11.8-millimeters, weighing 116 grams and boasting a 3.7-inch (800 x 480) capacitive touchpanel.

On the audio side, you'll get a typical 20Hz to 20,000Hz frequency range, 29mW + 29mW maximum outlet and a 95dB signal-to-noise ratio. There's also an HDMI output, a microSD expansion slot, built-in FM radio tuner, 802.11b/g/n WiFi module, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and an internal microphone. The outfit claims that this guy can last some 22 hours when playing back music alone, while video junkies will see 8.5 hours of their favorite Family Guy clips before needing a rejuvenation session. Not surprisingly, the Z2 also supports a smorgasbord of file formats, including AVI, WMV, ASF, MP4, MKV, MPG, DAT, 3GP -- tired yet? -- DivX, XviD, H.264, WMA, OGG, PMC and FLAC. We managed to grab hold of a unit prior to its launch here in the States; head on past the break to hear our take.
Cowon Plenue Z2 hands-on and unboxing

In many ways, the Plenue Z2 is a refashioned D3. If you'll recall, we applauded Cowon for choosing Android as the underlying OS on its D3 around 13 months ago, but the underpowered processor and kludgy nature of it all made it impossible for us to wholeheartedly recommend. The Z2, in a phrase, is what the D3 should've been. The design isn't anything jaw-dropping -- the hard, sharp corners remind us of an era gone by -- but it manages to work. The soft-touch rear is smooth to the touch (and won't easily slip out of a sweaty subway palm), and in addition to a volume rocker, there's a thoroughly brilliant trio of buttons that allow users to skip to the next track, rewind a track or play / pause whatever's spinning. The ability to throw a playlist on and use physical buttons to do the rest while the device stays in one's pocket is a serious boon for fitness junkies.

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The screen itself is surprisingly crisp and responsive. Thankfully, Cowon has opted for a capacitive display here, and the touch response was just as good as on our Galaxy S II. In fact, that's indicative of the overall system. Unlike the D3, which pained us with its sluggishness, the Z2 is stunningly quick. Bootup takes but a few seconds, and both apps and new screens load instantly. This is how an Android PMP is supposed to run. Commands are simply accepted and completed; there's no perceived lag, no "thinking." It just works. The system speed improvement is the single most impressive update to the Z2, and it's sure to give those looking into a Galaxy Player something else to consider.

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Per usual, Cowon's ability to support a multitude of files and deliver them with the world's best sound quality makes this unit a contender. We're thrilled to report that the audio quality here is just as good as it has been on all prior Cowon units, and in fact, it may even be a bit better. We tested out a number of earbuds -- everything from the (fairly substandard) included ones to the higher-end Klipsch Image X10i -- and were consistently blown away. Lows were tight and punchy, mids were powerful without being muddy, and highs were punctual without being shrill. It's also worth commending Cowon again for the JetEffect EQ presets. We're typically not ones to hand praise over to gimmicky audio filters, but the ones included here are genuinely useful, and we're pretty sure there's a preset that'll bring more life out of whatever headphones or car speakers you have at your disposal.

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There's also Bluetooth (for audio streaming) and WiFi, the latter of which we found to be greatly useful. Cowon has thrown in a basic calendar, email client, VoIP dialer, web browser and Twitter application, all of which help to make this more than your average MP3 player. Sadly, there's still no access to the Android Market Google Play, but sideloading APKs is indeed supported. It's worth noting that the internal storage arrives formatted as NTFS, so devout Mac users will need to invest in Paragon (or similar) in order to write files to the memory. That aside, we're pleased as punch to see a microSD slot for adding your own room, and a conventional micro-USB port instead of some proprietary socket.

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Overall, the D2 is a fantastic unit for those who cherish audio quality above all else, but there's no question that the price tag will frighten off all but the most serious audiophiles. The gap isn't as large as it once was, but a 32GB Plenue Z2 is still $20 higher than a 32GB iPod touch, and Samsung's new Galaxy Player 4.2 will soon sell for just $199.99. That said, we'd rate Cowon's audio quality, file support and battery life higher than either of those rivals; if your priorities are arranged as such, you'll find lots to love in May.

Listen to the Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 2PM ET!

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 09:32 AM PDT

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Continuing on with our unusual schedule for another week, we'll be starting our usual Engadget Mobile Podcast three hours early today. It will be the complete opposite of a fireside chat, but it's going to be just as awesome! Join us as we chat it up about the latest news and our most recent mobile adventures. Oh, and maybe burritos. You never know what will happen.

[Image sent in by: Eli Gukovsky]

April 13, 2012 2:00 PM EDT




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

Apple says e-book price fixing charges 'simply not true,' Macmillan also responds

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 09:02 AM PDT

Not that we were expecting Apple and Macmillan to simply fess up and say, "you're right, totally tried to circumvent the free market," but both companies have come out swinging pretty hard against the allegations of price fixing. Apple has rejected the charges, calling them "simply not true." A company spokesman, Tom Neumayr, went so far as to tell Reuters that Cupertino was actually fostering competition by "breaking Amazon's monopolistic grip on the publishing industry." John Sargent, the CEO of Macmillan, defended his company's behavior in blog post, saying the publisher had done nothing illegal and that the concessions sought by the DOJ in settlement negotiations were "too onerous." It looks like the next step for both is to face off with the US government in court -- a daunting task, no matter how large your war chest.

HTC One V now available for pre-order in the UK

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 08:32 AM PDT

Britons! If you're interested in a handset that's reminiscent of the product of a tryst 'twixt Jimmy Hill, Jay Leno and an HTC Legend, then you'll be delighted to hear that the HTC One V is now available to pre-order from the Carphone Warehouse. It's free if you plump for a two-year deal costing you £20.50 a month and it'll be winging its way to your greasy palms the week of April 23rd, unfortunately without the bottle of bleach necessary to wipe that Jimmy Hill / Jay Leno image from your mind, sorry.

Three iPad giveaways in three days: day three, courtesy of Gogo!

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 08:01 AM PDT

Here's one last opportunity for you to grab a new iPad for yourself, and Gogo's pulling out all the stops to ensure you're happy with your new treasure both on the ground and in the air. See, the in-flight WiFi provider is setting you up with the chance to win a 32GB AT&T LTE version of Apple's latest slate and it's throwing in a full year of free Gogo service to go along with it. That's definitely not a shabby prize, to say the least, so you'll surely want to read the rules and leave a comment to earn yourself a shot to win. Good luck!

The rules:
  • Leave a comment below. Any comment will do. Duplicate entries will be filtered out and discarded, so adding additional comments won't increase your likelihood of winning.
  • Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
  • Winners will be chosen randomly. One winner will win one (1) Apple black 32GB iPad with AT&T-compatible LTE and one (1) year of free Gogo service. The winner will receive a letter with instructions on how to redeem the year of service.
  • If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
  • This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Gogo, Apple, AT&T and Engadget / AOL are not held liable to honor warranties or customer service. AT&T service is not included with the prize.
  • The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
  • Entries can be submitted until April 13, 2012 at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!

Japanese watchdog agency wants to fine Olympus $2.5 million

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 07:27 AM PDT

Wondering how this whole Olympus accounting scandal is gonna wrap up? Well, it might simply come to a close with a 200 million yen (about $2.5 million) fine. That's the seemingly tiny amount the Japanese SESC (Securities Exchange and Surveillance Commission) is recommending the company be fined. Ultimately the FSA (Financial Services Agency) will decide how large of a monetary punishment is appropriate for the $1.7 billion scandal. And, don't forget, there's still the drama of Olympus suing its own president and other executives to look forward to.

Former RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie's very different rescue plan revealed

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 06:57 AM PDT

Sources close to former RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie have revealed his plans to save the company before he was shown the door, a plan that didn't involve handsets. He'd entered into talks with AT&T, Verizon and several European carriers to offer them use of the company's BlackBerry-exclusive network to provide limited data plans to featurephone users that included social networking and BBM -- with the aim of reducing the cellphone operators data burden and coaxing users to upgrade to smartphones. The company was working on Mobile Fusion; software that allowed enterprise and government users on iOS and Android devices to join RIM's system, which reportedly earns the company $1 billion per quarter. However, while talks progressed, company execs grew nervous and ousted him in favor of Thorsten Heins with a mandate to focus on BB10 and new devices rather than turning RIM into a service company. However, given that it's still losing money on its handset business, Heins has reopened the door to Balsillie's plan. It's just a shame Balsillie himself is keeping quiet, as we'd love to hear his thoughts in an executive-level edition of How Would you Change.

Could future PureView devices support 4K video?

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 06:34 AM PDT

As we eagerly await the arrival of the 808 PureView, video professionals are pondering the usefulness of that 41-megapixel sensor. On paper, it's capable of shooting continuously-focusing 34-megapixel video that's then resampled down when compressed, but blogger James Burland wonders what it could do with less resampling. He claims that a member of Nokia's imaging team told him that shooting at 4K "might be possible," although there are plenty of issues that prevent it being achieved on the 808 handset itself.The hardware wouldn't be able to handle the storage or processing requirements, so it's unlikely Peter Jackson will be shooting on a Symbian-powered device any time soon -- but in any case it's an interesting pointer to the future of cellphone cinematography.

Distro Issue 36 lands with The Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne, the New York International Auto Show, Ultrabooks and Nikon's D4

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 06:15 AM PDT

Buckle up, folks. The latest installment of our weekly e-publication is chock full of awesome. First, we caught up with The Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne to chat about the role of tech in their music and, more specifically, the group's upcoming album. In case you were napping, we take another look at what the New York International Auto Show had to offer this year and what Google needs to do to keep it weird. For your gadget fix, we put the Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M3 and 15-inch Samsung Series 9 Ultrabooks as well as the Nikon D4 through the wringer. To top that all off, Snap Analysis looks at Facebook's purchase of Instagram, the Stat counts Android flavors, Crackberry founder Kevin Michaluk tackles the Q&A and Box Brown has the Last Word. An e-copy of your very own is a few clicks away, as your download link awaits below.

Distro Issue 36 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

European Commission outlines plans for Internet of Things regulation

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 05:52 AM PDT

The Internet of Things is on the rise, and when things get big, they tend to get regulated. The European Commission has spotted this trend, and has decided to get its rubber stamp ready, in a bid to protect individual rights from all the data that it collects, as well as "unleash the potential economic and societal benefits." While this may seem like bureaucratic party-pooping, the Commission points out that much of the information carried includes personal location, preferences and behavioral patterns. There will be an initial consultation to determine the required privacy and security of an IoT infrastructure which will then be fed into the Commission's recommendation -- expected to be presented in summer 2013. The good news is that there's a survey open to citizens and businesses to have their say on how on how the regulation should be administered. Check the more coverage link below to make your opinions heard.

Portuguese opposition party wants 'terabyte tax,' voters want a new opposition party

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 05:30 AM PDT

Portugal's opposition party, Partido Socialista, is pondering a tax on storage media under the flag of copyright protection. Under the proposal, consumers would pay €0.02 for every gigabyte of storage purchased, so a 1TB HDD would cost around €21 ($28) extra, plus an additional levy on devices over that size means a 2TB drive could cost an additional €103.2 ($135). It doesn't just stop at desktop platters: USB sticks, memory cards and even smartphones would also be charged, with any device packing 64GB of storage facing a surcharge of €32 ($42). A party member defended the idea, saying that the tax is aimed at professionals who use larger capacity drives -- but since most consumer HDDs come with a minimum size of 160GB and the legislation is also supposedly meant to tackle piracy, we're not entirely sure it adds up -- except maybe in government coffers.

Update: We're hearing that the bill titled PL118 has been withdrawn in the face of overwhelming common sense.

[Thanks, Ricardo]

Google demos Coreboot on Chromebook prototype, hints at Ivy Bridge support (video)

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 05:02 AM PDT

Well what do we have here? Our friends over at Netbooknews spotted this Samsung Chromebook prototype at IDF Beijing 2012. Better yet, Google was using the machine to demo Coreboot -- a fast boot open source BIOS replacement for Linux systems -- after recently adding support for Intel's Ivy Bridge platform to the project. Are Coreboot-enabled Ivy Bridge-based Chromebooks on the way? We'll have to wait until Google I/O to find out. In the meantime, there's a video waiting for you after the break -- come on, we know you're secretly big Chromebook fans just like us!

Microsoft sets up new subsidiary, would like to meet open source types

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 04:38 AM PDT

Microsoft sets up new subsidiary, would like to meet open source types

It's been a mixed bag when it comes to Microsoft and open source involvement, but Redmond's now getting all enthused, setting up an Open Technologies subsidiary dedicated to making friends in open source circles. While of other parts of the Redmond behemoth will also continue to work on open source projects, this new team of up to 70 internally-recruited staff members will attempt to engage with open source communities "in a more clearly defined manner" across Microsoft's legion of departments. If this possibly means more off-the-rails Kinect hacks in the future, bring it on.

German court upholds ban on iCloud and MobileMe push emails

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 04:04 AM PDT

It's been well over a month now since Apple suspended push email from its iCloud and MobileMe services, and it doesn't look like it will be switching them back on any time soon. According to the Wall Street Journal, a German regional court has backed the ban, upholding Motorola Mobility's claims of patent infringements. The court agreed that Apple must also pay damages to Motorola, but has yet to agree on an amount. So, for now, users will need to stick to manually fetching updates, and hope a final agreement can be met further down the line.

Time Warner and Verizon begin selling bundled packages just to annoy regulators

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 04:03 AM PDT

Verizon's special relationship with the cable houses deepened yesterday as it started to sell bundled mobile and land-line packages with Time Warner Cable, like it does with Comcast. Residents in various parts of Ohio, Kansas City and Raleigh, North Carolina can sign up and receive a $200 prepaid debit card as a reward for their custom. However, the partnership is raising regulatory concerns about Big Red's business practices, with the Justice Department weighing up if they're anti-competitive. Worse still, the FCC has yet to ratify that $3.6 billion spectrum deal, meaning that both parties could still be off to the tailors to be fitted for a federal lawsuit.
Show full PR text
VERIZON WIRELESS AND TIME WARNER CABLE TEAM UP TO DELIVER GREAT VIDEO ENTERTAINMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND INTERNET EXPERIENCES – FOR THE HOME AND ON THE GO IN SOUTHWEST OHIO

Release Date: 04/12/2012

CINCINNATI, OH – Verizon Wireless and Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC) today announced they are teaming up to give customers greater choice, value and convenience in their wireless and entertainment packages.

Customers in Southwest Ohio (see list below for store locations) can now purchase packages of Time Warner Cable video, Internet and voice services and Verizon Wireless smartphones and tablets from both companies.

In December 2011, Time Warner Cable and Verizon Wireless first announced plans to begin selling each other's services in select areas this year. Additional areas launching today include select locations within and surrounding Columbus, Ohio; Toledo, Ohio; Kansas City, Kan.; and Raleigh, N.C. Both companies expect to launch these packages in additional Time Warner Cable communities in the coming months.

New and current Time Warner Cable and Verizon Wireless customers who sign up for one of these packages from both companies may be eligible to receive a $200 prepaid debit card. Customers can select their package preference from a range of offers that include video, Internet, home phone and mobile service. Time Warner Cable's Ultimate Internet and SignatureHome® are also available to be packaged with a Verizon Wireless offer.

"The joining together of the best products and services from Time Warner Cable and Verizon Wireless into a single package is a big win for customers in Southwest Ohio," said Jeffery Hirsch, chief marketing officer, Time Warner Cable. "These new packages provide more choice, convenience, greater value and bring customers a more complete entertainment and communications experience inside their home and wherever they go."

"Our goal is to deliver a solid product followed by a wonderful experience in things which are important to our mutual customer base: wireless, entertainment and communications," said Mark Frazier, president–Ohio/Pennsylvania/West Virginia Region, Verizon Wireless. "We are confident that the consumers who are looking for stellar value can find everything they need in the comprehensive package delivered by Verizon Wireless and Time Warner Cable. Here in Southwest Ohio, Time Warner Cable continues to deliver the highest quality entertainment and communications services and the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network is the perfect complement to round out the package."

For additional information, please visit www.verizonwireless.com/twc or www.twc.com/verizonwireless. Customers can sign up for these packages in person at a Verizon Wireless Communications Store or over the phone at 1-888-535-0187 or 1-800-TWCABLE.

Livestream Broadcaster pre-orders available now, shipping at the end of May for $495

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 03:02 AM PDT

A vivid memory of Cisco's would-be FlipLive streaming camera is all we've got, but thankfully there's existing devices out there like the Livestream Broadcaster to help fill that void. Priced at a whopping $495, Livestream's Broadcaster allows it to be paired with an array of shooters via HDMI and used to stream live high-def vids to any Livestream-equipped device over Ethernet, WiFi, or with a 3G / 4G USB dongle. Aside from being capable of sending out 1080i waves, the Broadcaster can also push 720p and 480i resolutions (in case you don't feel like being a bandwidth hog), while all video and audio encoding is done with H.264 and ACC, respectively. It's also worth noting that the near 500 bucks includes a three-month sub to Livestream's service, which usually costs an extra $45 per month. For now, this bright red streamer's only available to Euros and Americans, with shipping set to commence by May 31st.
Livestream Broadcaster press shots

DARPA realizes it needs contact lenses, opts for those nice AR tinted ones (video)

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 02:31 AM PDT

DARPA realizes it needs contact lenses, opts for those nice AR tinted ones (video)DARPA saw the battlefield potential in AR glasses ages ago, when even Sergey Brin was happy to wear regular Ray-Bans. It's now stepped up its investment, giving more cash to one of its research contractors -- a company called Innovega -- to produce prototype contact lenses that could make military wearable HUDs smaller and less conspicuous. Innovega's iOptik lenses don't actually include a display, but rather allow the human eye to focus on an image from a separate accessory that sits right up close to the eyeball. The lenses have different zones that give the wearer multiple areas of focus, so they can see the overlaid augmented reality HUD -- such as a feed from an overhead drone -- but also warlike events going on in the immediate environment. Judging from the video after the break, however, calling them plain 'bifocals' might be taboo.

Researchers say crab-based computing possible, lobsters throw up claws in disbelief

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 01:42 AM PDT

IBM's Holey Optochip? Yawn. Fujitsu's K supercomputer? Yesterday's news. Forget about boring old conventional computing stuff, the future of computer technology lies in crabs -- lots and lots of crabs. Researchers at Kobe University and the University of the West of England's Unconventional Computing Centre have discovered that properly herded crabs can signal the AND, OR and NOT arguments essential to computers, not to mention those crucial 1s and 0s. Forcing two swarms of crabs into one, for instance, represents the OR gate -- a trick the computational crustaceans pulled off fairly reliably. Not every operation was pincer perfect, however, as the crabs tended to stumble a bit through attempts at signaling the AND function. At least guiding a group of crabs isn't as tough as herding cats -- researchers used a shadow to imitate a predatory bird and direct the hapless creatures accordingly. Sure, it may not be the first biological computer, but it just might be the first fear-based computer.

Zotac ZBOX Nano XS AD11 Plus mini PC launches with E-450 APU, gets reviewed

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 12:42 AM PDT

Zotac and its XBOXes -- just when you think your next dorm room PC couldn't get any smaller... it does. The latest in the stable is the long-winded Nano XS AD11 Plus, a hysterically titled small form factor PC equipped with a dual-core 1.6GHz AMD E-450 APU, Radeon HD 6320 GPU, 2GB of DDR3 memory and an HDMI output. There's also a 64GB mSATA SSD, a pair of USB 3.0 sockets (as well as a couple of the USB 2.0 variety), a gigabit Ethernet jack and a bundled MCE-compatible remote. In a smattering of reviews that also cropped up alongside the box's launch, we've learned that the E-450 moderately bests the prior E-350 rigs and soars past similarly equipped Atom-based machines; the mSATA SSD is perhaps the biggest upgrade, however, easily helping the system as a whole feel far faster than those with mechanical hard drives. Hot Hardware was pleased with the overall showing, though they did note that the include USB WiFi adapter gave 'em headaches when trying to stream high-bitrate content from a NAS / home server. Worth the $359? Hit those More Coverage links to help you decide.
Zotac ZBOX Nano XS AD11 Plus mini PC

Student's push to make Raleigh more walkable relies on homemade signs and QR codes

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 11:53 PM PDT

Walking is apparently underrated. So University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student Matt Tomasulo decided to engage in some "guerilla urbanism" in January with fellow fans of bipedal activity, posting 27 signs at three Raleigh, NC intersections as part of the "Walk Raleigh" project. The cardboard and vinyl signs contained snippets about how many minutes it would take to walk to must-see destinations like Raleigh City Cemetery, as well as QR codes for downloading directions. Like the activity it promotes, Tomasulo says the idea behind the project is simple: It's OK to walk. Apparently, Tomasulo and his buddies did such a great job with the signs that it took the sharp folks at the city government a month to catch on and take the stuff down. The city has since walked back its opposition to the signs, however, and put them back up as part of a 90-day pilot project. In the meantime, Walk Raleigh has turned into a Walk [Your City] Kickstarter campaign to put your wallet where your feet are.

Splashtop brings Windows 8 Metro Testbed to Apple's iPad (video)

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 11:07 PM PDT

This has gotta be uncomfortable for the iPad. Now, Windows 8 tablet developers -- or anyone, for that matter -- can test their apps and play with the Microsoft's Metro interface from within the confines of Apple's ubiquitous tablet. The functionality is made possible by Splashtop, which is known for its remote desktop apps that are currently available for Android and iOS. It seems that a good amount of effort went into this application, known as the Win8 Metro Testbed, which offers the same swipe capabilities that will be available on a native system. This includes the ability to swipe from the left to switch apps, swipe from the right to reveal the Charms menu, and pull down from the top to close an application. Splashtop's Win8 Metro Testbed is currently available for a promotional $24.99 in the iTunes App Store, whereafter it will sell for $49.99. You'll find the full PR and a quick video tour of the app's functionality after the break.
Splashtop Win8 Metro Testbed for Apple iPad

Show full PR text
Splashtop Enables Windows 8 Metro Experience on iPad

"Win8 Metro Testbed – powered by Splashtop" turns an iPad into a Windows 8 tablet with native Metro UI touch gestures for Win8 app developers and technology enthusiasts

San Jose, CA (PRWEB) April 12, 2012

Splashtop Inc., the worldwide leader in cross-device computing, today released "Win8 Metro Testbed – powered by Splashtop," a remote desktop app that allows software developers and technology enthusiasts to simulate a Windows 8 environment on an iPad. By using Win8 Metro Testbed, developers can test native Metro UI touch gestures on an iPad as they code and compile new apps on their Windows PC.

On March 1, 2012, Microsoft tweeted that its Consumer Preview of Windows 8 was downloaded one million times in just 24 hours, and since then millions more have been downloaded. Now with the "Win8 Metro Testbed – powered by Splashtop," a Windows 8 app developer who has an iPad can avoid incurring the extra cost of a Windows tablet, which can run upwards of $1,000.

"Since Apple's App Store generates over 80% of all tablet app revenue, nearly every software developer that writes apps for tablets has an iPad," noted Mark Lee, Splashtop CEO and co-founder. "With Windows 8 Metro expected to ship on over 400 million new PCs and tablets annually, these developers have high expectations for an enormous new market. Splashtop lets them turn their iPad into a development testbed to evaluate touch gestures and functionality of their app in a Windows 8 environment."

The Win8 Metro Testbed enables native Windows 8 Metro touch gestures, including the ability to:

Swipe from the right to view the Charms menu
Swipe from the left to switch apps
Swipe left/right in Internet Explorer to move between pages
Swipe down to bring up additional menus
Swipe down on an item to select it
Pull down from the top to close an app
Swipe slowly from the left to run two apps side-by-side ("snapping")
Swipe from left-and-back to show running apps
Pinch to navigate files, folders, apps and data with Semantic Zoom
And more

View a short video of Win8 Metro Testbed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwIeWfvcZ_o

Win8 Metro Testbed can be downloaded for a special launch promotion price of $24.99 USD (regular price of $49.99 USD) from the iTunes App Store at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/win8-metro-testbed-powered/id514878988?ls=1&mt=8

Valve job posting reveals plans for homegrown hardware, promises it won't suck

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 09:54 PM PDT

Rumors fluttering about Valve's entry into the hardware market just got a little less salty. According to the outfit's own jobs page, it's prepping to offer consumers "whole new gaming experiences." A call for an experienced electronics engineer says it all, "For years Valve has been all about writing software that provides great gameplay experiences. Now we're developing hardware to enhance those experiences." The ideal candidate ought to have a hefty load of prototyping experience, a knack for working with embedded systems and microcontrollers, a proficiency in thermal management, high speed serial interfaces, ARM / x86 system design, and more. We're not about to hazard a guess at what this adds up to, but Valve promises it's more compelling than "me-too mice and gamepads." Hit the source link below to apply, get hired, and let us know what's up.

[Thanks, Alexis]

Dyson's engineers head off to the races, create dragsters using spare parts, DC-16 motors (video)

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 09:23 PM PDT

Dyson engineers certainly know a thing or two about creating innovative vacuums and fans Air Multipliers, but did you know they've also dabbled in the world of high-speed racing? Such is apparently now the case, as these folks were tasked with building go-kart drag racers out of spare parts, resulting in a variety of wheeled wonders viaing for the fastest run on a makeshift strip in the office. Of course, there was a catch -- all of the dragsters had to use the motor from Dyson's DC-16 handheld vacuum in a battle for maximum torque. We won't spoil the outcomes for you, so scroll down to catch a video mashup of all the hijinks in the video below.

Google puts False Start SSL experiment down, nobody notices

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 07:44 PM PDT

Back in September of 2010 Google started experimenting with a new Chrome feature called False Start, which cut the latency of SSL handshakes by up to 30 percent. While the delay in forging a secure connection never seemed like a major concern for most, the pause (which could be several hundred milliseconds long) before a browser starts pulling in actual content was too much to swallow for Mountain View engineers. The tweak to SLL was a somewhat technical one that involved packaging data and instructions normally separated out -- reducing the number of round trips between a host and a client before content was pulled in. Unfortunately, False Start has proven incompatible with a number of sites, in particular those that rely on dedicated encryption hardware called SSL Terminators. Chrome used a blacklist to track unfriendly sites, but maintaining that repository proved more difficult than anticipated and became quite unwieldy. Despite reportedly working with over 99 percent of websites Adam Langley, a Google security researcher, has decided that False Start should be retired with version 20 of the company's browser. The change will likely go unnoticed by most users, but it's always a shame to see efforts to make the web as SPDY as possible fail.

Calyx Institute to create ISP that keeps customer traffic private, away from prying governmental eyes

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 06:22 PM PDT

Calyx Institute to create an ISP that keeps customer traffic private, away from prying governmental eyesWouldn't it be nice if we were free to surf the web free from fear of having our traffic monitored and emails scraped by the NSA? Well, if Nicholas Merrill has his way, we won't have to rely on anonymous browsers or proxy servers -- we'll have a new ISP built from the ground up to protect customer privacy. A non-profit, the Calyx Institute, will run the ISP that'll employ end-to-end encryption on web traffic, plus encrypted emails to prevent anyone other than the user, including the ISP itself, from seeing people's internet activity. Because of this structure, Calyx, quite literally, won't be able to comply with governmental requests to obtain customer traffic data under the Patriot or Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Acts. The best part is, such online privacy may cost as little as $20 a month, and Merrill has hopes to provide a similarly secure VoIP service at some point as well. Of course, the venture will only be possible if Merrill can raise the $2 million needed to get it going -- which is why he's pitching the idea to venture capitalists in Silicon Valley and the general public through crowd-sourced funding site IndieGogo. Want to help out? Hit the source below to make a donation.

Project Glass team member shows off mockup for glasses-wearers, says it's for 'everyone'

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 05:29 PM PDT

While Google isn't ready to answer all of the questions we have about its Project Glass concept yet, a member of the team has chimed in on one of the most common questions -- could it work even the user wears prescription glasses? Industrial designer Isabelle Olsson says the team ideally wants it to work for everyone, and posted a photo of the Glass-on-glasses mockup shown above to her Google+ page. Unless you're a Google exec this doesn't bring you any closer to going retinas-on with the heads-up display / augmented reality project yourself, but hopefully it keeps the dream alive even for the near / far sighted among us.

Intel announces PCI-Express 910 SSD lineup for enterprise customers

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 04:47 PM PDT

See that SSD up there? For a moment, you might've thought it'd make the next great addition to your desktop rig -- and yeah, extra storage without any wires is a really cool idea -- but don't fool yourselves, because the Intel SSD 910 family of PCI-Express storage devices were built with enterprise in mind. Based on the company's 25nm MLC NAND flash technology, these devices will emphasize both speed and reliability, and will hit the market in both 400GB and 800GB configurations. Intel's own reports suggest the 800GB model will be the quicker of the two, which is said to offer sequential performance of 2,000MB/s read and 1,000MB/s write. Both the 400GB ($1,929) and 800GB ($3,859) models will be available mid-year. We've included the PR after the break, but those who'd like to get a bit more in-depth should hit up the links below.
Show full PR text
Intel® Solid-State Drive 910 Series Delivers High Performance, Endurance and Reliability for Data Center Tiering and Caching

New Intel 900 SSD Family Expands SSD Product Line with PCIe Interface SSD for Accelerated Data Center Storage


NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

PCIe-based 400GB and 800GB Intel SSD 910 Series provides extreme performance, endurance and reliability for rigorous data center demands.

Intel SSD 910 Series offers easy-to-install, seamless post-deployment server storage upgrade with no changes to existing server design.

Using Intel High Endurance Technology, Intel SSD 910 offers 10 full drive writes a day for 5 years for 30x endurance.*


SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 12, 2012 – Intel Corporation introduced today the Intel® Solid-State Drive 910 Series (Intel® SSD 910 Series), a super high-performing SSD to address rigorous data center storage demands driven by cloud computing, virtualization and online transactions.

The Intel SSD 910 Series delivers accelerated storage performance, endurance and reliability critical to today's data center performance applications. It includes Intel High Endurance Technology and optimized multi-level cell (MLC) 25-nanometer NAND flash memory, that allows up to 10 full drive writes a day for 5 years, or a 30x endurance improvement* over its standard MLC-based flash products, for a cost-effective storage solution.

The Intel SSD 910 is PCIe-based and offers an easy-to-install, seamless post-deployment server storage upgrade that requires no changes to existing server design. It can be used in storage tiering and caching of hot files for high-performance processing and access to mission-critical data. One Intel 910 SSD can replace multiple 15K rpm hard disk drives (HDDs) to not only save on space and power consumption, but also improve sequential performance and storage scalability and reduce latencies. It is built using an Intel controller and Intel SSD management firmware. The firmware is optimized for less wear and includes NAND error reduction and system error management.

"The Intel SSD 910 Series is a complete solution that delivers on all fronts: highperformance, endurance and reliability, making it ideal for replacing I/O-intensive HDDs," said Roger Peene, director of data center SSD marketing for the Intel Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group. "As a leader in SSD technology, data center IT professionals can have confidence in a tier-one, easy-to-install SSD solution backed by Intel quality, reliability and technical support."

"Supermicro works closely with leading technology companies so we can offer our customers Data Center Optimized (DCO) server solutions with the highest performance and highest efficiency," said Tau Leng, general manager of High Performance Computing at Super Micro Computer Inc. "With the Intel SSD 910, server systems can achieve higher levels of CPU utilization to take advantage of increased processing power from advanced products like the Intel® Xeon® Processor E5-2600 Series. This is yet another example of working with Intel to test and qualify products, so we can lower our customers' total cost of ownership and reduce their time-to-market."

The Intel SSD 910 Series expands Intel's offerings for data center applications with its first entry in the 900 family of its highest-performing, PCIe-based SSDs. The Intel SSD 900 Family joins Intel's other high-volume SSD solutions for the data center including the Intel 700 SSD Family of SATA-based SSDs with High Endurance Technology and the Intel SSD 300 Family of SATA SSDs for a broad range of server and storage applications.

Performance measures of the Intel SSD 910 Series 800GB drive include 2 gigabytes-per-second (GB/s) sustained sequential reads and 1GB/s sequential writes; up to 180,000 4K random read Input-Output Operations Per Second (IOPS) and 75,000 4K random write IOPS. It comes in 400GB and 800GB capacities. Samples are now available for data center customers to begin quality and validation cycles. General production availability is scheduled for mid-2012.

Pricing for the Intel SSD 910 Series is $1,929 for the 400GB capacity and $3,859 for 800GB. It comes with a 5-year limited warranty. See full warranty details at: www.intel.com/support/ssdc/hpssd/sb/CS-029645.htm.

Skyrim gets Kinect integration on Xbox, over 200 voice commands in tow (video)

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 04:03 PM PDT

Okay, we have some excellent and some disappointing Skyrim tidbits to share. The good news being that bestseller The Elder Scrolls V is finally adding (real) support for Microsoft's Kinect, but unfortunately, it's coming exclusively to the Xbox console (sorry PC folks). That said, developer Bethesda says the update -- which is arriving later this month -- will bring more than 200 voice commands to the title, allowing things like Dragon Shouts, Follower Commands and Hotkey Equipping. In addition to busting out your best moves, you'll also be able to control menus within the game, as well as save and load your Skryim progress. While the full list of commands is set to be unveiled "in the coming weeks," there's a sneak preview waiting on you right now just past the break.

Scientists create the first universal quantum network, are scared to restart the router

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 03:12 PM PDT

Scientists create the first universal quantum network, are scared to restart the routerWe all know that most networks are, well, just not "quantumy" enough. Good news, then, that German boffins at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics have created the first "universal quantum network." We've been hearing about plain old quantum computing since the first qubit was sent, but now we have to get our tiny minds around the idea of a quantum internet too. Data was sent using single rubidium atoms in reflective optical cavities and single photons emitted over optical fiber. Given that data was only successfully transmitted 0.2% of the time, and the network spanned just 21 meters, a complex LAN with multiple nodes is a way off just yet, but the proof of concept is there. If that concept is the early '90s internet that is.

Boeing to launch super secure Android phone, hopes it takes off

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 02:43 PM PDT

Boeing to launch super secure Android phone, will it take off?You know what we've always wondered? Why doesn't Boeing just hurry up and release a phone? Joking aside, this is really happening. The news comes via National Defense Magazine which reports that the airplane manufacturer is developing an Android handset which will have strong security credentials. Currently dubbed "the Boeing phone" we hope the firm puts more thought into its aircraft than its project codenames. Before you start folding out your green, however, be warned that despite running Google's popular OS, and being a cellular device, the price point is still likely to be more jumbo jet than paper plane, with a Boeing exec pointing out that competitor offerings typically float around the $15-20,000 mark. He goes on to point out that it won't cost as much as this, but will still likely be out of our reach back here in coach. No word on any sort of specification at the minute, but if you fancy yourself as a high-flyer (or more likely, you work in defense) keep an eye out for this landing later on this year. Now, what if Samsung made a plane..?

Hulu reducing monthly subscription prices in Japan by 33 percent

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 02:22 PM PDT

Looks like Huluers in the Land of the Rising Sun may have something to cheer about, as the entertainment service announced earlier it's lowering its monthly fees. Hulu claims the reason behind the dropped prices comes from having "listened to user feedback and assessed current market situations" -- or perhaps from taking note of the million-plus customers it gained with a similar strategy in the US. With the new charge, Japanese folks will only have to shell out 980 yen (around $12) per month, a hefty reduction considering the previous fee of 1480 yen. Naturally, before the current clientele throws a temper tantrum, Hulu's promising a 500 yen refund to make up for the recent shift in prices. You can learn the rest of the deets on the Hulu blog, which is linked down below.

Apple releases fix for Flashback malware

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 02:08 PM PDT

It promised earlier this week that a fix was coming, and Apple has now delivered a Java security update that is says removes "the most common variants of the Flashback malware." That update also reconfigures the Java web plug-in to disable the automatic execution of Java applets by default (in Lion, at least -- those still on Snow Leopard are advised to do that themselves), although folks can re-enable that functionality if they choose. As usual, OS X users can download the update through the Software Update application.

Sprint's HTC EVO 4G LTE zips into the FCC, zips back out again

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 01:57 PM PDT

HTC's EVO 4G LTE swung down on a rope of white mercy and straight into the FCC's cold and dark underground bunker. Given that the device is exclusive to Sprint, it's no surprise to see that it'll slurp down LTE from the network's Band 25. There's also the usual selection of CDMA 2000, 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth radios we'd expect from a smartphone in this day and age. Now that the Government's given its blessing, everything's on track for that pre-sale to begin on May 7th, with the device expected to arrive in your paws soon afterward.

Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight hands-on

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 01:30 PM PDT

Image
What's American's number one problem in the bedroom? Honestly, whatever you first guessed is probably the right answer. For the sake of this conversation, however, let's just assume that it's light, as Barnes & Noble suggests. People are keeping their partners awake at all hours by leaving the light on as they finish the final gripping pages of that Stieg Larsson novel. There's got to be a better way! Something like, say, the Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight (make sure to put little sparkly illustrations over the last word when you read it aloud, by the way).

As you'd imagine, it can see in the dark. -- or, rather, you can see it in the dark, so you won't have to get kicked out of bed for reading The Hunger Games anymore. The clunkily named Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight is up for pre-order now at $139 a pop. Plunk down your information today, and it should be on its way to you in early May -- just in time for Mother's Day and with a bit of time to spare for 'ole pops. So, how does the reader stack up to its predecessor? Click on through to the other side to find out.
Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight hands-on


For all intents and purposes, the Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight is exactly like the original Nook Simple Touch. We're talking the same stubby body, TI processor, 2GB of storage, microSD slot and six-inch Pearl E Ink display with infrared touch. Oh, and the rubberized page turn buttons on the sides of the screen, the little "n" home button on the bottom and that power button on the rear are all in tact. The concave back cover that makes it easy to hold the reader one-handed? That's the same, too.

There are a few distinctions, though: the border around the perimeter of the device is lighter, so you wont accidentally pick the wrong device out of a pile (think of the slight difference in color between the Nook Color and Tablet). The device is also a bit lighter than its predecessor -- five percent, to be exact -- a change significant enough that seasoned Simple Touch users might actually notice if they were to compare the two. Really perceptive folks might also pick up on the screen, which feels slightly more textured. This is due to the anti-glare technology screen overlay B&N added to compensate for the differences in screen. All of which brings us to the main thing distinguishing the two devices.

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The centerpiece of the Nook SimpleTouch with GlowLight is, naturally, that illuminated screen. The reader uses a patent-pending technology Barnes & Noble built in-house, which shines a light from over the top of the screen. The illumination is triggered by holding the "n" button down for two seconds. You can adjust the brightness by clicking the button again and sliding the dial on a Quick Settings screen. Half brightness should be enough to keep you reading in a dark room. You can also turn the light off here or just hold down the "n" button again.

The light is actually quite well distributed on the display. You'll notice a bit of a gradient at the top, near the light source, but after reading for a bit, odds are you'll completely forget about it. We used it for a bit in a darkened room, and it's really a pleasant reading experience, staying true to most of the benefits of e-ink. We asked Barnes & Noble reps how the resulting eye strain compares to a back-illuminated device like the iPad, and while they refused to say anything conclusive, they conceded it should be "equal or less" to what you'd experience on such a device.

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Battery life, on the other hand, is much better. The Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight should give you an estimated month of reading time, according to B&N's numbers, compared to two months with the light off. That second number matches the rating for the standard Simple Touch -- the battery, like the rest of the hardware, is identical. The price, however, is a bit of a jump. At $139, it's $40 more than Simple Touch, and will be sold alongside that device (albeit in a darkened case that gives you a better idea of its powers). That premium might be a bit rich for some people's blood, though keep in mind that that price is the same as the WiFi Kindle Touch, once you drop the "Special Offers." If the rumor mill is to be believed, however, Amazon's likely got some competition on the way.

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In the meantime however, it may well be worth the $40 investment to make sure you don't get booted out of the bed again any time soon.

Show full PR text
Barnes & Noble Introduces NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight: World's First and Only E Ink Reader That Lets You Read in the Dark

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, today introduced NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight, the world's first E Ink device with patent-pending lighting technology that eliminates the number-one problem couples have in bed – having their sleep interrupted, or being prevented from falling asleep, when their partner reads with the light on. With a soft, adjustable glow, GlowLight gives bedtime readers just the right amount of light for reading, without disturbing a sleepy spouse.

Like having two Readers in one, the first and only Reader designed to let E Ink customers read in the dark is equally amazing at the beach, with a paper- like reading experience, even in the bright sun. This revolutionary device is the first to combine the most advanced and fastest E Ink display with a precise infrared touchscreen, built-in anti- glare screen for reading in any lit environment, and an evenly distributed and adjustable light for reading in the dark. NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight is also the lightest NOOK ever, with a long-lasting battery for over one month of reading on a single charge, with the light on. Customers can pre-order the newest addition to the award-winning NOOK portfolio immediately for just $139 at www.nook.com and in Barnes & Noble stores. NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight will be in stores and homes starting in early May, a perfect gift for Mother's Day, Father's Day and graduations.

For people who love to read, E Ink's paper-like readability, no-glare screen and long battery life have made it a favorite and nearly perfect device choice, with one exception: reading in bed or other low-light environments. And according to a recent Barnes & Noble national survey of adult readers, reading in bed is what 64 percent do on a regular basis, so it's not surprising that the number-one request from E Ink customers is the ability to read in the dark to avoid bothering a significant other.

The Brightest Innovation in Reading
Barnes & Noble created breakthrough GlowLight technology, an innovative lighting solution optimized for low-light conditions, never before seen on an E Ink display and not available on any Kindle. NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight delivers uniform light across an E Ink display, creating a better nighttime reading experience than LCD. GlowLight turns on instantly and adjusts easily with a touch, so customers can control the amount of light, whether in a dimly lit or pitch dark room. NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight is the perfect peacekeeper for the half of survey respondents who would read more in bed if it didn't interfere with their partners' sleep.

"To date, readers have had to compromise: either buying black-and-white E Ink reading devices to optimize their outdoor reading or color LCD devices to be able to read at night in bed with the light off. NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight is like two Readers in one," said William J. Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of Barnes & Noble. "With our new GlowLight technology and the most advanced E Ink display available, we've created the most versatile, high-utility Reader ever; as exceptional for reading in the darkest bedroom as on the brightest beach. At only $139, NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight provides customers an amazing value and is the only device of its kind in the world."

Resolving the Bedtime Reading Debate

For as long as there have been beds, and books, there's been a common clash between couples at bedtime: Lights on, to read? Or off, to sleep? "The Barnes & Noble NOOK Bedtime Reading Debate," a survey conducted March 1-5, 2012, polled 1,358 adult readers across the country about their reading habits, and shed new light on this age-old challenge.

 Bed Heads: Approximately two-thirds (64 percent) of people polled read in bed, and nearly a quarter read in bed between five and seven days a week.
o People who own Readers are among the most likely to read in bed (72 percent) and are more likely to read in bed on a weekly basis than tablet owners
(61 percent vs. 54 percent).
 The Gender Divide: While reading in bed is a top pick for both genders, there's a distinct divide when it comes to second place: women are likelier than men to read outdoors (40 percent vs. 25 percent), and men more frequently read in the bathroom (41 percent vs. 26 percent for women).
 The Light/Dark Debate: 77 percent of survey respondents say they or their partner requires light for their bedtime reading, although nearly 90 percent say their ideal sleep environment is completely dark.
o Men are far more likely than women to report their significant other disrupts their sleep by using a light to read in bed.
 Keeping Peace: 50 percent of respondents say either they or their partner would read more in bed if it didn't affect the other person's sleep.
 Sleepus Interruptus: A partner using a light to read in bed was deemed most disruptive by respondents – even more than a frisky partner's "midnight moves."
o 31 percent of respondents noted that a partner's use of a light to read in bed interfered with their sleep or prevented them from falling asleep, while 20 percent noted that romantic overtures did the same.
 Perturbed Partners: Nearly half (42 percent) of survey respondents have gone to sleep annoyed because their significant other was reading with a light on.
 Night Flight, Not Fight: 42 percent of people surveyed say they or their partner has physically relocated to another room to read to not disturb the partner who wanted to sleep, as most also agreed this was the best way to "keep the peace."
o The "lights-on" breach of bediquette leads many to throw in the towel when it comes to sleep with flipping on the TV, leaving the room to read or staying up to read themselves the most frequent alternatives.

Lightweight and Ultra Portable

At under 7 ounces, NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight is Barnes & Noble's lightest NOOK ever and 5 percent lighter than the highly acclaimed NOOK Simple Touch. The device's ergonomic soft-touch design makes it super comfortable to hold in just one hand – perfect for staying up all night in bed with a can't-put-it-down novel, or for carrying everywhere. Customers can also personalize their devices with an exclusive array of stylish and protective accessories.
Barnes & Noble's Award-Winning Reading Experience

NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight brings first-to-the-world lighting innovation to Barnes & Noble's award-winning Reader and reading experience. The most-advanced and fastest E Ink display and revolutionary built-in screen protector offer paper-like reading with no glare, even in bright sun, and lightning-fast page turns. The company's exclusive Best-TextTM technology with adjustable fonts optimizes each letter, so words are crisp and clear.

It's easy to navigate, shop and read with just the touch of a finger on NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight's 6-inch touch screen. Touch to turn pages, look up words, highlight passages, read your way by adjusting the font size and style and more. Shop the world's largest digital bookstore of more than 2.5 million books, magazines and newspapers and enjoy helpful recommendations from Barnes & Noble's book experts, personalized based on favorite authors, as well as those from friends to decide what to read next. Plus, borrow digital books from public libraries.

NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight holds more than 1,000 books, plus it has expandable memory. It's easy to keep reading on the go with long-lasting battery life: on a single charge with Wi-Fi® off, read for over one month with GlowLight on and over two months with it off.
Availability

At the amazingly low price of $139, NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight offers an award- winning reading experience, including a power adapter and built-in anti-glare screen protector at no additional cost, unlike Kindle. NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight can be pre-ordered at www.nook.com and in Barnes & Noble stores. The newest NOOK is expected to be in stores and in homes in starting in early May, in time for Mother's Day, Father's Day, graduations and summer reading. Experience NOOK products at www.nook.com or at the NOOK Digital ShopsTM and displays in one of Barnes & Noble's nearly 700 bookstores and other leading retailers. Barnes & Noble offers Always Free NOOK Support in all of its neighborhood bookstores, with more than 40,000 NOOKsellers across the country ready to assist customers with setting up their NOOK devices or choosing their next great read.

The Engadget Podcast, live at 5:00PM ET!

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 01:15 PM PDT

Tim has gone to a better place (he'll be back next week), but Brian and Terrence will be holding things down in the studio. And this time out we'll by joined via Skype by one Michael Gorman. Join us in the chat after the break. It'll be a fun one, we promise.


*** You can also stream the show live on your iPhone or iPad by clicking here.

Google reports $10.65 billion in revenue for Q1 2012, splits stock

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 01:06 PM PDT

Google just announced its earnings for Q1 of 2012 and the company did not disappoint. It raked in $10.65 billion, a full 24 percent higher than last year for the same time period and a hefty improvement over last quarter. Of that rather sizable chunk of cash, $10.2 billion came from advertising revenues -- $7.3 billion of that placed on Google's own properties. GAAP net income for the quarter was $2.89 billion, more than twice that of Q1 2011, which brings its total war chest to $49.3 billion in cash on hand. Perhaps the biggest news for investors, though, is the 2-for-1 stock split, which is a perfect accompaniment for the skyrocketing price. It's worth noting however, that this new stock is a new class of non-voting shares. For more info check out the PR after the break and don't miss the letter from Larry Page and Sergey Brin at the source link.
Show full PR text
Google Announces First Quarter 2012 Results and Proposal for New Class of Stock
Proposal Would Effectively Implement 2-for-1 Stock Split While Preserving Long-Term Governance Structure

Download PDF version [106K]

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – April 12, 2012 - Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2012.

"Google had another great quarter with revenues up 24% year on year," said Larry Page, CEO of Google. "We also saw tremendous momentum from the big bets we've made in products like Android, Chrome and YouTube. We are still at the very early stages of what technology can do to improve people's lives and we have enormous opportunities ahead. It is a very exciting time to be at Google."

Google announced today that its Board of Directors unanimously approved a stock dividend proposal designed to preserve the corporate structure that has allowed Google to remain focused on the long term. More information is available on our Investor Relations site, including a letter from our founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin explaining the proposal, and in our forthcoming proxy statement.

Q1 Financial Summary

Google reported revenues of $10.65 billion for the quarter ended March 31, 2012, an increase of 24% compared to the first quarter of 2011. Google reports its revenues, consistent with GAAP, on a gross basis without deducting traffic acquisition costs (TAC). In the first quarter of 2012, TAC totaled $2.51 billion, or 25% of advertising revenues.

Google reports operating income, operating margin, net income, and earnings per share (EPS) on a GAAP and non-GAAP basis. The non-GAAP measures, as well as free cash flow, an alternative non-GAAP measure of liquidity, are described below and are reconciled to the corresponding GAAP measures at the end of this release.

GAAP operating income in the first quarter of 2012 was $3.39 billion, or 32% of revenues. This compares to GAAP operating income of $2.30 billion, or 27% of revenues, in the first quarter of 2011. Non-GAAP operating income in the first quarter of 2012 was $3.94 billion, or 37% of revenues. This compares to non-GAAP operating income of $3.23 billion, or 38% of revenues, in the first quarter of 2011.
GAAP net income in the first quarter of 2012 was $2.89 billion, compared to $1.80 billion in the first quarter of 2011. Non-GAAP net income in the first quarter of 2012 was $3.33 billion, compared to $2.64 billion in the first quarter of 2011.
GAAP EPS in the first quarter of 2012 was $8.75 on 330 million diluted shares outstanding, compared to $5.51 in the first quarter of 2011 on 326 million diluted shares outstanding. Non-GAAP EPS in the first quarter of 2012 was $10.08, compared to $8.08 in the first quarter of 2011.
Non-GAAP operating income and non-GAAP operating margin exclude the expenses related to stock-based compensation (SBC) and a charge related to the resolution of a Department of Justice investigation in the first quarter of 2011. Non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP EPS exclude the expenses noted above, net of the related tax benefits. In the first quarter of 2012, the charge related to SBC and related tax benefits were $556 million and $118 million compared to $432 million and $92 million in the first quarter of 2011. In the first quarter of 2011, the charge related to the resolution of the Department of Justice investigation was $500 million. We recognized no tax benefit for the charge related to the resolution of the Department of Justice investigation. Reconciliations of non-GAAP measures to GAAP operating income, operating margin, net income, and EPS are included at the end of this release.
Q1 Financial Highlights

Revenues – Google reported revenues of $10.65 billion in the first quarter of 2012, representing a 24% increase over first quarter 2011 revenues of $8.58 billion. Google reports its revenues, consistent with GAAP, on a gross basis without deducting TAC.

Google Sites Revenues - Google-owned sites generated revenues of $7.31 billion, or 69% of total revenues, in the first quarter of 2012. This represents a 24% increase over first quarter 2011 revenues of $5.88 billion.

Google Network Revenues - Google's partner sites generated revenues of $2.91 billion, or 27% of total revenues, in the first quarter of 2012. This represents a 20% increase from first quarter 2011 network revenues of $2.43 billion.

International Revenues - Revenues from outside of the United States totaled $5.77 billion, representing 54% of total revenues in the first quarter of 2012, compared to 53% in the fourth quarter of 2011 and 53% in the first quarter of 2011. Excluding gains related to our foreign exchange risk management program, had foreign exchange rates remained constant from the fourth quarter of 2011 through the first quarter of 2012, our revenues in the first quarter of 2012 would have been $79 million higher. Excluding gains related to our foreign exchange risk management program, had foreign exchange rates remained constant from the first quarter of 2011 through the first quarter of 2012, our revenues in the first quarter of 2012 would have been $67 million higher.

Revenues from the United Kingdom totaled $1.15 billion, representing 11% of revenues in the first quarter of 2012, compared to 11% in the first quarter of 2011.
In the first quarter of 2012, we recognized a benefit of $37 million to revenues through our foreign exchange risk management program, compared to $14 million in the first quarter of 2011.
A reconciliation of our non-GAAP international revenues excluding the impact of foreign exchange and hedging to GAAP international revenues is included at the end of this release.

Paid Clicks – Aggregate paid clicks, which include clicks related to ads served on Google sites and the sites of our Network members, increased approximately 39% over the first quarter of 2011 and increased approximately 7% over the fourth quarter of 2011.

Cost-Per-Click – Average cost-per-click, which includes clicks related to ads served on Google sites and the sites of our Network members, decreased approximately 12% over the first quarter of 2011 and decreased approximately 6% over the fourth quarter of 2011.

TAC - Traffic acquisition costs, the portion of revenues shared with Google's partners, increased to $2.51 billion in the first quarter of 2012, compared to TAC of $2.04 billion in the first quarter of 2011. TAC as a percentage of advertising revenues was 25% in the first quarter of 2012, compared to 25% in the first quarter of 2011.

The majority of TAC is related to amounts ultimately paid to our Network members, which totaled $2.04 billion in the first quarter of 2012. TAC also includes amounts ultimately paid to certain distribution partners and others who direct traffic to our website, which totaled $468 million in the first quarter of 2012.

Other Cost of Revenues - Other cost of revenues, which is comprised primarily of data center operational expenses, amortization of intangible assets, content acquisition costs, and credit card processing charges increased to $1.28 billion, or 12% of revenues, in the first quarter of 2012, compared to $897 million, or 10% of revenues, in the first quarter of 2011.

Operating Expenses - Operating expenses, other than cost of revenues, were $3.47 billion in the first quarter of 2012, or 33% of revenues, compared to $3.34 billion in the first quarter of 2011, or 39% of revenues.

Stock-Based Compensation (SBC) – In the first quarter of 2012, the total charge related to SBC was $556 million, compared to $432 million in the first quarter of 2011.

We currently estimate SBC charges for grants to employees prior to March 31, 2012 to be approximately $2 billion for 2012. This estimate does not include expenses to be recognized related to employee stock awards that are granted after March 31, 2012 or non-employee stock awards that have been or may be granted.

Operating Income – GAAP operating income in the first quarter of 2012 was $3.39 billion, or 32% of revenues. This compares to GAAP operating income of $2.30 billion, or 27% of revenues, in the first quarter of 2011. Non-GAAP operating income in the first quarter of 2012 was $3.94 billion, or 37% of revenues. This compares to non-GAAP operating income of $3.23 billion, or 38% of revenues, in the first quarter of 2011.

Interest and Other Income, Net – Interest and other income, net increased to $156 million in the first quarter of 2012, compared to $96 million in the first quarter of 2011.

Income Taxes – Our effective tax rate was 18% for the first quarter of 2012.

Net Income – GAAP net income in the first quarter of 2012 was $2.89 billion, compared to $1.80 billion in the first quarter of 2011. Non-GAAP net income was $3.33 billion in the first quarter of 2012, compared to $2.64 billion in the first quarter of 2011. GAAP EPS in the first quarter of 2012 was $8.75 on 330 million diluted shares outstanding, compared to $5.51 in the first quarter of 2011 on 326 million diluted shares outstanding. Non-GAAP EPS in the first quarter of 2012 was $10.08, compared to $8.08 in the first quarter of 2011.

Cash Flow and Capital Expenditures – Net cash provided by operating activities in the first quarter of 2012 totaled $3.69 billion, compared to $3.17 billion in the first quarter of 2011. In the first quarter of 2012, capital expenditures were $607 million, the majority of which was related to IT infrastructure investments, including data centers, servers, and networking equipment. Free cash flow, an alternative non-GAAP measure of liquidity, is defined as net cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures. In the first quarter of 2012, free cash flow was $3.09 billion.

We expect to continue to make significant capital expenditures.

A reconciliation of free cash flow to net cash provided by operating activities, the GAAP measure of liquidity, is included at the end of this release.

Cash – As of March 31, 2012, cash, cash equivalents, and short-term marketable securities were $49.3 billion.

Headcount – On a worldwide basis, Google employed 33,077 full-time employees as of March 31, 2012, up from 32,467 full-time employees as of December 31, 2011.

WEBCAST AND CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION

A live audio webcast of Google's first quarter 2012 earnings release call will be available at http://investor.google.com/webcast.html. The call begins today at 1:30 PM (PT) / 4:30 PM (ET). This press release, the financial tables, as well as other supplemental information including the reconciliations of certain non-GAAP measures to their nearest comparable GAAP measures, are also available on that site.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements include statements regarding our continued investments in our core areas of strategic focus, our expected SBC charges, and our plans to make significant capital expenditures. Actual results may differ materially from the results predicted, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. The potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from the results predicted include, among others, unforeseen changes in our hiring patterns and our need to expend capital to accommodate the growth of the business, as well as those risks and uncertainties included under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, which is on file with the SEC and is available on our investor relations website at investor.google.com and on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Additional information will also be set forth in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2012. All information provided in this release and in the attachments is as of April 12, 2012, and we undertake no duty to update this information unless required by law.

ABOUT NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

To supplement our consolidated financial statements, which statements are prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, we use the following non-GAAP financial measures: non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP EPS, free cash flow, and non-GAAP international revenues. The presentation of this financial information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see the tables captioned "Reconciliations of non-GAAP results of operations measures to the nearest comparable GAAP measures," "Reconciliation from net cash provided by operating activities to free cash flow," and "Reconciliation from GAAP international revenues to non-GAAP international revenues" included at the end of this release.

We use these non-GAAP financial measures for financial and operational decision-making and as a means to evaluate period-to-period comparisons. Our management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding our performance and liquidity by excluding certain expenses and expenditures that may not be indicative of our "recurring core business operating results," meaning our operating performance excluding not only non-cash charges, such as SBC, but also discrete cash charges that are infrequent in nature. We believe that both management and investors benefit from referring to these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing our performance and when planning, forecasting, and analyzing future periods. These non-GAAP financial measures also facilitate management's internal comparisons to our historical performance and liquidity as well as comparisons to our competitors' operating results. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors both because (1) they allow for greater transparency with respect to key metrics used by management in its financial and operational decision-making and (2) they are used by our institutional investors and the analyst community to help them analyze the health of our business.

Non-GAAP operating income and operating margin. We define non-GAAP operating income as operating income plus expenses related to SBC, and, as applicable, other special items. Non-GAAP operating margin is defined as non-GAAP operating income divided by revenues. Google considers these non-GAAP financial measures to be useful metrics for management and investors because they exclude the effect of SBC and as applicable, other special items so that Google's management and investors can compare Google's recurring core business operating results over multiple periods. Because of varying available valuation methodologies, subjective assumptions and the variety of award types that companies can use under FASB ASC Topic 718, Google's management believes that providing a non-GAAP financial measure that excludes SBC allows investors to make meaningful comparisons between Google's recurring core business operating results and those of other companies, as well as providing Google's management with an important tool for financial and operational decision making and for evaluating Google's own recurring core business operating results over different periods of time. There are a number of limitations related to the use of non-GAAP operating income versus operating income calculated in accordance with GAAP. First, non-GAAP operating income excludes some costs, namely, SBC, that are recurring. SBC has been and will continue to be for the foreseeable future a significant recurring expense in Google's business. Second, SBC is an important part of our employees' compensation and impacts their performance. Third, the components of the costs that we exclude in our calculation of non-GAAP operating income may differ from the components that our peer companies exclude when they report their results of operations. Management compensates for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP amounts excluded from non-GAAP operating income and evaluating non-GAAP operating income together with operating income calculated in accordance with GAAP.

Non-GAAP net income and EPS. We define non-GAAP net income as net income plus expenses related to SBC, and, as applicable, other special items less the related tax effects. The tax effect of SBC is calculated using the tax-deductible portion of SBC and applying the entity-specific, U.S. federal and blended state tax rates. We define non-GAAP EPS as non-GAAP net income divided by the weighted average outstanding shares, on a fully-diluted basis. We consider these non-GAAP financial measures to be a useful metric for management and investors for the same reasons that Google uses non-GAAP operating income and non-GAAP operating margin. However, in order to provide a complete picture of our recurring core business operating results, we exclude from non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP EPS the tax effects associated with SBC and, as applicable, other special items. Without excluding these tax effects, investors would only see the gross effect that excluding these expenses had on our operating results. The same limitations described above regarding Google's use of non-GAAP operating income and non-GAAP operating margin apply to our use of non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP EPS. Management compensates for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP amounts excluded from non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP EPS and evaluating non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP EPS together with net income and EPS calculated in accordance with GAAP.

Free cash flow. We define free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures. We consider free cash flow to be a liquidity measure that provides useful information to management and investors about the amount of cash generated by the business that, after the acquisition of property and equipment, including information technology infrastructure and land and buildings, can be used for strategic opportunities, including investing in our business, making strategic acquisitions, and strengthening the balance sheet. Analysis of free cash flow also facilitates management's comparisons of our operating results to competitors' operating results. A limitation of using free cash flow versus the GAAP measure of net cash provided by operating activities as a means for evaluating Google is that free cash flow does not represent the total increase or decrease in the cash balance from operations for the period because it excludes cash used for capital expenditures during the period. Our management compensates for this limitation by providing information about our capital expenditures on the face of the statement of cash flows and under the caption "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K. Google has computed free cash flow using the same consistent method from quarter to quarter and year to year.

Non-GAAP international revenues. We define non-GAAP international revenues as international revenues excluding the impact of foreign exchange and hedging. Non-GAAP international revenues are calculated by translating current quarter revenues using prior quarter and prior year exchange rates, as well as excluding any hedging gains realized in the current quarter. We consider non-GAAP international revenues as a useful metric as it facilitates management's internal comparison to our historical performance.

The accompanying tables have more details on the GAAP financial measures that are most directly comparable to non-GAAP financial measures and the related reconciliations between these financial measures.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND WHERE TO FIND IT

This press release may be deemed to be solicitation material in respect of the solicitation of proxies from stockholders for Google's 2012 annual meeting of stockholders ("2012 Annual Meeting"). Google intends to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and make available to the stockholders of Google of record on April 23, 2012 a proxy statement containing important information about the proposed creation of a new class of stock (the "Proposal") and certain other matters to be considered by the stockholders of Google at its 2012 Annual Meeting. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING DECISION, GOOGLE'S STOCKHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE CAREFULLY AND IN ITS ENTIRETY BECAUSE IT WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSAL AND CERTAIN OTHER MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED AT THE 2012 ANNUAL MEETING.

Investors will be able to obtain the proxy statement and other relevant materials, when available, free of charge at the SEC's website (http://www.sec.gov). In addition, documents filed with the SEC by Google, including the proxy statement when available, and the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, will be available free of charge from Google, at Google's website (http://www.google.com) or by writing to Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, Attn: Corporate Secretary.

PARTICIPANTS IN THE SOLICITATION

Google and its directors, nominees, and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Google's stockholders with respect to the matters to be considered at the 2012 Annual Meeting, including the Proposal. Information regarding the names, affiliations, and direct or indirect interests (by security holdings or otherwise) of these persons will be described in the proxy statement to be filed with the SEC.
at 11:51 AM

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