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- Engadget Podcast 290 - 04.20.2012
- Inmarsat hands LightSquared a lifeline, hopes to get that $56 million back later
- Senate black box bill could see 2015 car models ship with data recorders
- Fifth Avenue Frogger brings everyone's favorite roadkill to New York City (video)
- The Engadget Interview: AMD's Sasa Marinkovic
- The Engadget Show is live tonight!
- Samsung's S-Cloud tipped to arrive alongside the Galaxy S III next month
- Sony to launch PlayMemories Online: 5GB cloud photo-sharing service coming next week (video)
- Antitrust suit carries on against Intel, Apple, Google and others
- YouTube ordered to filter video uploads by German court, could face hefty fines
- Nikon D3200 sample pics appear on Flickr, make a slightly noisy entrance
- Dish adds Pandora to Hopper Whole-Home DVR system
- Kindle Touch gets early release in UK and Germany (update)
- Distro Issue 37 chats with Microsoft's Bill Buxton on the future of the natural UI
- Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) now hitting unlocked Galaxy S II in America
- Nokia gets nose bloodied in IPCom patent case, says it doesn't care anyway
- Hardest working man on the internet passes one million Wikipedia edits
- Skype recruiting Xbox developers for 'next generation services'
- Nokia releases a commercial shot entirely with the 808 PureView (video)
- AMD confirms Trinity and Brazos 2.0 shipping now, globally available 'soon'
- Pulled PSP titles restored to the Vita, security holes covered with tape
- NVIDIA projects mobile SoC GPU performance to surpass Xbox 360 by 2014
- N-Control's Avenger goes Elite, keeps classic good looks
- Regal Entertainment Group teams up with Sony to bring subtitle glasses to US theaters
- Did the Samsung Galaxy S III just appear in Vietnam? (video) (updated with statement)
- UT Dallas researchers seek to imbue your smartphone with X-ray superpowers
- Fusion-io SDK gives developers native memory access, keys to the NAND realm
- Google patent application keeps track of your moves to automate mobile actions
- IBM's building an air-breathing EV battery that goes 500 miles on a single charge
- DirecTV drops NFL Sunday Ticket price for current subscribers
- RIM patent application describes rotating keypad that can be used in more than one position
- Google talks specifics about its network infrastructure, hopes to inspire the rest of the internet
- Sony patent proposal ponders planting physicians inside your plasma
- Microsoft evangelist admits he misspoke regarding Windows Phone 8 updates
- Eyes-on Whiteman Technology's Delta DVR, plus more hardware details
- Chumby halts hardware sales, long-term support looking mighty unlikely
- LG Optimus 4X HD gets dressed in white, shows its unicorn side (hands-on)
- FCC begins tracking wireless carriers' implementation of bill shock notifications
- Intuit GoPayment goes live in Canada, more rectangular than Square
- Eyes-on Brytewerks Model One high-def projector and HTPC combo
| Engadget Podcast 290 - 04.20.2012 Posted: 20 Apr 2012 10:55 AM PDT  Slow news week? "No problemo," say the Engadget Podcasters, who turn earnings reports, spotty non-announcements, and nonexistent eyewear into an hour-plus extravaganza of gadgety greatness unparallelled by anything since Johnny Mnemonic came out. Host: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater, Dana Wollman Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace.
Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) Contact the podcast Send your questions to @tim_stevens. Leave us a voicemail: (423) 438-3005 (GADGET-3005) E-mail us: podcast at engadget dot com Twitter: @bheater, @tim_stevens, @danawollman This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Inmarsat hands LightSquared a lifeline, hopes to get that $56 million back later Posted: 20 Apr 2012 10:36 AM PDT
Remember LightSquared? Of course you do, it was the noble yet doomed attempt to build a nationwide 4G LTE network. Days before Sprint dumped it, billionaire Philip Falcone's enterprise defaulted on a $56 million spectrum allocation payment to British satellite operator Inmarsat. Now LightSquared's biggest creditor has offered a stay of execution to give the company time to overcome the regulatory hurdles (we'd suggest praying Julius Genachowski gets another job elsewhere) and get the project back on track. Cynics might suggest it's only been given the breathing room because it's not worth being pushed into Chapter 7 bankruptcy, to which we say shame on you, you naughty cynics. LightSquared's Amended Agreement with Inmarsat Enhances Opportunities for Increased Competition and Universal Access to Broadband Wireless Coverage Across Entire U.S. RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LightSquared announced today that it has reached agreement with Inmarsat to amend the Cooperation Agreement between the two companies. This amended agreement provides LightSquared additional time and flexibility to use its spectrum to deploy a terrestrial 4G wireless network once all regulatory authorizations have been secured. "This new agreement allows LightSquared an opportunity to focus its efforts on obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals to begin building the nation's first, coast-to-coast wireless broadband system," said Doug Smith, LightSquared's interim chief operating officer and chief network officer. "We remain committed to fulfilling our business vision to bring world-class wireless broadband connectivity to millions of Americans. "The renewed partnership between LightSquared and Inmarsat strengthens the opportunity for consumers across the U.S. to obtain the benefits of increased competition that LightSquared will bring to the broadband wireless market, and the only viable opportunity for rural areas of the country to obtain access to reliable broadband wireless service." |
| Senate black box bill could see 2015 car models ship with data recorders Posted: 20 Apr 2012 10:13 AM PDT
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| Fifth Avenue Frogger brings everyone's favorite roadkill to New York City (video) Posted: 20 Apr 2012 09:49 AM PDT
For all their charm, the arcade games of the 80s didn't really offer much in the way of gritty realism -- not like today's titles, certainly. Tyler DeAngelo's new take on video game hall-of-famer Frogger certainly goes a ways toward lending the gaming classic some grit. DeAngelo installed a webcam trained on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, using code to translate that footage into data that allows players to experience a real-time, real world traffic flow in a modded version of a Frogger machine. The creator has been known to drag the machine onto the famed New York street, generator in tow, letting people experience the game it was meant to be played: on a sidewalk in plain view of traffic. Check out a video of the game after the break, including a desperate plea from a talking frog who really wants a trip to the Smithsonian.
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| The Engadget Interview: AMD's Sasa Marinkovic Posted: 20 Apr 2012 09:20 AM PDT
This isn't the easiest time to be an AMD fan. The company's eight-core FX-8150 desktop chip was widely panned on the review circuit, and then NVIDIA's GTX 680 graphics card ran off with Radeon HD's thunder. Even when you look at notebook processors, where AMD has long excelled with its Fusion APUs, the hype wars currently favor Ultrabooks and Ivy Bridge. Affection for the gamers' brand and its ATI back-story may make this stuff uncomfortable, but the predicament is already starting to mess with AMD's balance sheet. Which raises the obvious question: what's to be done? Sasa Marinkovic, AMD's Head of Desktop and Software Product Marketing, bravely took up the challenge of providing his side of the story -- even after we warned him that we'd try to disrupt his flow with accusatory glances. In the end, we did get him to acknowledge some recent hard knocks, particularly with respect to the FX chips and their (lack of) single-threaded performance. But we also got some insight into the mind of a chap who remains genuinely and abundantly confident about his employer's future. Read on and see for yourself. The last time we met was at the launch of the FX-8150. There was plenty of optimism at that time, but then reviewers came out almost universally against the chip. How did you regard their coverage? I think the press was expecting the chip to cost around $200 and yet still beat parts from Intel at higher price points, like the Core i7. But overall I think that FX has delivered something new. I've looked at the comments from people who actually bought an FX chip, on Newegg for example, and they're overwhelmingly positive. We're getting four or five eggs for eight-, six- and four-core products. I'm really happy to see how they've accepted it. More InfoBut on Newegg right now, you can get the i5-2500K for $30 less than an FX-8150, and most reviewers say they'd pick the i5. Are you blaming journalists rather than accepting that AMD made a mistake somewhere along the line? Well, I do agree that single-threaded performance maybe wasn't at the level it should have been, because the chip was optimized for multi-threaded workloads. In the technology world, you're going to win some and lose some. It comes down to the workloads you're running. I'm not blaming journalists for getting it wrong, but we targeted the chips at multi-threaded performance, multimedia and gaming. In those areas, especially with the overclocking potential of the eight-core chip, the FX product still has strong legs to stand on. You also have to look at these desktop chips as part of the whole platform, rather than just as individual components. When you look at how FX combines with an AM3+ motherboard and with one of our recent graphics cards, it's a sensible purchase. Many gamers are AMD fans because you've historically provided them things they need at low price points. Are you now changing your focus towards higher-priced, more forward-looking chips? When we launched Athlon 64, there wasn't much software for it. When we supported DX11 it was the same -- not much software around to exploit it. The APUs also needed new software to show their full advantage. With FX we did exactly the same thing: we provided a catalyst for people to go and develop these new workloads that can make use of it. If you look at Corel Aftershot, for example, it utilizes all eight cores and performance is over six times better as a result. But multi-threading doesn't really help gamers... There are a bunch of games that use multi-threading now. And it's an architecture that we're going to continue to use, and that will serve us in the future, so there's still time for more games to catch up. Besides, don't forget that we do have the four- and six-core FX parts, too. The FX-8150 has been well received and has momentum, but the quad-core FX-4100 is another option for gamers that costs in the low hundreds. The review circuit was initially happy with AMD's next-gen graphics cards, but only until NVIDIA came out with the GTX 680. Then the pundits went with NVIDIA, because it showed an unprecedented performance gap. What was your response to that? More InfoI wouldn't say it's an unprecedented gap. The GTX 680 was a step forward for NVIDIA. But the Radeon HD 7000 series was a pinnacle of design, with immersive performance and with better compute performance than our competitors. If you look at how many products we've released so far, and if you look at the availability compared to NVIDIA -- six variants all shipping in full volume -- that will tell you the story. Even highly overclocked Radeon HD 7970 graphics cards are getting beaten by NVIDIA -- that tells a different story. Are you sure you're acknowledging what's happened here? Well, we have new boards every year or so. This generation has been out for four months and there'll be more evolutionary progress within this architecture. You have to remember that driver improvements for the cards have already delivered a 25 percent improvement in 3DMark11 scores in just a few months. Okay, let's talk about notebooks and your mobile APUs. We know that Trinity is coming to refresh your line-up, but right now all the hype is around Intel, Ivy Bridge and Ultrabooks. How will you catch people's attention when it feels like you're arriving late? In terms of the launch, we're only a few weeks apart from Ivy Bridge, so I don't think it's going to make a difference for people. Plus, even if Ivy Bridge launches at the end of April, it remains to be seen how long it'll take for Ivy Bridge Ultrabooks to become available -- and that could be more in line with when we're going to come up with our new thin and light notebooks. Ivy Bridge is expected to be made with a 22nm fabrication process, whereas Trinity is 32nm. How can you compete in terms of both efficiency and performance with that kind of silicon? When we put the E-Series APU into notebooks, it was a 40nm chip. But it turned out to be the most successful product we've had at AMD. We sold 30 million of those parts. People didn't care about the fabrication process, they cared about the experience they were getting. Fabrication process size can be misleading.
We've already put Trinity up against Sandy Bridge a couple of days ago, and we gave tech reviewers a chance to blind test two notebooks that only differed with respect to their processors. 80 percent of them thought the Trinity notebook showed better performance. Take WinZIP for example -- it was several times faster thanks to our support for OpenCL GPU acceleration. Using the GPU to help with tasks is a huge part of what we're doing and it's something that Intel doesn't offer -- they're only doing it through the CPU. So you're saying that Trinity can use its GPU better than Intel's Ivy Bridge can? If you think of the CPU and the GPU as two different sides of the brain, one logical and one more visual, then it makes sense for them to be balanced. Intel's graphics are significantly under-developed if you compare them to AMD products. The A-series versus Sandy Bridge already wins in video, and in gaming we're up to three times faster than Sandy Bridge in Battlefield 3 for example. It's all because of the different emphasis that we put on the graphics part of the chip. More InfoThe difference between Ivy Bridge and Trinity is simple: if you go with Ivy Bridge but then want the same graphical experience that Trinity offers out of the box, then you'll need to add discrete graphics to be on that same level. So the implication is that Trinity will be a similar price to Ivy Bridge, but it'll offer the advantage of discrete-class graphics? Right, that's a logical conclusion. AMD gets quizzed over this a lot, but we have to ask: are there really no plans to get into smartphones? Is the APU-running tablet as small as you're gonna go? We have three priorities at AMD: Cloud, Convergence and Consumerization. Convergence is part of the tablet story and we want to be part of that. But on the smartphone side there are a lot of players that are lowering the margins, and we really want to focus on other things, using all the leadership technologies that we have. Just one more question, and it's a slightly personal one: You work in an extremely competitive environment, where you're up against ever-present rivals like Intel and NVIDIA. What is that like? Do you pay much attention to those guys? I've been with ATI and AMD for the past 16 years and I wouldn't change that for anything. When I started at ATI there were 30 companies doing graphics. If you look at how the world has changed in the past 15 years, it's amazing, and it's cool to be part of that. We do pay attention to our competitors to make sure we haven't missed anything, but at the end of the day we try to look at what people want to do in the future and we try to anticipate their needs for years to come. |
| The Engadget Show is live tonight! Posted: 20 Apr 2012 09:00 AM PDT |
| Samsung's S-Cloud tipped to arrive alongside the Galaxy S III next month Posted: 20 Apr 2012 08:34 AM PDT
Korean newspaper Maeil Business believes that Samsung's finally ironed out the kinks in its S-Cloud service and will unveil it alongside the Galaxy S III at next month's event. The Korean giant will reportedly offer an "unlimited service" with less of the content or storage restrictions imposed by iCloud. It'll also apparently come with a VOD-store, offering up audio and video content for a fee, presumably beside what's available in Google Play. It's also reporting that the company's Media Solution Center has asked Microsoft to join KT and Amazon in developing the infrastructure to ensure a smooth launch. Either way, it's not long now until we know for certain, so be sure to join us on May 3rd for the whole story. |
| Sony to launch PlayMemories Online: 5GB cloud photo-sharing service coming next week (video) Posted: 20 Apr 2012 08:11 AM PDT
Sony's PlayMemories photo-editing suite has floated around the PlayStation Store for about a month but it will apparently soon be joined by a new photo-sharing service. PCWorld reports that Sony will launch the cloud-based PlayMemories Online with 5GB of free storage in Japan, US, UK, Canada, Germany and France on May 25. Apparently, you'll be able to access those digitized memories through Sony's proprietary software on both PC and Macs, while your photos can also be streamed to Bravia TVs and digital photo frames. The company's WiFi-capable cameras will also get to hook up with the online storage system, while its Android tablets and phones will get their very own app to upload on their own. In an effort to differentiate the service from existing ones like Dropbox, PlayMemories Online will even sync those precious photos with your PSP and PS Vita. Sony will thus ensure you'll never be without at least four screens to show off those shots of your precocious daughter, pug or beachside view. In case you forgot, we've embedded a video from a few months back that should give a better idea of how the system should work -- in a house filled entirely with Sony merchandise.
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| Antitrust suit carries on against Intel, Apple, Google and others Posted: 20 Apr 2012 07:48 AM PDT
They can hope and pray all that they want, but Google, Intel, Apple, Adobe, Intuit, Pixar and Lucasfilm will soon be facing some serious accusations in a courtroom under the Sherman Antitrust Act and California's Cartwright Act. After years of trying to dodge legal action over an "informal agreement" to not pinch each others employees, and an effort to have the case dismissed, the seven defendants will have to stand trial as ordered by District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California. In her decision Koh said, not only was there evidence that these agreements were made at the highest levels of the company but, that six such deals were struck in secret in such a short time frame "suggests that these agreements resulted from collusion." There's still time for yet another deal to be struck, however, this time between the defendants and the DOJ. Otherwise it looks like all seven will have to stand trial in June of 2013. |
| YouTube ordered to filter video uploads by German court, could face hefty fines Posted: 20 Apr 2012 07:31 AM PDT
A Hamburg court decision has ruled that YouTube is responsible for what its users upload to the site. This therefore could make the site liable for any copyright infringement associated with that. Furthermore, the court has asked the video sharing giant to put filters in place that detect clips that are protected by the German royalties agency Gema at the point of upload. Worst of all, this could saddle the website with a hefty tab. Although this particular case only pertains to 12 videos (and the ruling to seven of those,) future fines could be as much as €250,000 ($330,000) per case. YouTube maintained that it has no responsibility over what users upload, but that it did take action when notified about protected content. [Thanks, Guy] |
| Nikon D3200 sample pics appear on Flickr, make a slightly noisy entrance Posted: 20 Apr 2012 07:23 AM PDT |
| Dish adds Pandora to Hopper Whole-Home DVR system Posted: 20 Apr 2012 06:56 AM PDT
Tired of walking from room to room, bringing your Entourage with you via your minty fresh Dish Hopper? Well, now you can sit down, relax and enjoy a hot cup of your favorite tunes from the same box. Dish has introduced the popular Pandora music service into its Hopper Whole-Home HD DVR System. So, you'll be able to pull up tracks, create playlists and all the usual recommendation delights you've come to expect from the personal radio service. We'd normally make Pandora's Box about this time, but we're already knee deep in the Jane's Addiction back catalog... DISH Expands In-Home Music Experience With Pandora ENGLEWOOD, CO, Apr 19, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- DISH DISH +2.24% , one of the nation's leading pay-TV providers, has introduced Pandora P +7.82% , the leading personalized radio service, for the DISH Hopper(TM) Whole-Home HD DVR system. Pandora on the Hopper allows customers to easily search for their favorite artists or songs and create personalized radio stations that play only the music they love from the comfort of their homes. DISH customers with a Hopper can login to their existing Pandora account, or create a new Pandora account, to stream their personalized radio stations through their television. Streaming Pandora on the Hopper requires an Internet connection. "Pandora adds new dimension to the Hopper experience," said Vivek Khemka, vice president of product management at DISH. "This partnership is another example of how we are working to make Hopper the entertainment platform of choice for America's homes." "We're thrilled that DISH is making Pandora available to their customers on a great new platform like the Hopper," said Ian Geller, vice president of Business Development at Pandora. "More than a third of all radio listening takes place in the home and Pandora delivered through the Hopper allows everyone in the family to easily access and enjoy music they love through their personalized radio stations." DISH's Hopper features three satellite TV tuners and a two-terabyte hard drive that stores up to 2,000 hours of video. Accompanied by small, sleek Joey(TM) units, the Hopper enables customers to pause live TV in one room and continue watching in another room. DISH launched Hopper in March and it is available to both new and existing DISH customers. In addition to Pandora, DISH's Hopper features apps that give viewers real-time access to Facebook, Twitter and photo sharing, as well as games, news, weather, sports and stock quotes. More information about DISH's Hopper is available at www.dish.com/hopper . |
| Kindle Touch gets early release in UK and Germany (update) Posted: 20 Apr 2012 06:32 AM PDT
Amazon is now shipping preorders for its Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G in both the UK and Germany, a week ahead of schedule. While eager e-reader... readers in the likes of Update: Amazon has contacted us stating that the devices have actually "started shipping to customers in France, Italy and Spain from the respective sites (Amazon.fr, .it and .es), as well as the UK and DE." Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G Available Starting Tomorrow, Seven Days Early Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G are the most full-featured e-readers available Kindle Touch 3G is the top-of-the-line e-reader with free 3G wireless – no monthly fees or annual contracts, never pay for or hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot
Luxembourg – April 20, 2012 – (NASDAQ: AMZN) – Amazon.co.uk today announced it is now shipping Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G to customers across the UK, seven days earlier than the previously announced April 27 availability date. Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G are Amazon's most full-featured e-readers. Kindle Touch 3G is the top-of-the-line e-reader and offers the same new design and features as Kindle Touch, plus the unparalleled added convenience of free 3G wireless. To learn more about Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G, visit www.amazon.co.uk/kindletouch and www.amazon.co.uk/kindletouch3G.
"Orders from customers worldwide for our new line of electronic ink Kindles have exceeded our expectations," said Jorrit Van der Meulen, vice president, Kindle EU "Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G are the most full-featured e-readers available with a beautiful, latest-generation electronic ink display, fast page turns and long, two month battery life. We know that UK customers are eager to get their hands on these new Kindles, which is why we're delighted to be able to ship several days earlier than we planned."
Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G orders are fulfilled in the order they were received. Customers can purchase Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G at www.amazon.co.uk/kindletouch and www.amazon.co.uk/kindletouch3G and from UK retailers including John Lewis, Dixons, Argos, Carphone Warehouse, Currys, PC World, Staples and Tesco.
"We are delighted to offer our customers an expanded range of Kindles with the introduction of Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G," said Adam Brown, telecoms manager at John Lewis. "Kindle was a must-have product for John Lewis customers at Christmas and we think this popularity will continue as the summer months approach. Ultra-portable with a no glare e-ink screen, long battery life and with access to all your favourite holiday reads, plus the optional added convenience of free 3G wireless, Kindle is the perfect travel companion. Now with a responsive touch screen it will be easier than ever to navigate through your portable library."
Mark Slater, Category Director at Dixons Retail comments: "The new Kindle Touch is a great product; Amazon's EasyReach touch technology makes it a lot easier to turn pages and search for books. The multi-touch screen also makes it convenient to read books with one hand – perfect for crowded tube journeys. It is so simple to use and sells for a fantastic, competitive price, so we're sure the Kindle Touch will be a popular choice for e-reader fans."
Kindle Touch is a new addition to the Kindle family with an easy-to-use touch screen that makes it easier than ever to turn pages, search, shop for content, and take notes – still with all the benefits of the most advanced electronic ink display which reads like real paper, even in bright sunlight, with no glare. Kindle Touch is lighter and smaller than previous generation Kindles, eliminates battery anxiety with an extra-long two month battery life and holds up to 3,000 books. Kindle Touch 3G is for readers who want the top-of-the-line e-reader. Kindle Touch 3G offers the same new design and features of Kindle Touch – it's small and light with an easy-to-use touch screen, has storage for thousands of books, and an extra-long battery life - with the unparalleled added convenience of free 3G. Kindle's free 3G connection means you never have to hunt for or pay for a Wi-Fi hotspot. Amazon pays for the 3G connection so there are no monthly fees or annual contracts. |
| Distro Issue 37 chats with Microsoft's Bill Buxton on the future of the natural UI Posted: 20 Apr 2012 06:15 AM PDT
Chin up, friends. The week is coming to a close and a fresh issue of our tablet mag is hot off the e-presses. Front and center this week, Microsoft's Bill Buxton discusses the future of the Natural UI. We also feature the start of Reaction Time, a regular column from Joystiq's Editor-in-chief Ludwig Kietzmann. Here, he'll tackle the current state of gaming from week to week. Also new this time around, a look back at the hands-on opps that we've had over the past seven days and Switched On continues its look at smartphone growth. The HTC One V, Titan II and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) get put through their paces while Darren Murph offers some thoughts on Facebook's role as a digital scrapbook. IRL offers a regular peek into our gear habits, the Stat breaks down screen resolution, DigitalRev's Kai Man Wong runs through the Q&A gauntlet and Box Brown has the Last Word on Angry Birds Space. So what are you waiting for? Head on down to the link of your choice to begin your download. Distro Issue 37 PDF This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) now hitting unlocked Galaxy S II in America Posted: 20 Apr 2012 06:09 AM PDT
See that? That's the sign that awoke yours truly this morning. And that just happens to be confirmation that the long-awaited Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) update is finally coming to unlocked (read: global, non-carrier branded) Galaxy S II smartphones situated in the United States. If you'll recall, said update started flowing to units in South Korea (among other locales) eons ago, but owners located in the US of A haven't been treated equally... until today. Head on into Settings and check for an update -- seeing anything intriguing? |
| Nokia gets nose bloodied in IPCom patent case, says it doesn't care anyway Posted: 20 Apr 2012 06:01 AM PDT
Mannheim is gaining a reputation as the place where patent disputes go to die. The latest loser? Nokia, in a case against German firm IPCom. A saving grace for the Finnish firm, this time, seems to be that the patent in question was granted in February 2011 and all the handsets involved predate this, and are no longer on the market. That's according to the firm's spokesman at least, who also added that it would be seeking a ruling from a higher court to clarify whether current handsets are also affected by the ruling. Well, they do say things come in threes... |
| Hardest working man on the internet passes one million Wikipedia edits Posted: 20 Apr 2012 05:49 AM PDT
Justin Knapp is probably the hardest working man on the internet after becoming the first person to pass the million-edit-mark on Wikipedia. Since 2005, he's made around 385 amendments per day, each one taking him around four minutes [Citation Needed]. Founder Jimmy Wales congratulated the 30-year-old on his personal feed and Mr. Knapp's been awarded the site's Special Barnstar medal and Golden Wiki award for his achievement. He took the news with a good dose of self-deprecating humor, saying that "being suddenly and involuntarily unemployed will do that to you." Hopefully there's a certificate wining its way in the post from the Guinness people. |
| Skype recruiting Xbox developers for 'next generation services' Posted: 20 Apr 2012 05:17 AM PDT
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| Nokia releases a commercial shot entirely with the 808 PureView (video) Posted: 20 Apr 2012 04:41 AM PDT
Nokia's released a new commercial that it says is shot entirely using an 808 PureView. Whilst it's clear the company's hired a coterie of models, professional photographers and a world-class lighting rig, it's still a great indication of what the technology can do in the right hands. Head on past the break to see the results for yourself and then catch yourself seriously weighing up buying a Symbian phone for your next handset, just like we are. |
| AMD confirms Trinity and Brazos 2.0 shipping now, globally available 'soon' Posted: 20 Apr 2012 04:23 AM PDT
Any troglodytes out there who didn't know that AMD's next APU architecture is inbound? If so, we're gonna toast marshmallows outside your cave and give you a little pre-brief: Trinity will be a range of processors for "performance" notebooks and desktop PCs, which will continue in AMD's Fusion tradition of providing both the CPU and discrete-class graphics in a single-chip, power-efficient design. A potential rival to Ivy Bridge and the coming stampede of Ultrabooks? Yes indeed, although it's too early to say how closely matched these athletes will be, despite some early indications of 4GHz+ clock speeds. Judging from our recent look at a Trinity-packing Compal laptop, undercutting Ultrabooks on price will also be part of AMD's strategy -- along with throwing out Brazos 2.0 APUs to mop up the extreme low-power category. After all, Ivy Bridge probably won't offer truly discrete-class graphics until it's paired with an add-on GPU, which will inevitably bump up its price for gamers and multimedia types. If Trinity serves up great visuals and next-gen performance all in one go, AMD's accountants might be able to leave their subterranean hideouts too. |
| Pulled PSP titles restored to the Vita, security holes covered with tape Posted: 20 Apr 2012 03:50 AM PDT
Seething about the removal of Everybody's Tennis or Motorstorm: Arctic Edge from the PlayStation Store? Relax, Sony's restored both PSP-titles in time for you to play 'em all through the weekend. Of course, both are now neutered (along with the Vita's firmware) so they can't be used to load arch-hacker Wololo's Vita Half-Byte Loader -- but it hardly matters, they've already got another top-secret exploit ready to launch on an unsuspecting world. |
| NVIDIA projects mobile SoC GPU performance to surpass Xbox 360 by 2014 Posted: 20 Apr 2012 03:04 AM PDT
Granted, we hope to see a new Xbox before 2014, but if NVIDIA has its way, mobile devices will have enough graphical prowess to surpass the current generation of gaming consoles by that time. The company brought the smackdown today with a chart that combines both historical and projected data, and while we don't recall NVIDIA exiting the desktop market in 2010, it reinforces the idea that smartphones and tablets of the future may stand as thoroughly enviable gaming devices -- provided that developers are willing to create enough visuals to make these things sing. |
| N-Control's Avenger goes Elite, keeps classic good looks Posted: 20 Apr 2012 02:08 AM PDT
Competitive gamers are always looking for a way to sharpen their edge, but few solutions provide leverage like the N-Control Avenger, a controller attachment known for rigging gamepads with actual levers. This quirky clamshell impressed us last year with its customizable trigger pulleys and finger flickable appendages -- allowing us to command the controller's face buttons without taking our thumbs off of its analog sticks. Today the outfit silently unveiled the Avenger Elite, a familiar looking successor that promises to offer more of the same, albeit better. Company founder David Kotkin explained that the new unit features higher quality materials, a more sensitive hair-trigger system and a new "spring against spring" button depression to give its button levers some extra oomph. The new unit's arms are also stronger, says Kotkin, and shouldn't have to be adjusted between sessions. The Elite sells for the same steep $50 as the original unit, although N-Control is offering a discount on Ghost Recon: Future Soldier when bundled with the plastic peripheral, $75 nets you both. Kotkin was kind enough to send us a few shots of the unit ahead of its May 5th launch date, check them out in the gallery below, or click past the break for the official press release.
N-Control Launches Avenger Elite: Offers More Speed and Accuracy for Games Like Modern Warfare 3 on PS3 and Xbox 360 Miami, FL (Business Wire) April 20, 2012. David Kotkin, the founder of N-Control, the company that manufactures and markets the Avenger Controller, an adapter for the PS3 and Xbox 360, today announced the launch of the Avenger Elite. The company's new product is expected to be popular with gamers worldwide. The Avenger Elite is expected to be released at the end of this month. Earlier models of the Avenger Controller were well received by gamers and reviewers for gaming publications. The AE remains fully legal for professional gaming competition, as well giving amateur gamers the chance to "up their game." According to Kotkin, "The Avenger Elite adapter may look a lot like previous versions of the Avenger but it represents a major leap forward for what was already a very advanced product. Using extraordinary new alloys and metals made in America specifically for the Elite, the new Avenger also makes use of medical grade nano technology and a new military grade precision hair trigger kit." Media coverage of the Avenger Controller #1 has been uniformly positive. The latest review on the ijustine YouTube video from Spike Network's Game Trailers is representative of the kudos the Avenger has received from reviewers: http://avengercontroller.com/2012/03/17/ijustine-loves-the-avenger-controller/ Kotkin expects the reviews of the AE to be even more positive. The wired arms after being set will not have to be adjusted again. The silicone rubber is more tactile and makes the unit uniquely responsive. "The hair trigger is even more sensitive to the touch than in previous versions. The special military grade black elastic silicone stretch provides simple solution for what had been a complex problem," says Kotkin. "I call it the "perceived exertion" According to N-Control, the AE has an easy learning curve. The side levers have been re-shaped on the new models so that ergonomic position is more comfortable N-Control is continually improving the quality of its products. The Avenger Elite is an example of its commitment to upgrade its products for better performance on a regular basis. Ready to work right out of box, the Avenger Elite is perfect for playing "shooter" platforms like Modern Warfare 3 and Call of Duty, as well as many popular sports-based games. Avenger is legal in MLG competition because there is no electric component to it. The warranty of the controllers is not voided and there is no software change. "We are on GameStop on line store for pre purchase. This is one big step to becoming main stream." says Kotkin. Founded in 2010, N-Control, a division of Kotkin Enterprises, LLC, is a manufacturer of precision gaming devices and accessories with offices in New York and Miami. The street date is May 5, 2012. The Avenger Elites are available for early purchase at http://www.avengercontroller.com. |
| Regal Entertainment Group teams up with Sony to bring subtitle glasses to US theaters Posted: 20 Apr 2012 01:34 AM PDT
We've been hearing about glasses that only display subtitles to those who need them for years (most recently with a trial run in the UK), but it looks like they're now finally about to enter the US market in a fairly big way. Regal Entertainment Group announced today that it's partnered with Sony Entertainment to bring the company's Access Glasses to "practically all" of its digital theaters in the US (that includes the vast majority of its 500+ theaters and more than 4,700 screens in all). Those glasses work with both 2D and 3D movies (the latter courtesy of a clip-on filter), and can provide closed-captioned text in up to six different languages for the hearing impaired, as well as descriptive audio for the visually impaired when they're paired with headphones. According to Regal, the glasses are already rolling out to some theaters this month, and it says they should be everywhere by the first quarter of 2013. |
| Did the Samsung Galaxy S III just appear in Vietnam? (video) (updated with statement) Posted: 20 Apr 2012 01:15 AM PDT
Whoa, there. We're still weeks away from an official big stage unveiling, but it looks like Samsung's next Galaxy phone is already out there. Vietnamese site Tinhte, which has past form on these kind of things, has got its hands on the GT-I9300 -- purportedly the Galaxy S III if Samsung decides to follow its own naming convention. According to the specifications leaked, Tinhte reckons the phone houses a 4.6-inch display at 720 x 1184 resolution (roughly 320 DPI, picking up Android's XHDPI classification -- thanks Rawat), while a quad-core 1.4 GHz processor works on keeping the Ice Cream Sandwich OS running smoothly. Other hardware mentions include 1GB of RAM, 8-megapixel camera, 16GB of storage plus microSD capability. In a side-by-side comparison with the Galaxy Nexus, it looks like the phone's display is incrementally larger, although we're unable to tell the precise size, nor whether we'll be treated to Super AMOLED Plus or some Pentile substitute. According to Tinhte, the 2,050mAh battery will arrive with NFC capabilities baked in, like the Galaxy Nexus before it. There's an iffy plastic rim surrounding to the whole device that has apparently been added not to ruin the surprise of how the device looks ahead of its official launch. While we've seen some similar hardware leaks already, this video makes a very strong case for it being the real deal. Take a look for yourself right after the break, alongside a picture of the back. Update: It looks our source link has disappeared and the video has now gone private. Fortunately, we grabbed our own copy of the video and you can find it below. Update 2: We reached out to Samsung for a comment, and here's the not-so-surprising response:
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| UT Dallas researchers seek to imbue your smartphone with X-ray superpowers Posted: 20 Apr 2012 12:01 AM PDT
If anybody ever told you that the future would be awesome, they were right. A new bit of research has emerged from the University of Texas at Dallas, which describes equipment that may allow people to see through walls -- and if that weren't wild enough, creators of the specialized CMOS imaging hardware believe the same technology could be integrated into our mobile phones. To pull off the feat, the scientists tapped into a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that exists between microwave and infrared known as the terahertz range. Due to privacy concerns, the equipment is being designed to operate at a distance of no more than four inches, but its creator hypothesizes that the technology will still be useful for finding studs in walls, verifying documents and detecting counterfeit currency. In other words, this brand of x-ray vision isn't exactly on par with Superman's abilities, but it's bound to work better than mail order spectacles from Newark. |
| Fusion-io SDK gives developers native memory access, keys to the NAND realm Posted: 19 Apr 2012 11:07 PM PDT
Thought your SATA SSD chugged along real nice? Think again. Fusion-io has just released an SDK that will allow developers to bypass all the speed draining bottlenecks that rob NAND memory of its true potential (i.e. the kernel block I/O layer,) and tap directly into the memory itself. In fact, Fusion-io is so confident of its products abilities, it prefers to call them ioMemory Application Accelerators, rather than SSDs. The SDK allows developers native access to the ioMemory, meaning applications can benefit from the kind of hardware integration you might get from a proprietary platform. The principle has already been demonstrated earlier this year, when Fusion-io delivered one billion IOPS using this native access. The libraries and APIs are available now to registered members of its developer program, hit the more coverage link to sign up. Fusion-io Software Development Kit Enables Native Flash Memory Access ioMemory SDK First to Offer Developers Direct Access to Flash Platform for Unprecedented Application Acceleration SAN FRANCISCO – April 18, 2012 [DEMO Spring trade show] – Fusion-io (NYSE: FIO) today announced the first software development kit (SDK) to provide software developers with native access to the ioMemory flash platform. By integrating applications directly with this new persistent memory tier, developers will be able to optimize enterprise, web, and big data applications through direct programmatic access to the ioMemory computing layer for the first time. "Our January demonstration of one billion IOPS running on Auto Commit Memory, and Atomic Writes demonstrated the potential power of running applications natively on ioMemory. With our SDK, we are now making these tools available to software developers," said David Flynn, Fusion-io CEO and Chairman. "The ioMemory SDK and APIs reduce application complexity and speed development while accelerating time to market with fewer engineering requirements. When you get rid of that complexity, the resulting application is much more reliable and can leverage the full potential of ioMemory to run much faster." On only a handful of occasions in the past 60 years have software developers been given fundamentally new programming building blocks for memory or storage devices. Until now, developers have been limited to tuning their applications for flash as storage. The ioMemory SDK libraries unlock direct programmatic access to native flash access patterns and data organization methods. The ioMemory SDK includes application programming interfaces (APIs) within user-space libraries, as well as reference application examples made available as open source. The ioMemory SDK libraries will combine underlying primitives provided by the Fusion-io ioMemory OS Subsystem, such as Fusion-io Atomic Writes and Auto Commit Memory, to accelerate application development cycles and system performance of popular applications. "Direct programmatic access to the ioMemory tier presents a rare and significant leap forward for computing, and the ioMemory SDK makes that integration powerfully simple for application developers," said Citrusleaf founder and CTO Brian Bulkowski. "When you consider that Fusion-io is already well known for accelerating applications, it's exciting that bypassing traditional protocols in favor of direct access to ioMemory would mean an even greater performance boost in Citrusleaf's NoSQL database for mission critical webscale applications. Our existing real time big data customers require low latency and extraordinary throughput, and with this revolution in application acceleration, end users will start asking if applications can run native on ioMemory." The ioMemory SDK will feature APIs including the Key-Value Store, which will feature interfaces to reduce latency, improve memory efficiency, and reduce code complexity. The directFS API provides native file-access semantics to ioMemory through a POSIX-compliant file system. Like the native API libraries, directFS is implemented directly on ioMemory, significantly reducing latency by entirely bypassing operating system buffer caches, file system and kernel block I/O layers. Fusion-io directFS will be released as a practical working example of an application running natively on ioMemory to help developers explore the use of Fusion-io APIs. "Improving the performance of input/output (I/O) bound applications or systems could be more pronounced and cost-effective if the choice of data to hold in flash memory is done in an intelligent and application-aware way," said Gartner VP Distinguished Analyst Carl Claunch. "Competitive advantages for software will be the main driver pushing those makers to exploit flash as a unique memory type." Select Fusion-io libraries and APIs are now available to early access partners through the new Fusion-io Developer Program, the first industry program for developers optimizing applications to run natively on ioMemory. Designed as a developer community resource, the Developer Program portal will also feature white papers, blogs, FAQs, and other resources. To apply for early access to the Fusion-io Developer Program, please visit http://developer.fusionio.com. To learn more about Fusion-io, go to http://www.fusionio.com. Follow Fusion-io on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/fusionio and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/fusionio. About Fusion-io Fusion-io has pioneered a next generation storage memory platform for shared data decentralization that significantly improves the processing capabilities within a datacenter by relocating process-critical, or "active", data from centralized storage to the server where it is being processed, a methodology referred to as data decentralization. Fusion's integrated hardware and software solutions leverage non-volatile memory to significantly increase datacenter efficiency and offers enterprise grade performance, reliability, availability and manageability. Fusion's data decentralization platform can transform legacy architectures into next generation datacenters and allows enterprises to consolidate or significantly reduce complex and expensive high performance storage, high performance networking and memory-rich servers. Fusion's platform enables enterprises to increase the utilization, performance and efficiency of their datacenter resources and extract greater value from their information assets. Note on Forward-looking Statements Certain statements in this release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, including, but are not limited to, statements concerning the anticipated benefits of our software development kit and ioMemory technology and products. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions regarding future events and business performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained, anticipated, or implied in any forward-looking statement, including, but not limited to, the risks that the users of our software development kit and products may not realize the anticipated benefits, and such other risks set forth in the registration statements and reports that Fusion-io files with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available on the Investor Relations section of our website at www.fusionio.com. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee that the future results, levels of activity, performance or events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or will occur. Fusion-io undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement for any reason after the date of this press release. |
| Google patent application keeps track of your moves to automate mobile actions Posted: 19 Apr 2012 09:53 PM PDT
A shimmy and a shake could be all it takes to launch apps in the future, that's if this latest patent application ever pans out. Filed back in October of 2011, the folks over at Google are looking to make accelerometers useful for more than just screen orientation. According to the claims, after a training phase wherein this hypothetical program would associate specific application launches with geographic location data, your Pavlovian smartphone could then automate workflows and effectively anticipate your needs. Essentially, you'd have a mobile device that would know what to run wherever you were, hinging upon how you hold it. At least, that's the schematic covered in this USPTO document. Will it ever see the light of day? Hard to tell. Mountain View's just a-brimming with those 20 percent time projects. |
| IBM's building an air-breathing EV battery that goes 500 miles on a single charge Posted: 19 Apr 2012 09:01 PM PDT
IBM's planning an end to range anxiety with an EV power pack that runs on air and travels 500 miles on a single charge. "Lithium Air" batteries draw oxygen into a nano-structured carbon cathode, where it is stored and reacts with lithium ions and electrons to generate electricity. When you plug the vehicle in, the unmolested oxygen is released back into the air as if it was breathing. The technology's significantly lighter than what's found inside a Chevy Volt and IBM has enlisted the help of chemical giants Asahi Kasei and Central Glass to turn it from successful experiment to fully-fledged product by 2030. If you'd like to learn more, we've got a gallery of candid pics from inside the testing lab, explanatory video and, yes, even a press release full of information for you to steep your brains in.
IBM Research Boosts Battery 500 Project with New Materials Partners Asahi Kasei and Central Glass to enhance electric vehicle lithium-air battery innovation SAN JOSE, Calif. – April 20, 2012: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that two industry leaders -- Asahi Kasei and Central Glass -- will join its Battery 500 Project team and collaborate on far-reaching research with the potential to accelerate the switch from gasoline to electricity as the primary power source for vehicles. In 2009, IBM Research pioneered a sustainable mobility project to develop lithium-air battery technology capable of powering a family-sized electric car for approximately 500 miles (800 km) on a single charge. As partners in the Battery 500 Project, Asahi Kasei and Central Glass bring decades of materials innovation for the automotive industry to the team. They will expand the project's scope and, although the scientific and engineering challenges to its practical implementation are extremely high, exploring several chemistries simultaneously increases the chance of success. Asahi Kasei, one of Japan's leading chemical manufactures and a leading global supplier of separator membrane for lithium-ion batteries, will use its experience in innovative membrane technology to create a critical component for lithium-air batteries. Central Glass, a leading global electrolyte manufacturer for lithium-ion batteries, will use its chemical expertise in this field to create a new class of electrolytes and high-performance additives specifically designed to improve lithium-air batteries. "These new partners share our vision of electric cars being critical components of building a cleaner, better world, which is far less dependent on oil," said Dr. Winfried Wilcke, IBM's Principle Investigator who initiated the Battery 500 Project. "Their compatible experience, knowledge and commitment to bold innovation in electric vehicle battery technology can help us transfer this research from the lab onto the road." Most electric vehicles can only travel about 100 miles before needing to recharge using today's lithium-ion batteries. This is a significant barrier to electric car adoption unless a new battery technology can be developed that is affordable, lightweight, compact and has the capacity to power a typical family car several hundred miles or more on a single charge. For a car running on today's lithium-ion batteries to match the range provided by a tank of gasoline, car manufacturers would need a very large battery which would weigh down the car and take up too much space. Lithium-air batteries have higher energy density than lithium-ion batteries, due to their lighter cathodes and the fact that their primary "fuel" is the oxygen readily available in the atmosphere. To popularize electric cars, an energy density ten times greater than that of conventional lithium-ion batteries is needed, and these new partners to the project can help drive lithium-air technology towards that goal. New materials development is vitally important to ensuring the viability of lithium-air battery technology," said Tatsuya Mori, Director, Executive Managing Officer, Central Glass. "As a long-standing partner of IBM and leader in developing high-performance electrolytes for batteries, we're excited to share each other's chemical and scientific expertise in a field as exciting as electric vehicles." "We are very focused on addressing environmental challenges and limitations with diverse technology to build a brighter future. This alliance allows us to explore a new path to developing an improved rechargeable battery performance that can not be met with conventional technologies," said Tetsuro Ohta, Head of Advanced Battery Materials Development Center, Asahi Kasei. This research will take place at IBM Research – Almaden in California. About The Battery 500 Project The switch from gasoline to electricity as the primary power source for vehicles stands to be one of the most important technology shifts of the first half of the 21st century. Recognizing this need, scientists at IBM Research-Almaden started the Battery 500 Project in 2009 to develop a Lithium-Air battery that could travel 500 miles on a single charge. Leveraging IBM's leadership across science and technology in chemistry, physics, nanotechnology and supercomputing modeling in both its Almaden and Zurich laboratories, this research is also done in conjunction with the other Battery 500 Project collaborators, including national laboratories. |
| DirecTV drops NFL Sunday Ticket price for current subscribers Posted: 19 Apr 2012 08:31 PM PDT
After raising the price of its NFL Sunday Ticket package last season, this year DirecTV is dropping it back down for current subscribers, to just $199. Of course, most of the impetus for the price drop is probably because so many current subs are people who signed up for the service last season with Sunday Ticket as a freebie, but we're sure regular customers will gladly keep the cash in their pockets. Another change for the 2012 season is the NFL Sunday Ticket Max package, which includes all the extras of SuperFan and To-Go (RedZone Channel, streaming to iOS and Android mobile devices, Short Cuts, VOD highlights, etc.) extras as a part of the bundle for an extra $100 to existing customers, or for $299.95. There's no word on any additional game consoles or internet only packages yet, but at least with the lockout a distant memory, football fans have all offseason to decide if they want to shell out for it. Lowest NFL SUNDAY TICKET™ Price in More Than a Decade Rewards Loyal DIRECTV Football Fans Sponsors NFL.com Webcast of 2012 NFL Draft to Highlight 'Value Picks' and New Package Pricing EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- DIRECTV is rewarding its existing customers with the lowest price in almost a decade for its exclusive NFL SUNDAY TICKET package. Current customers will pay only $199.95, more than 40 percent less than last year's price, for the full slate of NFL 2012 regular season out-of-market game broadcasts along with the Game Mix channel and the Player Tracker feature. The new package is designed to make DIRECTV's most popular sports subscription service available to as many customers as possible including those who experienced NFL SUNDAY TICKET for the first time last year. And those customers who want access to an enhanced version of the package they can take with them wherever they go, can choose the newly branded NFL SUNDAY TICKET Max package, which offers popular features like RED ZONE CHANNEL, Short Cuts and online/mobile. Recognizing that millions of customers will have access to NFL SUNDAY TICKET at an outstanding value, DIRECTV is sponsoring the NFL.com LIVE: 2012 Draft Webcast April 26-28, and teaming up with NFL.com analyst Michael Lombardi to name a line-up of sleeper "value picks" - those players who may have a major impact on their new team's future success or failure. "NFL SUNDAY TICKET is an incredible product and we want to make sure it is accessible and affordable to as many of our customers as possible, so we made the decision to dramatically lower the price," said Alex Kaplan, vice president, Marketing for DIRECTV. "With these new package options we hope that those who had the service before will enjoy it again, and those who have not had a chance to subscribe to NFL SUNDAY TICKET will take this opportunity to experience this fantastic service for the first time." DIRECTV's unique "value picks" platform on NFL.com is based on the fact that many of the league's most successful players were names that went "under the radar" on draft day and ended up being the most valuable decisions ever made by their teams. When the 2012 NFL Draft is complete, Lombardi will issue his definitive list of Top-10 "Value Picks" from the 2012 draft. The 10 players chosen on the 2012 "All-Value" team will receive DIRECTV systems and one year of complementary DIRECTV® service, including NFL SUNDAY TICKET, so their families can follow all of the action during the players' rookie seasons. Current DIRECTV customers who purchase the 2012 NFL SUNDAY TICKET service for $199.95, will be able to watch every regular season game live every Sunday afternoon in HD, along with the Game Mix Channel that features up to eight live games on one screen complete with scores, stats and standings; Player Tracker, a must-have for fantasy fans who can follow player and team stats throughout the day; and highlights on demand. NFL SUNDAY TICKET MAX is available for $299.95 (and only $100 for existing NFL SUNDAY TICKET customers who want to upgrade) and offers all the games in HD, Game Mix, RED ZONE CHANNEL, Short Cuts, online/mobile, Player Tracker, score/stats/standings and highlights on demand. For more information on the NFL SUNDAY TICKET offers visit www.DIRECTV.com/nfl. About DIRECTV DIRECTV (NASDAQ: DTV) is one of the world's leading providers of digital television entertainment services delivering a premium video experience through state-of-the-art technology, unmatched programming and industry leading customer service to 32 million customers in the U.S. and Latin America. In the U.S., DIRECTV offers its 19.9 million customers access to more than 170 HD channels and Dolby-Digital® 5.1 theater-quality sound, access to exclusive sports programming such as NFL SUNDAY TICKET™, Emmy-award winning technology and higher customer satisfaction than the leading cable companies for 11 years running. DIRECTV Latin America, through its subsidiaries and affiliated companies in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, and other Latin American countries, leads the pay-TV category in technology, programming and service, delivering an unrivaled digital television experience to 12 million customers. DIRECTV sports and entertainment properties include three Regional Sports Networks (Northwest, Rocky Mountain and Pittsburgh) as well as a 60 percent interest in Game Show Network. For the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV, please visit www.directv.com. |
| RIM patent application describes rotating keypad that can be used in more than one position Posted: 19 Apr 2012 08:01 PM PDT
We've seen smartphones with keypads that can spin away from the screen before (see the Motorola Flipout), but RIM seems to have something slightly different in mind with this patent application that was filed back in 2010 and just published today. It describes a device with a keypad that's coupled at one corner, but which can remain operable in at least two positions, or potentially three. That could include a position, for instance, where the screen is partially covered by the keypad and a second where it's below the screen, or one where the keypad can remain below the screen both in portrait and landscape modes -- or even flipped behind the device with the keys still accessible. Of course, it is still just a patent application, so we wouldn't recommend pinning your hopes on this as RIM's next big thing. |
| Google talks specifics about its network infrastructure, hopes to inspire the rest of the internet Posted: 19 Apr 2012 07:33 PM PDT
Key Google employees were in attendance this week at the 2nd annual Open Network Summit in Santa Clara, CA to discuss some significant changes, including the implementation of OpenFlow -- an open-source technology designed to change the way that data is used, transferred and managed -- and is supposed to significantly reduce costs by a projected 20-30 percent, increase efficiency, and better organize the massive amounts of data that the company handles on a daily basis. Google said it went public at the summit with hopes of provoking change all over the internet by disclosing that it has recently made some of the most significant modifications to its network infrastructure since setting up shop in the days of The Backstreet Boys and Furbies, aka 1998. Extensive information is available at the source links. |
| Sony patent proposal ponders planting physicians inside your plasma Posted: 19 Apr 2012 06:59 PM PDT
Remember when Sony said it would "unify" its product lines and consider going into the medical device business? Well, we've unearthed this patent application from 2010 that does that just. A wireless wristband monitors your heart rate, vitals and blood glucose levels, and beams that information to your TV over infra-red. Your data will then update in real time for you to watch of an evening, if it's a choice between that and Gossip Girl, at least. Moreover, if your TV is web-connected, it could even send emergency messages to your local HMO if the conclusion of your favorite show / sporting event sends you into chest-clutching fits of apoplexy. |
| Microsoft evangelist admits he misspoke regarding Windows Phone 8 updates Posted: 19 Apr 2012 06:23 PM PDT
This is why companies have to be careful in their external communication: if a spokesperson reveals relevant details about an anticipated product, the news is going to be reported. Such a situation happened just two days ago, when Microsoft employee Nuno Silva went on the record -- on video, nonetheless -- to say that all current Windows Phone handsets would receive the upgrade to Apollo. Not so fast. Silva has since retracted his statement and now insists that his remarks only extend to apps. Yep. What he meant to say was that existing Windows Phone applications should work with the new operating system. Beyond that clarification, however, the company has no new information to share regarding the upgrade potential of current Windows Phone handsets. Makes you wonder if anyone in the company knows for sure. |
| Eyes-on Whiteman Technology's Delta DVR, plus more hardware details Posted: 19 Apr 2012 05:43 PM PDT
Did the recent revelation of the Delta DVR, with its six tuners, AMD silicon running Windows Media Center embedded and 3TB HDD have you viewing your current DVR with disdain? Well, stop reading now, because we got to speak with the man who created the Delta DVR, Ryan Whiteman, and found there's even more to like about his potential TiVo killer. Read on after the break for the full scoop. First off, connectivity's even better than we thought: those four USB ports on the front are the 3.0 variety, while there's a couple of 2.0 sockets round the back. In addition to HDMI, there's a DisplayPort to connect any screen you like, plus Gigabit Ethernet if using WiFi isn't your thing. Additionally, there's Bluetooth connectivity and a SATA 6Gb/s port to connect external storage should the capacious onboard HDD prove insufficient to contain your collection of 80s cartoons (or your significant other's Real Housewives addiction). There's also an SD slot on the front along with RAW support so photogs can show off all their latest snapshots. We also got some more insight on the hardware powering the Delta DVR. Currently, it's running an AMD Fusion APU, but Whiteman informed us that he's been working closely with the chipmaker and may utilize newer, faster silicon that has yet to be released. He couldn't tell us much about the mystery chip, but he did say that it rendered a discrete GPU unnecessary. We thought that notable, considering that the Delta DVR aims to be a gaming console leveraging cloud services, though Whiteman wasn't telling if serious gaming platforms like Steam or Origin will be available. However, he did say that it'll come with a custom remote constructed by Amulet Devices to enable voice control (think LG's Magic Remote), and he's toying with the idea of incorporating Kinect for both voice and gesture controls. A six-tuner CableCARD is inside courtesy of SiliconDust, and the slot-loading Blu-ray drive does double duty as a DVD burner. Oh, and it'll come with a fully functional web browser, and Whiteman's aiming for a "price competitive with TiVo Premier Elite and a lifetime subscription" and he said that the company "competes to win" -- we'll let you draw your own conclusions as to what that means. Unfortunately, we couldn't get a look at the prototype device while at DEMO due to Whiteman Technology's vendor agreements, but we did witness it working from behind a closed cabinet on the pavilion floor. Currently the Delta DVR's just a home theater pipe dream -- a promising one, for sure, but a pipe dream nonetheless. That said, we surely hope that Whiteman Technologies can get the funding needed to start manufacturing the device and deliver on all its promises, because it's got just about everything we could ask for in a home theater hub. What say you, dear readers, is Whiteman's box the DVR of your dreams? Sound off in the comments below. |
| Chumby halts hardware sales, long-term support looking mighty unlikely Posted: 19 Apr 2012 05:02 PM PDT
"The site is closed temporarily." Never a good sign, indeed, and particularly not when it's plastered across Chumby's own webstore. For over two days now, that's the message given to anyone attempting to buy hardware from the company, and it looks as if the Chumby we knew may be counting down its final days. A scrappy upstart attempting to bring its Chumby OS to the masses via injections into larger OEMs, the outfit saw little to no uptake across a wide variety of products; Sony nixed the Dash earlier this year, and Insignia turned its back quite some time ago. To be fair, Chumby had stopped manufacturing its own branded hardware in 2011, with the outfit's Duane Maxwell confirming the outright death of Chumby's store in a forum posting today. According to him, there was "no point in keeping the store around once inventory was exhausted," though hardcore loyalists can still snag a NeTV from adafruit. Other forum members have noted that all support emails now seem to be headed into the Great Beyond, and while the actual network that Chumby OS relies on remains alive at the moment, there's no guarantee it'll last. Interestingly, at least two individuals instrumental in the building of Chumby are now working at Media Navi -- both Alison Fay and Michael Coleman have moved Chumby-related job listings to "Past" in their LinkedIn profiles. We'll be reporting more as we get it, but in the meanwhile, we'd recommend giving your favorite Chum a warm hug. His / her heart may not be beating for too much longer. [Thanks, Jonathan] |
| LG Optimus 4X HD gets dressed in white, shows its unicorn side (hands-on) Posted: 19 Apr 2012 04:24 PM PDT
We know what you're thinking: It's white. But the truth is, there's something intangible about these snow-colored slabs that cause humans to lavishly drool. This time the sole culprit is LG's Optimus 4X HD, which appears to have found a way into the hands of Taiwanese site ePrice. Aside from being dressed in a different outfit than the first time we took it for a spin, not much has changed under that quad-core hood, meaning it's still sporting a flavor of Android 4.0 while also retaining its renown 8.9mm slim figure. Chances are this isn't enough eye candy for you, though, so we're hooking you up with a video of this unicorn in discrete action after the break. Update: We've just added our own hands-on pictures from our recent trip to Seoul, and as you can see, our Quadrant benchmark scores (we ran it four times) only reached just above 4,000 -- a bit less than what we've see previously. That said, ePrice got just above 4,200 on its 4X HD, and things could change again when the device ships with final firmware, so we shall take a look again when that happens.
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| FCC begins tracking wireless carriers' implementation of bill shock notifications Posted: 19 Apr 2012 04:03 PM PDT
If you've ever mistaken your wireless bill for your phone number, only to discover a dollar sign in front of all those digits, you're far from alone. The CTIA estimates that one in six mobile subscribers have experienced bill shock, but thanks to the efforts of the nation's wireless carriers -- along with a bit of help from the FCC -- consumers will start to receive notifications of any potential overages, along with alerts when the threshold has been crossed. The program is still in its infancy, but the FCC has launched a website to track wireless carriers' implementation of the notification system, which will alert consumers to any voice, data, SMS or international roaming charges. Carriers have until October 17th to have alerts for at least two of these categories in place, and will have until April 17th of next year to implement all four. Consumers may track the monthly progress of individual carriers at the FCC's bill shock website, but for a current peek at their progress, just hop the break. [Bill shock photo via Shutterstock] FCC LAUNCHES NEW 'BILL SHOCK' WEBSITE TO HELP CONSUMERS TRACK WIRELESS CARRIERS' IMPLEMENTATION OF VOICE, DATA & TEXT USAGE ALERTS Easy-to-use website will track implementation of 'bill shock' commitments designed to alert wireless consumers of extra fees as they approach plan limits Washington, D.C. – The Federal Communications Commission today launched a new 'bill shock' website (HYPERLINK "http://fcc.us/billshocks"http://fcc.us/billshocks), an online tool to help consumers track implementation of recent commitments by wireless carriers to provide usage alerts before and after consumers exceed their plan limits. Bill shock is a sudden and unexpected increase in monthly wireless bills that happens when consumers' unknowingly exceeding plan limits for voice, data and text. Bill shock can also happen when consumers travel abroad and get hit with unexpected international roaming charges. A recent FCC survey found that 30 million Americans – or one in six wireless users – have experienced bill shock. In October 2011, Chairman Julius Genachowski HYPERLINK "http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-310290A1.pdf" announced a new program that would provide free alerts for wireless consumers as they approach monthly voice, data and text limits, and after those limits have been exceeded. Chairman Genachowski was joined by CTIA-The Wireless Association, which accounts service to approximately 97% of U.S. wireless consumers. FCC Chairman Genachowski said, "Using technology to empower consumers with information has been among the top priorities of the Commission. Last October, we were pleased that CTIA-The Wireless Association and Consumers Union joined us to announce new commitments to provide free alerts to consumers before they approach limits and incur fees. We also promised an online resource with information about when carriers begin providing these alerts. Today, we deliver on that promise." The new website is available at HYPERLINK "http://fcc.us/billshocks" http://fcc.us/billshocks. The Commission will regularly update the table to reflect each carrier's progress in providing the bill shock alerts, based on information provided by CTIA-The Wireless Association, and in partnership with Consumers Union. |
| Intuit GoPayment goes live in Canada, more rectangular than Square Posted: 19 Apr 2012 03:42 PM PDT
Looks like Canada just scored another mobile credit card payment system within its borders. It was back at CES when Intuit revealed its updated GoPayment dongle for our neighbors up north, and now the company's announced that the service has officially launched in the region. Once you're application is approved, you'll get the card reader for free without any contract -- and best of all, GoPayment works on a "pay-as-you-go" basis (3.3 percent if you enter the digits, 2.7 percent with a swipe). It's currently purposed for iDevices with a free downloadable app, accepting Visa and Mastercards, but Intuit notes that Android and BlackBerry compatibility is in the works. With services NetSecure and PayPal also claiming space in the country, we're still left to wonder when Square -- essentially the godfather of this type of thing -- will finally be joining the card-swiping party in the great white north. If you're curious for all the details or wanting to apply for yourself, head on down to the source link below. [Thanks, Mike] |
| Eyes-on Brytewerks Model One high-def projector and HTPC combo Posted: 19 Apr 2012 03:13 PM PDT
Back in January, we got our first glimpse of BryteWerks' Model One projector, albeit in render form only. Well, today at DEMO, we finally saw the thing in person and uncovered a bit more info about its innards. It still pumps out 11,000 lumens and throws images on the wall in 1920 x 1200 resolution, but it turns out to have a range of Intel silicon at its disposal: everything from a humble 1.6GHz Atom up to a 3.6GHZ Core i7. There are also multiple storage options, as the Model One comes with an Intel 320 SSD (60 or 120GB) -- where the OS resides to ensure super fast boot times -- and up to a 2TB HDD, so you have plenty of room for all your media. Speaking of the OS, it turns out the projector/HTPC has two: a customized version of XBMC and Windows 7, plus a custom GUI (currently in development) to make calibrating the projector dead simple. Because the projector's 1200-watt metal halide bulb generates so much heat, the internal chassis is built of aluminum and houses the components into four individually cooled chambers. That way, all the PC parts can stay cool on the bottom even while the projector's running full bore.
We got to see a hand-built prototype in person, and the Model One strikes an imposing, if elegant figure. It's roughly a foot and a half square cube, with a black brushed metal exterior devoid of any branding or other ornamentation, save for the silver ring around the lens. The power, HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0 and four RCA connections are situated in the black plastic feet to keep cord clutter to a minimum, and the lens up front is magnetically attached to make swapping it out a simple affair. We got to speak with its creator, Justin Evans, about the genesis of the device, and he informed us that he's but a humble filmmaker who's trying to help out independent theaters, film festivals, filmmakers, and consumers. His goal was to create a projector that's both easy to use and cheap as chips (comparatively speaking) to enable film editing on the big screen and make high quality movie projection available to the masses. Given that the Model One is set to start shipping in six to eight weeks at an asking price of $2999, we'd say he's hit the mark -- assuming the image quality is as good as he says it is, and the build quality of the production model's up to snuff, of course. Here's hoping we get to see the thing in action sometime soon. BryteWerks Model One Debuting at DEMO Spring 2012 April 18-19 SANTA CLARA, CA, Apr 17, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Boutique consumer electronics manufacturer BryteWerks will be debuting their stunning flagship product, The Model One, at this Spring's DEMO Conference, April 18-19 at the Hyatt Regency in Santa Clara, California. The Model One, the world's most powerful digital projector, is poised to revolutionize projection in not only professional theaters, but in indie theaters, home theaters, houses of worship, corporate boardrooms, museums, concert stages and more. Boasting a bevy of tightly-integrated technologies and cutting-edge innovation in an ultra-sleek package, The Model One is an audio/video powerhouse and so much more. Its 1080p+ digital projection with ultra-high brightness, 7.1 digital audio output, onboard Blu-ray, built-in PC with SSD storage and a customized version of XBMC (the world's best media center) put it in a class all its own. Its rear-panel touch screen control, custom-designed superior optics and innovations like its 1:1 lens throw ratio, AIrheart(TM) cooling system, Mag-Snap(TM) I/O feet and remote control & networking capabilities via Wifi, Ethernet, Bluetooth & RF make it the only digital projector of its kind on the planet. But it's so much more than that. The Model One is a game-changer. With its simplicity, power and extremely wide range of available applications, The Model One is the choice for professionals and consumers alike. Projectionists finally have an effortless, portable way to show motion pictures professionally. Smooth, seamless and inexpensive projection has never been easier for film festivals, independent movie theaters, multiplexes -- or the home theater enthusiast. And The Model One's superior technology and revolutionary price point has the potential to not only supplant current consumer and professional offerings, but to help create new markets in exhibition: its incredible flexibility and portability will empower independent filmmakers to project their own films wherever they wish, becoming their own distributors. And small businesses like coffee shops, hotels, restaurants, bars or performing arts spaces can now screen motion pictures, hold video game tournaments, and project the big game like never before, enjoying new revenue streams. Enterprise customers will find The Model One is equally suited for large scale corporate events. And thanks to its onboard PC (available in four powerful configurations), houses of worship, performing art spaces, concert stages and feature film editing bays will never be the same. Want to project lyrics for the congregation without dimming the lights in the sanctuary? How about beat-synced visuals for the band on stage? What about editing or color grading your next film on the big screen? Fancy doing some projection mapping on the side of a building? The Model One can do it all without breaking a sweat. This is how revolutions begin. Inspired and developed by a filmmaker, The Model One is a marvel in movie theaters and therefore a free public expedition of the projector will be held next month in Alameda, CA. Signup for the screening at DEMO Spring 2012 or joining the mailing list on the BryteWerks website. Further information will be released exclusively to those subscribed. BryteWerks President and Co-Founder, Justin Eugene Evans, will be on hand at the DEMO conference with the BryteWerks team to introduce The Model One and provide feedback, insight, and interviews. For details about BryteWerks and the Model One, please visit the BryteWerks webpage at www.brytewerks.com or contact April Krubel, Public Relations at pr@brytewerks.com. For more information about any of the DEMO conferences or to register to see the headline makers of tomorrow at DEMO Spring 2012, visit the newly re-launched www.demo.com and reserve your spot today.
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