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- RunCore InVincible SSD wipes data away with the click of a button
- Motorola Motosmart Mix XT550 masks its middling specs with a set of nice headphones
- Comcast switches on Skype on Xfinity in Boston and Seattle today, eight more metros this week
- Editorial: Thin laptops are the new mainstream, but what about battery life?
- Verizon CFO says grandfathered unlimited plans on the way out
- Evernote 4.0 for Android sweeps in new home screen, list UI (video)
- Google launches Knowledge Graph today, wants to understand real things (video)
- LG shows off UI 3.0 for Ice Cream Sandwich devices, says it's 'unobtrusive and simple'
- Prototype 3D display maintains resolution, bumps viewing angles, spans dimensions
- The Engadget Show returns Friday, May 18th -- get tickets to the taping!
- Samsung exec admits the 15-inch Series 9 could benefit from better viewing angles
- Sprint reportedly cancelling its early upgrade program June 1st
- Scientists tweak wireless power transfer, Tesla nods happily in his grave
- LaCie's new 100MB/s NAS is 2big, resists that second scone (video)
- Flipboard brings the noise in NPR-ified app update, Britta will be pleased
- T-rays produce 3Gbps short-range wireless, make WiFi pout in the corner
- NVIDIA outs a pair of Tesla GPUs to electrify your supercomputer
- Bricolo mechanical music system hand-on (video)
- Xiaomi Phone gets a Youth Edition, a less powerful, cheaper alternative for students
- Netgear adds R6200 router and A6200 USB adapter to its 802.11ac family
- Russian researchers build partial android for bizarre mind-transfer project (video)
- PSA: Google Music allows four device de-authorizations per year, rooters beware
- WSJ: Apple moving towards larger iPhone screens
- Is the HTC Ville C a cheaper One S?
- Flickr launches prettified 'liquid' layout, brings high-resolution eye candy to the forefront
- ROCCAT Savu hybrid mouse ready to assault PC gamers' senses for $60
- Gartner: mobile phone sales fell two percent last quarter, Samsung confirmed as numero uno
- Updated Hyundai app brings remote control to your Blue Link fleet
- Go-Go Dog Pals lets you exercise Rover without tapping your precious calorie reserve
- Galaxy S III will launch a day early -- for some UK pre-orders
- iPhone waltzes into top spot of US phone satisfaction index, small carriers trump the giants
- New Roku HD, 2 and LT updated to version 4.7, slew of 'under the hood' improvements in tow
- NTT DoCoMo hopes to expand content game with Buongiorno buyout
- ESPN Radio app gets a refresh, now properly outfitted for the iPad
- Panasonic gifts NTT DoCoMo with Eluga V, Eluga Power smartphones and Eluga Live tablet
- Kantar: Windows Phone clawing back share thanks to Nokia, but Android still rules the roost
- Upcoming Mozilla Marketplace lacks Linux support; open-source fix in the works
- NTT DoCoMo launching 19 new devices this summer, brings Galaxy S III to Japan
- IKEA Uppleva HDTV to retail for $960 in Europe beginning next month, US launch in 2013
- The BBC's coverage promises to make you sick of the Olympics by the time it's done
| RunCore InVincible SSD wipes data away with the click of a button Posted: 16 May 2012 11:43 AM PDT
This one goes out to all the Bonds in the world. RunCore, a Chinese company specializing in the production of solid state drives, has cooked up a SATA II solution that should satisfy even the most guarded of privacy fanatics. Living up to its grandiose InVincible moniker, this aptly-named SSD's built to endure extreme temperatures ranging from -45 to 95 degrees Celsius (or -49 to 203 degrees Fahrenheit), read / write data at speeds up to 240Mbps / 140Mbps and protect your 1s and 0s from prying, less-than-reputable eyes. How so? Well, the drive's actual pièce de espionnite aiguë (that's fancy for paranoiac fail safe) incorporates a dual-button scheme for clearing away data. Users, much like Neo in ye 'ole Matrix, will have two colored choices to make: select the green button for "intelligent elimination" (aka overwriting of data) or opt for the "less subtle method" offered by the red button which applies a current to the NAND flash memory for actual physical destruction of your data. So, whether you're a high-ranking government official, a spy unlike us or just someone who can't help but look over his / her shoulder, rest assured your secrets can now be safely disposed of. Jump past the break to check out the outfit's informational video and its woefully out of sync audio track.
RunCore InVincible SSD with Physical Self-Destruction RunCore, leading supplier of high-performance solid-state drives, announces the global launch of its InVincible Solid State Disc drive. This SATA SSD solution provides for highest data security through a special button device that allows for total physical destruction with a single click. The RunCore InVincible SSDs allow you to protect sensitive data from third party access in two ways with a single click. One method is the intelligent elimination of all your data through overwriting the entire disk with meaningless code. This overwrite-deletion method ensures that there is no way to potentially recover previous data stored to the device, effectively setting you SSD back to factory default. A less subtle method is the physical destruction of your SSD by applying an over-current to the NAND flash memory and thereby physically destroying these. The RunCore InVincible product series is catering to embedded computer systems requiring high-speed serial switched fabric interconnects for rugged design implementation and more flexible power ranges. Delivering optimized storage options particularly in mission-critical fields such aerospace, military and general industrial applications. With these devices your private data protection is entering an entirely new stage of security. This is especially important in an ever more mobile environment were sensitive data and information are frequently being carried along, making it a potential risk to being used by unauthorized 3rd parties. With the RunCore InVincible you now have a highly advanced data protection solution for most demanding professional usage which is also suited for the private sector where data security is becoming an ever more important concern. |
| Motorola Motosmart Mix XT550 masks its middling specs with a set of nice headphones Posted: 16 May 2012 11:27 AM PDT
HTC may be over the idea of including premium earbuds with its smartphones, but Motorola is stepping up to give it the ol' college try with its Motosmart Mix XT550. The phone will sell in China for ¥1,699 and is targeted at "people who really care about music." Along with the bundled set of headphones, you'll also discover a dedicated button to open the Sina Micro Music application. Beyond these selling points, however, the handset is a bit behind the curve. The XT550 features Android 2.3.6, a Qualcomm MSM7255A SoC with an 800MHz CPU, 512MB of RAM, a 3-megapixel camera and a 4-inch, HVGA display. On a positive note, the 1,735mAh battery is said to provide up to 30 hours of music playback. All things considered, however, we're inclined to agree: you'd have to "really care about music" to spring for this one. Undeterred? You'll find the full PR after the break. Motorola Mobility and Sina Pump up the Volume with the New MOTOSMART™ MIX XT550 A hip, affordable smartphone that's music to your ears in more ways than one May 14, 2012 BEIJING – May 15, 2012 – Pop in your headphones and start jamming with MOTOSMART™MIX XT550, Motorola Mobility China's all-new smartphone for music fans. Specifically created for people who really care about music, MOTOSMART MIX XT550 includes everything you've come to expect from Motorola smartphones, like great looks, Android™ 2.3 (Gingerbread) and a generous 4-inch screen. It also comes with tools to download, organize and enjoy the tunes you love, including Dolby® Mobile audio technology, SRS WOW HD™ sound-enhancement technology and an exclusive Sina Micro Music application. Whether you're into pop, hip-hop, classical, or a little bit of everything, MOTOSMART™MIX XT550 helps you create, enjoy and share a portable music collection as distinctive as you are. "We created MOTOSMART MIX XT550 for people who take their music seriously, and take it everywhere," said Frank Meng, Corporate Vice President, President of Motorola Mobility, Greater China. "Both the music and the devices we carry with say a lot about who we are. With MOTOSMART MIX XT550 you can have a smartphone that does justice to your music without sacrificing any of the things you expect from a smartphone." MOTOSMART MIX XT550 is equipped with a long-lasting 1735mAh battery for up to 30 hours of non-stop music. Organize all your music with a 4.0-inch capacitive touchscreen and a Music Dashboard that displays your tunes visually. We also pulled out all the stops to give you an amazingly high-quality smartphone audio experience, with Dolby® Mobile and SRS WOW HD™ for rich, high-impact surround sound. MOTOSMART MIX XT550 also comes with high-quality headphones and a dedicated music key so you can control your music without taking the phone out of your pocket. Put it all together and your smartphone music experience has just gone from cheap seats to front row. MOTOSMART MIX XT550 also has a 3-megapixel camera and a front-facing VGA camera, so you'll be able to capture all of your musical moments, from jam sessions with your friends to the biggest concerts. With the exclusive Sina Micro Music application, you can even share your current music mood in real-time with your Weibo followers. And with rounded edges, a sleek design and poppy-red accents on your choice of white or black, MOTOSMART MIX XT550 looks cool, no matter where the music takes you. "Sina and Motorola have a long history of cooperation and we are confident that the MOTOSMART MIX XT550 will be a huge success," said Ms. Du Hong, COO of Sina. "MOTOSMART MIX XT550 is the only smartphone to be pre-loaded with the Sina Micro Music application, delivering an unprecedented mobile social experience to youth who love music and sharing." A powerful wave of music will soon spread across the nation! The 'Share Music, Share Perspectives' concert for MOTOSMART MIX XT550, co-sponsored by Motorola Mobility and Sina Micro Music, will take place on May 30 in Beijing. Popular music stars Liu Xin, Su Miaoling, Tan Jiexi, Wang Yuexin, and Yang Yang will perform live. Want to catch the show? Then visit www.motostore.com.cn/subject/XT550.html, because starting today people who buy MOTOSMART MIX XT550 via the official Motorola China website will be automatically entered into a lucky draw for a chance to win one of the limited-supply concert tickets. First come, first served! |
| Comcast switches on Skype on Xfinity in Boston and Seattle today, eight more metros this week Posted: 16 May 2012 11:01 AM PDT
Now you can Skype on Xfinity, and beyond. Comcast's re-branded cable arm is touting a new trick beginning today, with customers in Boston and Seattle among the first to have access to the new Skype on Xfinity videoconferencing service (Atlanta, Augusta, Ga., Chicago, Detroit, Harrisburg, Pa., Indianapolis, Miami and Pittsburgh will be online by the end of the week). Interested parties can add a $9.95 monthly fee to their Triple Play service to take advantage, enabling "free" (read: $10-per-month) instant messaging and video chatting services. That monthly fee will presumably cover the requisite all-in-one kit, which includes an adaptor, a "high-quality" camera and a spiffy new Skype-enabled remote control with an IM-friendly keyboard on the rear. Naturally, your bud on the other end doesn't need any special equipment, unless of course they plan to chat through their HDMI-capable Comcast box as well. Eligible customers can hit up the source link past the break to sign up, and breeze through the attached PR for a bit more detail.
Comcast Brings Family And Friends Closer Together with The Launch of Skype on Xfinity New Video Calling Experience Enables Customers to Use Their Big-Screen HD Televisions and Internet Connections to Make and Receive Skype Calls PHILADELPHIA, PA - May 16, 2012 Comcast today announced that Skype™ on Xfinity®, a new widescreen HD video calling experience, is now available in Boston and Seattle as the company begins its nationwide rollout of the service. Before the end of the week, the service will also be available in the following metropolitan areas: Atlanta, Augusta, Ga., Chicago, Detroit, Harrisburg, Pa., Indianapolis, Miami and Pittsburgh. With Skype on Xfinity, customers are able to make and receive video calls from their TV in HD picture quality, as well as send and receive instant messages via Skype while watching TV at the same time. "We're continuing to build innovative communication services like Skype on Xfinity that will allow our customers to interact in new ways with the people they care about the most," said Tony Werner, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Comcast Cable. "Through our close collaboration with Skype, we focused on delivering a new product that brings family and friends together through a high-quality video calling experience like never before." Skype on Xfinity is the latest example in a line of innovations through which Comcast is bringing personalized services to its customers. Through Skype on Xfinity, customers will be able to: Make and receive Skype-to-Skype video and audio calls or send instant messages via Skype on a TV while watching their favorite TV show at the same time, and accept incoming Skype calls during a TV show with the help of Caller ID. Import Skype friends into a global address book which can also contain Facebook, Outlook, Gmail and smartphone contacts so you can find which of your friends already use Skype and see when contacts are online and available to talk. Have the ability to communicate with the hundreds of millions of connected Skype users around the globe. "Through our collaboration with Comcast, we are delivering a truly compelling HD calling experience to consumers, and demonstrating Skype's continued leadership in video communications," said Bob Rosin, Head of Business Development for Skype. "Our partnership brings video calling into the heart of the home – the living room – where it enables people to share life's experiences in a whole new way." Cathy Avgiris, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Communications and Data Services for Comcast Cable, said "TV is rapidly evolving as a social experience, and Skype on Xfinity is bringing friends and family together to share life's moments through the use of the largest screen in their homes. Skype on Xfinity is simple to set up and easy to use so that you can always feel like you're there with friends and loved ones, even if physically you're miles apart." To use Skype on Xfinity, customers will need Xfinity Internet service, an HDMI-capable Comcast cable set-top box and a Skype account. To start a Skype session through their TV, customers simply choose an available contact from their address book and select enter. Skype on Xfinity will be delivered to the Comcast customer's HDTV through an all-in-one kit which includes an adaptor box, a high-quality video camera, and a specially designed remote control that enables customers to instant message with one or more friends on Skype as well as control the volume of their television. For Skype-to-Skype calls or instant messages, the other calling party does not need any special equipment beyond what is needed to use Skype; they simply need to be logged into their Skype account. Skype on Xfinity is available for $9.95 per month for qualifying Xfinity Triple Play customers. Additional markets will launch through the summer. For more information, visit www.comcast.com/skype. |
| Editorial: Thin laptops are the new mainstream, but what about battery life? Posted: 16 May 2012 11:00 AM PDT
Bandwagons, trains and Tranes. Can't say that these three have a heck of a lot in common in most regards, but one thing's for sure: trying to stop this trio would be a Herculean task. And so it goes with laptops -- once upon a time, it was good enough to have something that resembled a portable tower, but these days, the ability to even see the chassis at all feels like a negative. I exaggerate, of course, but the proverbial race in the laptop world is hardly about price; it's about thinness. Intel's unstoppable quest to plaster the Ultrabook term as far and wide as possible has led to a change in the way consumers are viewing portable machines, and Apple's devilishly thin MacBook Air certainly played a role, too. What we're left with is a very curious priority list, and I'm wondering if too many OEMs have stopped to wonder if the "obvious" is indeed the "right." I'll be the first to confess that I love the look of thin. Samsung's Series 9 and Acer's Aspire S5 might just be two of the sexiest machines to ever be built, and Dell's original Adamo was primarily of interest due to one thing: its jaw-droppingly thin frame. But there's some saying about putting form before function that seems to apply here, particularly when keying in on battery life. I've no doubt that the marketing and research teams for PC makers far and wide understand the realities of the market place, and perhaps the average consumer really doesn't need more than four to six hours of life on a single charge. Five years ago, squeezing that much life from machines under an inch thick would've required some sort of wizardry that exists only in a rarely visited corner of West Hollywood. But today, I'm a dreamer. And I'm dreaming of a laptop with "all day battery life" -- something that could be screamed from the rooftops, and honestly, something that could probably be accomplished tomorrow if our laptop options weren't on such a diet. Let's look at the landscape. Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air measures 0.68-inches at its thickest point, and can burn the midnight oil for around five hours under what I'd consider "normal" use. HP's Envy 14 Spectre is but 0.79-inches thick, and peters out after around 5.5 hours of stressful toiling. The aforesaid Series 9 from Samsung is barely more than 0.6-inches thick, and managed just over seven hours in our rundown test. Acer's Aspire Timeline Ultra M3 checks in at around 0.8-inches thick, and mustered just over five hours in the same video rundown scenario. I could keep listing comparable machines for hours, but you get the point: thinner than an inch is the new mainstream laptop. I'm fully aware that chubby alternatives exist -- the MSI GT70 that we recently reviewed sizes up at 2.16-inches thick, but it failed to be useful after passing out at the 2.5 hour mark. The point? There has to be an in-between, and moreover, there has to be a market that would appreciate if said "in-between" were filled with somewhat thicker machines that required an AC outlet only as often as my brain requires a moment of sleep.
Imagine this: a Samsung Series 9 machine (or your thin-and-light of choice) that measures some ~1.3-inches thick. Yes, that's over half an inch thicker than the existing build, but it's still just marginally thicker than many of the bargain-bin $399 PCs that you scoff at whilst thinking highly of yourself in Best Buy. While keeping the same CPU / GPU combo, there's plenty of extra room here to punch in a larger battery -- in fact, it's a model that has been followed before. Motion's J3400 rugged tablet shipped with room for two batteries, and somehow, an overseas knockoff vendor managed to do likewise on a KIRF MacBook. Even on the new iPad, there's more battery than ever before beneath the silver rear -- a necessary addition to maintain the ~10 hours of expected in-use life with the addition of the Retina display and an LTE module. Look, I know that what I'm asking for here is appalling in at least two ways. For one, it'll be harder to sell a thicker (read: "uglier") laptop. And two, prices of these would have to rise to account for the extra battery power. But I, for one, would be willing to pay the premium. Is it really so hard to think about how much more wonderful freshly cut grass would smell and how much more tolerable gridlock would be if I had a 1.3-inch Series 9 that would last a solid day without needing rejuvenation? What if I had a laptop that could last nearly a week with an average amount of on-and-off usage? What if I had a MacBook
I also recognize that efficiencies are increasing across the board, and we're doing more with a 2200mAh battery today than we were a decade ago in this industry. And eventually, perhaps, efficiencies alone will lead to a ~1-inch laptop that can be used for a full day before petering out. But Ford didn't wait for naturally aspirated engine technology to improve enough to put 624 horses in a Mustang; it tapped a man named Shelby and bolted its way to glory. I think the world -- or, at least a select part of it with the right amount of disposable income -- is ready for an all-day laptop, and I think it's willing to deal with a bit more heft in order to get it. Or, you know, maybe it's just another episode of 'All I Want For Christmas' from your caring friends at Engadget. This article originally appeared in Distro Issue 40. |
| Verizon CFO says grandfathered unlimited plans on the way out Posted: 16 May 2012 10:43 AM PDT
Update: We just finished listening through the entire webcast (we're still waiting for the transcript) and found the quote that is going to make most customers shake their fists in anger:
Doesn't get much clearer than that, but we're still hoping Verizon will come back and say Shammo was speaking out of turn... fingers crossed. |
| Evernote 4.0 for Android sweeps in new home screen, list UI (video) Posted: 16 May 2012 10:21 AM PDT
'Tis the season for major Android app remakes, this time with Evernote going for a much appreciated adaptation to a more swipe-friendly universe. The 4.0 update of the note-taking app has a new home screen that lets you swipe out a hidden menu to get to your notes without having to always jump backwards -- one of our pet peeves. Much of the overall navigation now leans towards swipes over buttons, and the list views for notes and notebooks are a good deal simpler. Combined with new contextual action bars, the revamp puts the text, audio and photo recorder much more at home in the Android 4.0 era than earlier versions. It still requires just Android 1.6, so nearly anyone can take a look by visiting the Google Play link below. |
| Google launches Knowledge Graph today, wants to understand real things (video) Posted: 16 May 2012 10:00 AM PDT
Americans and Brits might chuckle at their respective understandings of words like chips, pants and biscuits -- a search engine, however, can't be quite so discerning. As it turns out, Google actually thinks it can, and has been working on its Knowledge Graph project to prove it. Beginning today, English searches from Google.com might start seeing a new box appearing alongside (unless you happened to see it via the live-trial). If there is more than one potential meaning to your search term, Google will ask you to specify (trousers, not underwear, for example). Likewise, when it's more confident it knows what you mean, you'll get a summary box instead. (A celebrities place of birth, favorite cheese etc..) Google's Shashidhar Thakur, tech lead for search, told us "We think of this as our pragmatic approach to semantic search." And by pragmatic, he means that for the last two years, Google has been working to map the "Universe of things," not just webpages. Over 500 million things, in fact, creating a total of 3.5 billion attributes and connections so far. The hope is, that as this technology evolves, you'll be able to ask more complex questions, like "Which US airports have a Cinnabon stall." Or, you know, other such deep and meaningful queries. If you see some info, and happen to know better, there's a feedback system, so you can let Google know, hopefully making Knowledge Graph continually evolve in accuracy. While it's only rolling out for English searches, it's not just desktop, with mobile and tablet search getting the goods too. There are plans to spread this out to other languages, but no specific dates for this just now.
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| LG shows off UI 3.0 for Ice Cream Sandwich devices, says it's 'unobtrusive and simple' Posted: 16 May 2012 09:39 AM PDT
Love them or hate them, those ubiquitous Android skins aren't going anywhere any time soon. Now the latest one to make an entrance to the overlay game is LG's UI 3.0, which the Korean outfits says will make the overall experience of its handsets easier, speedier and "more convenient." The new UI brings features such as a novel drag anywhere-style lock screen, an Icon Customizer for setting your own photos as icons / shortcuts, a revamped Pattern Lock that lets you preset apps for quicker launch and a Voice Shutter trait for taking snaps via voice commands -- à la Sammy S Voice. UI 3.0 is set to make its debut next week with the launch of LG's Optimus LTE II in Korea, while the Optimus 4X HD will also come sporting the fresh skin once it launches in June. LG'S NEW OPTIMUS UI 3.0 ADDS NEW FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS WHILE BEING UNOBTRUSIVE AND SIMPLE New User Interface Makes the LG Smartphone Experience Faster, Simpler, More Convenient "With smartphone hardware becoming more and more similar, it's important for manufacturers to differentiate their products from the competition through the user interface," said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "Both carriers and customers tell us that they want LG phones to look and feel unique and the UI plays a big part in that. LG is really going to push the boundaries of what is possible in user interfaces starting with Optimus UI 3.0." Optimus UI 3.0 is designed with convenience and speed in mind. A powerful memo function called Quick Memo™ enables users to jot notes on the screen using a finger. Quick Memo™ in Optimus UI 3.0 allows users to share their thoughts through social networks, text messages and e-mails more conveniently than ever before. Other new features include: -- the ability to unlock the phone by dragging anywhere on the screen; Optimus UI 3.0 will debut on the LG Optimus LTE II launching this week in Korea, followed by LG Optimus 4X HD in June. |
| Prototype 3D display maintains resolution, bumps viewing angles, spans dimensions Posted: 16 May 2012 09:21 AM PDT
If 3D has a future in our pockets, then it must be one that requires no spectacles. Not only are the goggles an issue, other key factors like resolution and viewing angles all need to be bettered before it stands a chance of broad adoption. NLT technology knows this, and has prototyped a 3.1-inch 3D LCD display that not only matches 2D resolution (as we've seen before,) but also offers up to six viewing angles. The display is based on existing horizontal double-density pixel technology with "HxDP" (horizontally x times-density pixels,) a new technology for creating multiple viewpoints, thrown into the mix. Standard HDDP gives a 3D image two viewpoints, HxDP allows more depending on density of sub-pixels. It also allows for both 2D and 3D images to be on-screen at the same time, meaning you can decide which version of Alvin and the Chipmunks Chipwrecked you prefer side-by-side. |
| The Engadget Show returns Friday, May 18th -- get tickets to the taping! Posted: 16 May 2012 09:00 AM PDT
That's right, the next episode of the Engadget Show is rapidly approaching, and if you love gaming as much as we do, you're in for a treat. For May's episode, we'll be speaking with the directors of the award winning documentary, Indie Game: The Movie. We've also paid a visit to the Smithsonian to check out the museum's Art of the Video Game exhibit and took a look the insanely awesome Fifth Avenue Frogger arcade machine hack. We've also got a look at the newly reborn Chinatown Fair arcade in Manhattan and the month's latest and greatest gadgets -- not to mention an in-studio performance by indie singer-songwriter Alex Winston. Best of all, we still have a few tickets left. If you're in New York City, you can be a part of the live show -- just fire off an email to engadgetshow [at] engadget.com. And if you can't make it in person, fear not, we'll be streaming live at 6PM on Friday. Just bookmark this here URL. Here are the deets: If you're a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we'll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com. Subscribe to the Show: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V). |
| Samsung exec admits the 15-inch Series 9 could benefit from better viewing angles Posted: 16 May 2012 08:41 AM PDT
When we reviewed the 15-inch Samsung Series 9, we found very little to complain about, save for the narrow viewing angles and the fair-weather trackpad. Turns out, Samsung at least agrees with the first part. In a show of candor, Raymond Wah, VP of PC product strategy, told a group of reporters, "We can make improvements in terms of the viewing angle." That's not surprising, given that Samsung's homegrown 15-inch display doesn't currently make use of the same IPS-like PLS technology as the panel used in the 13-inch Series 9. It would seem, then, that it's occurred to Samsung to develop one, though company reps declined to say when we might see a 15-inch Series 9 with such a panel in tow. For now, anyway, the outfit is giving itself some credit for the laptop's relatively dense 1600 x 900 pixel count (and rightfully so!). Interestingly, Wah's comments come at a time when MacBook Pro rumors are starting to flow fast and furious, and a Retina display is looking like a fair possibility. As to whether Samsung will ever produce a 4K laptop display of its own, Wah declined to comment, but he did note that right now there isn't enough content optimized for that higher resolution, and that such screens would be costlier to produce. Until all that changes, we have to admit we're pretty pleased with the Series 9's resolution too -- after all, anything's better than plain old HD. |
| Sprint reportedly cancelling its early upgrade program June 1st Posted: 16 May 2012 08:28 AM PDT
Like dominoes, Sprint's consumer-friendly policies continue to fall one at a time. Citing "high costs," the Now Network will begin discontinuing its practice of allowing customers to upgrade their phone 10-14 days prior to the official date of eligibility. According to the memo leaked by TechnoBuffalo, the program will cease to exist as of June 1st. It sounds like this policy change is an unfortunate consequence of the company's large investments in iPhones and its still-dormant LTE network. It may not be enough to convince many Sprint customers to jump ship, but this isn't the first cost-cutting measure put forth by Dan Hesse's team -- and we have a hard time believing it will be the last. We've reached out to Sprint for official comment and will update you as soon as we have word. |
| Scientists tweak wireless power transfer, Tesla nods happily in his grave Posted: 16 May 2012 08:14 AM PDT
Wireless charging may be all the rage these days, but actually beaming electricity -- as sketched above by the man Tesla himself -- still has some snags. North Carolina State U researchers have found a way to possibly vanquish the biggest problem: the difficulty of exactly matching resonant frequencies to amplify current. If external factors like temperature change the tuning of a transmitter even slightly then power drops will occur, but circuitry developed by the NC State scientists would allow receivers to detect these changes and automatically re-tune themselves to match. This could make for more potent car and device charging in the future and, if they stretch the distances a bit, maybe we'll finally get the wire-free utopia Nikola dreamed up 120 years ago. |
| LaCie's new 100MB/s NAS is 2big, resists that second scone (video) Posted: 16 May 2012 07:53 AM PDT
Gallic storage outfit LaCie is nonchalantly unveiling its 2big double-bay NAS that's purportedly capable of pumping data around your network at 100MB/s. Designed for small businesses, it'll remind any passers by of HAL or GLaDOS, depending on their age. Sporting a 2GHz processor and the company's NAS OS2, it'll also happily interact with Windows 7 Backup or Time Machine and you can access your files on the go with the company's iOS app. It's available from today, prices starting from $299 (£187 in the UK) with a three year warranty. If you'd like to know more, then we've got a short film and some PR after the jump. LaCie 2big NAS Delivers 100MB/s For Enhanced Business Productivity PARIS, FRANCE – Today LaCie announced a new 2-bay network-attached storage solution (NAS) that delivers the ideal combination of speed and security for small businesses – the LaCie 2big NAS, design by Neil Poulton. Powered by a 2GHz processor and improved file system, the 2big NAS delivers speeds up to 100MB/s, ensuring employees can share files from any PC, Mac, or Linux workstation. "According to data from Research and Markets, network storage is growing in excess of 30 percent annually, increasing the demands placed on network storage devices," said Erwan Girard, Professional Business Unit Manager at LaCie. "The LaCie 2big NAS was developed to scale with the needs of SOHO users, delivering fast file sharing and data security, the two most critical factors for a small business." FAST COLLABORATION FORMIDABLE DATA SECURITY The LaCie 2big NAS ensures a complete backup of any Linux, PC or Mac workstation. Choose from the popular Time Machine and Windows 7 Backup software, or the included LaCie backup software. Consistent automatic backup means users can restore lost files instantly. What's more, LaCie's NAS OS 2 dashboard makes it easy for businesses to back up the 2big NAS automatically, for added data security and peace of mind. Wizards with presets make advanced tasks such as RAID management, users management and NAS-to-NAS backups easy. No IT degree required. With just a few clicks users can back up the 2big NAS onto a direct-attached external hard drive, or schedule a nightly backup onto a NAS in a different location. REMOTE ACCESSIBILITY ENERGY SAVINGS AVAILABILITY |
| Flipboard brings the noise in NPR-ified app update, Britta will be pleased Posted: 16 May 2012 07:31 AM PDT
Do you loathe the sound of silence? Check out the latest update to Flipboard, bro. The most recent update to the social app now includes an audio selection that'll pump out NPR podcasts and SoundCloud tracks, amongst a litany of others, at will. The update will also benefit the visually impaired, as it now includes VoiceOver features to enable it to read your social media offerings out loud. Hopefully those features will be included as standard when it makes a more, ahem, legitimate arrival on Android. Flipboard Brings Sound to Your Social Magazine From Snoop Dogg to "Fresh Air" -- Flipboard Partners with SoundCloud, NPR and PRI; Now People Can Listen to Their Flipboard PALO ALTO, Calif., May 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The newest edition of Flipboard™, released today, is all about sound. Anyone with Flipboard on Apple's® iPad®, iPhone® or iPod Touch® can now listen to amazing audio shared on SoundCloud and world-class radio programming from NPR and Public Radio International (PRI), all while reading their Flipboard. Additionally, Flipboard is now more accessible for users with visual disabilities, integrating Apple's VoiceOver® features into the experience. To start exploring the wide range of audio now on Flipboard, a new "Audio" category has been added to the Content Guide, which opens when a user taps on the red ribbon or magnifying glass in the top right corner of their Flipboard. The Audio category features NPR and PRI programs -- segments from shows such as Fresh Air and PRI's The World® as well as Flipboard's recommendations of SoundCloud users ranging from updates from This Week in Tech to original beats from Snoop Dogg and songs from Atlantic Records' artists. "The addition of SoundCloud is a great example of how Flipboard makes social content more discoverable and a more immersive experience," said Mike McCue. "With this latest addition, we're giving our readers a personal soundtrack to their Flipboard." SoundCloud is the world's leading social sound platform that lets anyone create, record, promote and share their sounds on the web in a simple, accessible and feature-rich way. With the new integration, Flipboard users can easily browse SoundCloud to discover sounds or use their SoundCloud account and access sounds from people they follow and lists they've created. Existing SoundCloud users simply select the Accounts tab on Flipboard to connect to their SoundCloud network and then listen to, comment on and like sounds right from Flipboard. Once a track is selected, Flipboard users can read other sections while the audio plays in the background, an amazing new capability that lets people listen while they continue flipping through their Flipboard. The next track in the section will automatically play; a section can be a series of NPR or PRI shows, curated interviews or a "set" of your favorite sounds on SoundCloud. The music note icon in the bottom left corner of every page makes it easy to control audio tracks from anywhere in Flipboard. Accessibility Other new features A fully localized Japanese edition for readers in Japan. About Flipboard |
| T-rays produce 3Gbps short-range wireless, make WiFi pout in the corner Posted: 16 May 2012 07:12 AM PDT
The last time we saw T-rays, they were busy scanning bodies for tumors and security threats. Six researchers from the Tokyo Institute of Technology are now aiming the terahertz-level frequencies at a less organic target: fast wireless. Running at 542GHz, a rate that makes 60GHz ultra wideband look pokey, the scientists are sending data through the ether at about 3Gbps. The speed isn't as fast as the 7Gbps peak of WiGig, and the bandwidth runs dry at just 33 feet away, but it comes out of a resonant tunneling diode measuring 0.04 square inches -- definitely small enough to fit into a smartphone. The speed could magnify using higher frequencies and power levels, too, with 100Gbps being the dream. Knowing that it can take years for academic papers to translate to real products, we're not holding our breath for T-ray routers anytime soon. Still, the technology could make wideband a realistic option for handhelds and put the mere 1.3Gbps of 802.11ac WiFi to shame. [Thanks, Andrew. Image credit: Deborah Miller and Warren Scott, Connexions] |
| NVIDIA outs a pair of Tesla GPUs to electrify your supercomputer Posted: 16 May 2012 06:51 AM PDT
NVIDIA's announced a pair of Tesla GPUs that'll give some extra pep to your supercomputing tasks. The K10 and K20 units harness the power of Kepler to add more muscle to the company's scientific and technical computing arm that supplies gear to the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and Tokyo's Tsubame 2.0. Internal tests reveal that the hardware is around three times faster than the company's Fermi GPUs -- with the latter card expected to arrive at the end of the year. The company didn't announce pricing, since its aiming them squarely at the big academic institutions, defense contractors and oil explorers -- but if your surname is Buffet or Abramovitch, then they might sell you one at trade. NVIDIA Pioneers New Standard for High Performance Computing With Tesla GPUs Built on Kepler Architecture New Architecture Triples Energy Efficiency, Makes GPU-Accelerated Computing Systems Easier to Program SAN JOSE, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 05/15/2012 -- GPU Technology Conference - NVIDIA today unveiled a new family of Tesla® GPUs based on the revolutionary NVIDIA® Kepler™ GPU computing architecture, which makes GPU-accelerated computing easier and more accessible for a broader range of high performance computing (HPC) scientific and technical applications. The new NVIDIA Tesla K10 and K20 GPUs are computing accelerators built to handle the most complex HPC problems in the world. Designed with an intense focus on high performance and extreme power efficiency, Kepler is three times as efficient as its predecessor, the NVIDIA Fermi™ architecture, which itself established a new standard for parallel computing when introduced two years ago. "Fermi was a major step forward in computing," said Bill Dally, chief scientist and senior vice president of research at NVIDIA. "It established GPU-accelerated computing in the top tier of high performance computing and attracted hundreds of thousands of developers to the GPU computing platform. Kepler will be equally disruptive, establishing GPUs broadly into technical computing, due to their ease of use, broad applicability and efficiency." The Tesla K10 and K20 GPUs were introduced at the GPU Technology Conference (GTC), as part of a series of announcements from NVIDIA, all of which can be accessed in the GTC online press room. NVIDIA developed a set of innovative architectural technologies that make the Kepler GPUs high performing and highly energy efficient, as well as more applicable to a wider set of developers and applications. Among the major innovations are: SMX Streaming Multiprocessor -- The basic building block of every GPU, the SMX streaming multiprocessor was redesigned from the ground up for high performance and energy efficiency. It delivers up to three times more performance per watt than the Fermi streaming multiprocessor, making it possible to build a supercomputer that delivers one petaflop of computing performance in just 10 server racks. SMX's energy efficiency was achieved by increasing its number of CUDA® architecture cores by four times, while reducing the clock speed of each core, power-gating parts of the GPU when idle and maximizing the GPU area devoted to parallel-processing cores instead of control logic. "We designed Kepler with an eye towards three things: performance, efficiency and accessibility," said Jonah Alben, senior vice president of GPU Engineering and principal architect of Kepler at NVIDIA. "It represents an important milestone in GPU-accelerated computing and should foster the next wave of breakthroughs in computational research." NVIDIA Tesla K10 and K20 GPUs The NVIDIA Tesla K20 GPU is the new flagship of the Tesla GPU product family, designed for the most computationally intensive HPC environments. Expected to be the world's highest-performance, most energy-efficient GPU, the Tesla K20 is planned to be available in the fourth quarter of 2012. The Tesla K20 is based on the GK110 Kepler GPU. This GPU delivers three times more double precision compared to Fermi architecture-based Tesla products and it supports the Hyper-Q and dynamic parallelism capabilities. The GK110 GPU is expected to be incorporated into the new Titan supercomputer at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee and the Blue Waters system at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "In the two years since Fermi was launched, hybrid computing has become a widely adopted way to achieve higher performance for a number of critical HPC applications," said Earl C. Joseph, program vice president of High-Performance Computing at IDC. "Over the next two years, we expect that GPUs will be increasingly used to provide higher performance on many applications. |
| Bricolo mechanical music system hand-on (video) Posted: 16 May 2012 06:26 AM PDT
Nick Yulman has been doing the whole mechanical music thing for sometime. In fact, the first time he came to our attention was at Maker Faire a couple of years back, when he had a cadre of small robotic instruments set up on a table in a quiet corner near the food stands. For ITP's Spring Show, Nick decided to share the love and brought along his Bricolo mechanical music system. Comprised of a number of different modules, Bricolo is meant to simplify the act of incorporating robotics and physical objects into the creation of "electronic" music. The two main pieces are a drum arm, which can be mounted on a mic stand and uses and uses a simple actuator to swing a drum stick, and a platform with a small solenoid that can produce either percussive rhythms or melodic tones. All of the pieces can be easily controlled by any MIDI instrument or sequencer. The small platform that can produce actual musical tones converts notes from any MIDI source into a frequency that the solenoid can vibrate at, creating sound by striking a surface extremely quickly. In the video below you can see as an old hard cover book is turned into a bass synth. Interestingly, by opening and closing the book, varying the weight placed on the platform, you're able to create a filter effect. For the moment the tiny musical motors are largely a proof of concept -- exposed components attached to black or clear acrylic, but the hope is to eventually sell them to curious creators. Our composing skills might not be quite up to Mr. Yulman's lofty standards and we'll never write a bass line as good as I Want You Back. But, we are big fans of noise, and you can make plenty of it with Bricolo. Check out the video after the break to see it in action.
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| Xiaomi Phone gets a Youth Edition, a less powerful, cheaper alternative for students Posted: 16 May 2012 06:05 AM PDT
Many of you are already familiar with the Xiaomi Phone and its reverence in the MIUI community, but now the Chinese manufacturer has introduced a less expensive counterpart to the original, which is aptly known as the Youth Edition. Priced at 1,499 yuan ($237), this smartphone will sell for a full 500 yuan less than its elder and will retain many of its components, which include a 4-inch, 854 x 480 display, an 8-megapixel camera, 4GB of ROM and a 1,930mAh battery. In fact, the only significant changes are the dual-core 1.2GHz CPU (which is down from 1.5GHz), and 768MB of RAM instead of the original 1GB. Xiaomi will produce 150,000 Youth Edition handsets, which seems like a healthy number, but if you want to stake your claim to one, you'd best join in the pre-registration process, which runs now through May 18th. |
| Netgear adds R6200 router and A6200 USB adapter to its 802.11ac family Posted: 16 May 2012 05:38 AM PDT
In its ongoing battle against internet bottlenecks -- or let's face it -- techie bragging rights, Netgear has launched two more devices with that sweet, sweet 802.11ac data flow. Joining its recently announced R6300 router, is the R6200 model, which supports a combined WiFi speed of 1200 Mbps, has a USB port for networking devices, and of course also rides the a, b, g and n waves too -- if you don't have any 802.11ac kit just yet. Well, as it happens, Netgear thought of that, and has also announced the A6200 dual band USB WiFi adapter to, literally, bring your existing kit up to speed. If you want in on the action, you'll need to spend $179.99 and $69.99 respectively when they launch in Q3 this year. Full specs in the PR after the break. NETGEAR Introduces New Additions To 802.11ac Product Line For Next-Generation Wifi SAN JOSE, Calif., May 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- NETGEAR®, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers, today announced a new line of products that provide access to next-generation high-speed 802.11ac wireless to meet growing customer needs for better and faster wireless on Internet-enabled WiFi devices in the home. The products-two wireless routers and one wireless USB adapter-make 802.11ac WiFi available to laptops and PCs, even before this capability has been built into these systems. The previously announced NETGEAR R6300 WiFi Router is the industry's first 802.11ac router. Following up on the introduction of that product, NETGEAR is pleased to announce that it will be expanding its 11ac range with a second 11ac router and a USB adapter. The NETGEAR R6300 WiFi Router supports combined WiFi speeds up to 1750 Mbps, while the NETGEAR R6200 WiFi Router announced today supports approximate combined WiFi speeds up to 1200 Mbps and has a lower price point. Both are backward compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n to provide optimum interoperability with legacy WiFi devices and maintaining maximum performance on Wireless-n. NETGEAR is also announcing the NETGEAR A6200 WiFi Adapter, a first-to-market 802.11ac dual band WiFi USB adapter that enables consumers to easily upgrade their existing PC or laptop to 802.11ac performance. The suite of products illustrates that consumers can continue to rely on NETGEAR to provide market-leading solutions that enable them to enjoy the fastest wireless speeds in their home. The Next-Generation 802.11ac NETGEAR R6300 WiFi Router features: The first 802.11ac dual band gigabit WiFi router enabling fifth-generation WiFi (5G WiFi) at gigabit speeds: 450 Mbps (@ 2.4 Ghz 802.11n) + 1300 Mbps (@ 5 Ghz 802.11ac) Mbps The NETGEAR R6200 WiFi Router features: 802.11ac dual band gigabit WiFi router enabling fifth-generation WiFi (5G WiFi): approximately 300 Mbps (@ 2.4 Ghz 802.11n) + 900 Mbps[1] (@ 5 Ghz 802.11ac) The NETGEAR A6200 WiFi Adapter features: Ability to easily upgrade existing PCs or laptops to 802.11ac speed Other advanced features of the NETGEAR R6300 and NETGEAR R6200 WiFi Routers include: NETGEAR Genie®: This free app for PCs, Macs, iOS and Android® smartphones and tablets enables home users to control, monitor, repair and manage their home networks easily through a simple, elegant dashboard. NETGEAR customers can download the utility at http://www.netgear.com/genie or from Google Play or the App Store. Easy to Install, Set Up and Use "802.11ac, the next generation of Wi-Fi, is expected to ramp up quickly over the next three years," says Peter Cooney, wireless connectivity practice director at ABI Research. "A plethora of different product segments will move to 802.11ac, including routers, smartphones, PCs, media tablets and a range of consumer electronics equipment." "NETGEAR developed these solutions to offer a complete wireless Internet ecosystem, allowing consumers to take full advantage of next-generation WiFi – even with their existing laptop or PC," says David Henry, vice president of product management, retail products at NETGEAR. "This visionary product line underscores NETGEAR's commitment to giving users everything they need to wirelessly access the Internet and download content at the absolute fastest speeds possible." The upcoming 802.11ac wireless standard is the world's fastest WiFi, providing gigabit WiFi speeds allowing web content to download faster, and large video or music files to synch more quickly. The increased speed of 802.11ac technology is ideal for mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets, by providing three times the performance for a similar amount of battery consumption of devices utilizing the current 802.11n WiFi standard. Pricing and Availability Source: PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1bUvU) |
| Russian researchers build partial android for bizarre mind-transfer project (video) Posted: 16 May 2012 05:18 AM PDT
A Team of Russian researchers are building a conceptual mind-transfer android, and we're definitely not talking about Ice Cream Sandwich. However bizarre, their goal is to help mankind achieve immortality using a combination of humanoid robots and interstellar space travel to get away from a dangerous and overcrowded planet -- but most of the needed technology seems so far off that we could probably power cycle the world's slowest Linux computer a million times before we see any of it. One prototype includes the torso of an android that will one day house a a computer rig that would be theoretically capable of acting as a personal proxy -- essentially, a place to upload "human souls." This
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| PSA: Google Music allows four device de-authorizations per year, rooters beware Posted: 16 May 2012 04:45 AM PDT
Just when you thought you could go on rooting and switching ROMs with impunity, it turns out you can't -- at least, not if you want to continue enjoying your Google Music account. Watchful eyes at XDA Developers have discovered a snag in Google's authorization system, which means that not only is there an upper limit of ten devices that can be authorized simultaneously, but there's also a limit of four de-authorizations per year. Since every time you flash your phone or tablet counts as a new authorization, and since your other devices probably hog a few tickets already, rooters will quickly hit the ten-device limit, at which point they're going to have to think long and hard about their de-auth strategy. Is that a ration of one flash per quarter? But then what happens if you buy a new device in a few months' time? Oh, this is too much. |
| WSJ: Apple moving towards larger iPhone screens Posted: 16 May 2012 04:26 AM PDT
The idea of a smaller iPad has been rattling around the tech rumor mill for many a month now, but the iPhone's 3.5-inch screen? That's sacred surely? Well, according to the Wall Street Journal, apparently not. It's reporting that those ever-famous "people familiar with the situation" have told it that Apple has ordered screens that are larger that the ones used in the flagship phone so far. There's no specifics on size, with the sources only going as far to say they are "at least" four inches. Apple, however, has declined to comment -- no surprises there -- but perhaps now is the time to start the office pool. Just hope you don't land on the "4-inch iPad" square. |
| Is the HTC Ville C a cheaper One S? Posted: 16 May 2012 04:09 AM PDT
The Desire C has barely revealed itself as HTC's latest pocket-friendly Android phone, but another device following the same naming convention might also be on the cards. According to BriefMobile, a lower-priced One S variant, currently under the Ville C moniker, will shed the dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 and use a (presumably cheaper) dual-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon S3 (MSM8260). That's the same processor found in last year's Sensation, although we're skeptical of that clock speed. Otherwise, the leaked specs match the One S on the important stuff, including a 4.3-inch AMOLED display (with the same qHD resolution), an 8-megapixel auto-focus camera alongside HTC's ImageSense chip and 16GB of storage. Yep, like the One S, there's no option to expand storage, but if the price is right (and it does exist), we might be more willing to forgive that particular shortcoming. |
| Flickr launches prettified 'liquid' layout, brings high-resolution eye candy to the forefront Posted: 16 May 2012 03:32 AM PDT
After refreshing the uploading tool (and throwing in some better editing functions), Flickr's decided to work on its looks. Its latest design update will now show a high-resolution version directly from a picture's main page. The size will also adjust itself to the resolution and size of your screen -- that's the fluid part of it -- avoid any nasty upscaling business. Hit up your own Flickr gallery to see the new design in action and expect more changes in the near future -- the developers are promising more to come. |
| ROCCAT Savu hybrid mouse ready to assault PC gamers' senses for $60 Posted: 16 May 2012 03:01 AM PDT
If ever there were a prime candidate for Pimp my Mouse, ROCCAT's Savu would be it. The R.A.D. peripheral (no, really, that's the acronym) incorporates a category-first: an achievements application that rewards players for "a wide range of gaming feats, such as mouse movement, button clicks, scroll steps, etc." The tricked-out mouse also features an adjustable 4000 DPI optical sensor and Easy-Shift+ tech to let gamers program up to two dedicated functions per button. But, wait, there's more superfluousness to endure. In the event you feel the need to take this whole affair to 11, the company's also tossed in a customizable rear light bar that can be preset to one of 16.8 million colors. If you're a fan of over-the-top desktop accessories, you can snag this posterboy peripheral now for $60 at the virtual (or brick-and-mortar) retailer of your choice. Need more convincing? Then click on past the break for the hyperbolic presser from this extra-ordinary PC gaming kit. The New King Arrives: ROCCAT Savu – Mid-Size Hybrid Gaming Mouse Out Now Built to reign supreme as the new titan of optical sensor mice, the Savu comes loaded with the world's fastest Pro Optic engine and introduces an awards and achievements system to the world of gaming peripherals. Hamburg, 15 May 2012 – ROCCAT Studios today announces the release of the Savu – Mid-Size Hybrid Gaming Mouse – a competition device that "fusion welds" an ideal blend of performance and customizable features into a robust, perfectly-balanced, medium-size design. The Savu offers a combination of unprecedented true 4000 DPI optical sensor horsepower, world famous Easy-Shift[+]™ technology allowing for advanced button configuration, and a customizable lighting system delivering 16.8 million colors. What's more, it's the world's first mouse to feature a stats and trophy system – called the ROCCAT Achievements Display, or R.A.D. – something previously known in similar form only in online gaming. Designed specifically for fans of mid-size gaming mice, the Savu also pampers the hands with an ergonomic right-hand thumb rest and soft-touch surface. "The Savu is the planet's premiere mid-size gaming mouse – period," says René Korte, ROCCAT Founder and CEO. "We packed it with not only world-beating speed and comfort, but with a slew of innovations designed to thrill. The Savu represents our continued dedication to giving gamers the exact gear to fit their every desire." With its advanced Pro Optic sensor, the Savu delivers true 400, 800, 1600 and 4000 DPI – placing it at the pinnacle of optical gaming mice. The latest R3 sensor also delivers lag-free gaming without any interpolation, and provides ultra-precise feedback during even the fastest movements – all so players can command with the utmost accuracy. The Savu comes standard with exclusive Easy-Shift[+]™ technology, which lets gamers set two functions for each mouse button and the scroll wheel, essentially transforming a seven-button mouse into a 12-button one without the clutter of unnecessary additional buttons. Easy-Shift[+]™ also lets gamers take advantage of Easy-Aim, which automatically reduces DPI setting when in sniper mode – delivering pinpoint accuracy at the touch of a button. And thanks to advanced Omron switches, the Savu's two main buttons feature the most consistent and precise pressure points – for ultra-accurate command capability – as well as the highest durability for the longest possible gaming life. The Savu features a large, customizable rear light bar, which users can set in their choice of 16.8 million colors – to add to the atmosphere of gaming sessions. Players can also activate a color cycling feature, as well as a "breathing" function, which instructs the mouse to pulse in a choice of color. The Savu also marks the debut of the ROCCAT™ Achievements Display – or R.A.D. – a fun and useful application that tracks and rewards a wide range of gaming feats, such as mouse movement, button clicks, scroll steps, etc. The driver-based software compiles user data, provides a range of statistics for analysis, and hands out trophies when exceptional milestones have been reached. It's an entertaining way for gamers to keep track of their mouse skills – and it even lets players share their accomplishments with others via social network sites, like Facebook. Hamburg-based ROCCAT Studios says the Savu severely outperforms every gaming mouse in its class and is sure to set a new standard in the mid-size field. The Savu will be available around the globe for a MSRP of 59.99 Euros or 59.99 USD. |
| Gartner: mobile phone sales fell two percent last quarter, Samsung confirmed as numero uno Posted: 16 May 2012 02:23 AM PDT
Gartner's latest dispatch reveals a wobbly global trade in mobile phones. Although our love of smartphones continued to blossom, with sales of that subcategory up nearly 45 percent, it wasn't enough to stave off a two percent overall decline compared to the same quarter in 2011. A total of 419.1 million handsets were sold, representing the first hiccup after nearly three years of growth and leading analysts to point fingers at a slow down in the Asia / Pacific region as well as a lack of product launches at the start of the year. Meanwhile, these figures also confirm what was already gleaned from IDC's shipments data: Samsung has knocked Nokia off its 14-year-old perch to become the padrone of the mobile phone market, with a cut of over 20 percent. It also replaced Apple as the number one smartphone vendor, claiming ownership of almost half of that segment. Damn, it feels good to be a pebble. |
| Updated Hyundai app brings remote control to your Blue Link fleet Posted: 16 May 2012 02:02 AM PDT
Hyundai Sonata and Veloster owners have had some level of remote access for a year now, but the latest version of the Blue Link app does even more. Along with remote start, door lock / unlock and control of the horn and lights, you can now run vehicle diagnostics, send POIs across from your phone for later in-dash navigation, and even locate and manage multiple Blue Link-equipped cars. Sound complicated? Not if you run a cab firm, or if you check out the twelve new instructional videos on Hyundai's YouTube channel below. HYUNDAI LAUNCHES ALL-NEW BLUE LINK® MOBILE APPLICATION - INDUSTRY LEADING FEATURES AND UNMATCHED FUNCTIONALITY Blue Link® Mobile Application Offers Refreshed User Interface and New Features COSTA MESA, May 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Hyundai Motor America this week introduced an all-new mobile application for the Hyundai-developed Blue Link® telematics platform. The mobile app allows subscribers to remotely access various Blue Link® features and services through compatible mobile devices. Completely redesigned from the ground up, the app has been significantly enhanced from the previous version and boasts a new user experience, faster navigation and innovative new features. Google Android and Apple iOS users can download the app today from Google Play or Apple iTunes, respectively. A Blackberry version is also in development. Blue Link® Mobile App Highlights - Completely redesigned interface and navigation Blue Link is an innovative telematics solution from Hyundai that combines safety, service and infotainment into a complete package. Blue Link is powered by Agero's next-generation telematics platform, which offers a flexible architecture that supports multi-modal interfaces for vehicle owners. "This improved app demonstrates one of Agero's core capabilities: developing customized user experience interfaces, from end to end, on behalf of our automotive OEM clients," said Tom Metzger, senior vice president of Global Sales & Account Management (Connected Vehicle Services) at Agero. "In addition to increasing the Blue Link app's capabilities, we made it more intuitive for users, while also extending the unique Hyundai brand experience to vehicle owners." The refreshed app is part of a series of enhancements planned around Blue Link, including a re-designed Blue Link section on HyundaiNews.com and 12 all-new instructional videos designed to familiarize viewers with Blue Link features. The videos, which feature actual Hyundai employees, can be seen on Hyundai's YouTube channel, HyundaiBlueLink.com or in a dedicated section on HyundaiNews.com. Hyundai offers a complimentary trial period for Blue Link-equipped vehicles. Customers opting-in for a no obligation auto-renewal can receive up to one year of Blue Link Assurance and 6 months of Blue Link Essentials and Guidance with access to the Blue Link app and its innovative features. INTUITIVE INTERFACE DESIGN Customer feedback and real-world usability testing played a key role in the development of the all-new Blue Link® mobile app. "We looked at how our customers use their Smartphones to enhance various aspects of their lives," said Michael Deitz, senior group manager, Blue Link. "We wanted to design an app that allows them to enhance their Hyundai ownership experience through Blue Link." Navigation elements are designed to reduce the steps needed to access Blue Link® features and services by leveraging familiar Smartphone touch commands. A new swipe carousel allows users to quickly access core features without needing to take several steps. Shortcut buttons allow one-touch access to vehicle diagnostics and POIs while the main menu allows one-finger access to all features within the application. REMOTE ACCESS FEATURES Blue Link® Essentials subscribers can access a number of key vehicle functions remotely from the mobile application without the need to be in the proximity of the vehicle. Remote Door Lock or unlock allows for remote control and convenience from virtually anywhere. Remote Horn & Lights allows the subscriber to remotely activate the horn and lights. Remote Lights allows subscriber to remotely activate the vehicle lights only. Remote Vehicle Start, which has been expanded to include more Hyundai models, allows the subscriber to remotely start their vehicle, an especially convenient feature in cold states during winter months. Vehicles equipped with push-button start and automatic or dual-clutch transmissions are supported for Remote Vehicle Start. For added security, all remote access features require the vehicle PIN to be entered prior to the command being sent. ENHANCED POI FUNCTIONALITY The all-new Blue Link® mobile app includes new useful POI (Point of Interest) features that will come in handy for Blue Link® Guidance subscribers. Included is the ability to search POIs using the Smartphone's on-screen keyboard by entering the name, city, state and/or zip. Searches can be done using the Smartphone's built-in location service or by manually specifying the location. POIs then can be saved to the phone for quick access. Subscribers also have the ability to send the POI directly to their Hyundai vehicle or by email to a friend through the application. POIs sent to the vehicle also may be saved for later use via the POI History function. Blue Link®-equipped vehicles are not required to have a touch-screen navigation system to take advantage of Guidance features. Vehicles not equipped with touch-screen navigation will display navigation information on the standard vehicle audio screen using Blue Link's Turn-by-Turn feature. POCKET-SIZED PEACE OF MIND Blue Link® subscribers can rest assured knowing that trained specialists are available 24/7 to help when needed most. Taking it one step further, the mobile application includes speed dial buttons to contact Roadside Assistance and Blue Link. A Vehicle Diagnostics screen provides access to critical maintenance information and the ability to view their Monthly Vehicle Report. Essentials subscribers can easily schedule a service appointment with their preferred dealer without making a phone call. Blue Link® alerts also can be toggled remotely from the application without visiting MyHyundai.com. INNOVATIVE NEW FEATURES In typical Hyundai fashion, Blue Link aims to set the standard for vehicle telematics through its innovative features and exceptional value. A variety of unique features have been included in the Blue Link® mobile app. Users can be a step ahead of Parking Enforcement via the built-in Parking Meter/Timer function. Car Finder allows Essentials subscribers to either search for their vehicle if they are within a 1-mile radius of their vehicle or save its location, useful when needing to recall a specific location of their vehicle. BLUE LINK® PACKAGES Blue Link Assurance package: Automatic Collision Notification (ACN) and Assistance – Provides immediate assistance when an accident occurs and an airbag is deployed. In this event, an ACN signal, containing customer and location information, will automatically be transmitted to the response center. Upon receipt of the signal, a response specialist will attempt to establish voice communications with the vehicle occupants and forward any pertinent information to emergency services. SOS Emergency Assistance – Customers request emergency 911 assistance by pressing the dedicated SOS button in the vehicle. This action transmits vehicle information and location to specially-trained response specialists, who assist in coordinating the dispatch of appropriate emergency assistance to the customer. The response specialist remains on the line with the customer until advised assistance has arrived. Enhanced Roadside Assistance – Enables customers to utilize their Hyundai Assurance 24/7 Roadside Assistance via a single in-vehicle button-press. With Blue Link, vehicle information (including location) is automatically transmitted to a response center, enabling the specialist to dispatch assistance more quickly and efficiently for vehicle assistance and retrieval. Blue Link Essentials package: Remote Door Lock/Unlock - Enables locking or unlocking vehicle doors via a toll-free number, owner's website, or mobile phone application. Remote Horn and Lights - Enables activating the horn and/or lights via a toll-free number, owner's website, or mobile phone application. Panic Notification – Notifies customers when the panic button on their vehicle key fob has been activated, signifying when a family member or other vehicle occupant may be in danger. Notifications are configured online and occur via email or text message. Remote Vehicle Start – Enables customers to start the vehicle via owner's website or toll-free number, or mobile phone application. Car Finder – (Exclusively available via mobile app) Allows you to find your vehicle on a map if you are within a 1-mile radius of your vehicle and gives you the ability to save your vehicles location for future reference. Convenience: Alarm Notification – Notifies customers when and where the vehicle alert is activated via a text message, email or an automated phone call. Quick Tips – Provides quick reference assistance for primary vehicle feature location and function. Location Sharing – Enables sending vehicle location to select friends and members of social networking sites, including Facebook – directly from the vehicle. Voice Text Messaging – Enables hands-free outgoing text messaging to SMS text recipients allowing for distraction-free driving experience. Vehicle Self Diagnostics: Automated Diagnostic Trouble Code Notification – Provides explanation and repair assistance using vehicle data and off-board diagnosis capabilities to better inform the customer of vehicle trouble alerts. A combination of in-vehicle display alerts and guided voice messages provides customers with additional instructions (information also sent to the customer's preferred dealer to assist with the repair process). Maintenance Alert – Notifies customers in vehicle as well as via website, email or SMS message that an upcoming service is due at various thresholds leading up to the event. Configured online, the alerts explain what is included in particular maintenance intervals. Theft Protection: Stolen Vehicle Recovery – In the event a customer's vehicle is reported stolen (and a stolen vehicle report has been filed with the appropriate police department), the response center can provide assistance to the police in an attempt to recover the vehicle. Safeguard: Valet Alert – Enables alert via email, text message or automated phone message when the customer's vehicle moves beyond a prescribed distance threshold after leaving the vehicle with the valet. Geofence – Enables monitoring vehicle movement in and out of pre-defined regions configured on the owner's website. When the vehicle enters or leaves a designated region, the customer is notified by email, text message or automated phone message. Curfew Alert - Notifies owners if the vehicle is being used outside a pre-determined time interval. Alerts are configured online and sent via email, text message and/or automated phone message. Blue Link Guidance package: TBT (Turn-by-turn) Navigation Service Turn-by-turn navigation guidance provided for downloaded Points of Interest. Both visual and audio guidance is provided. POI Web Search by advanced voice recognition system and download – Enables Point-of-Interest searches using an automated voice system. Results can be downloaded to the vehicle navigation system. Live operators provide additional support, if needed. Daily Route Guidance with Traffic Condition – Enables customers to pre-define several routes to a common destination and receive a regularly-scheduled traffic alerts for traffic delays along those routes. Results include flow and incident data, along with "Fastest Route" recommendation. Traffic – Provides traffic information surrounding the customer's vehicle and in the nearby area, based on preferences established using the owner's website. Gas Station Locations and Gas Prices – Locates the nearest gas stations by price and provides brand and regular unleaded fuel price. Results are played back via automated voice, and can be downloaded to the vehicle's navigation system. Eco-Coach – Tracks the customer's driving performance habits (MPG and CO2 emissions) on a continual and historical basis. Results and environmentally responsible driving recommendations are provided on the owner's website. Restaurant Ratings – Provides restaurant ratings for local restaurants with address download for turn-by-turn navigation or onboard navigation. Weather – Provides weather forecasts for the immediate area or for customer-defined locations within the owner website. More details on Hyundai Blue Link are available at www.HyundaiUSA.com/BlueLink. |
| Go-Go Dog Pals lets you exercise Rover without tapping your precious calorie reserve Posted: 16 May 2012 01:42 AM PDT
Sure you love your dog, but having him watch you sit on the sofa doesn't constitute playtime. Standing up and even running around outside together will surely get the job done, but why get up for exercise when you're perfectly comfortable on the couch? That's the idea behind Go-Go Dog Pals, coined "the
The Chase Is On for Dogs with Go-Go Dog Pals The Most Fun Way to Exercise Your Dog SOLANA BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dogs across America are having more fun and getting great exercise with a next generation toy made exclusively for canines by Go-Go Dog Pals. The Go-Go Dog Pals product uses state-of-the-art remote control technology, allowing you to lead your dog on an interactive chase. Go-Go Dog Pals provide the exercise your dog needs and craves without wearing you out. The durable construction of the Go-Go Dog Pals product makes it the perfect play partner for your dog. It can be used in a park, a yard, or just about any smooth surface where your dog can run. Go-Go Dog Pals are a fun and convenient way to exercise and play with your best friend. "Dogs naturally like to chase because that is really what they were born to do," stated Go-Go Dog Pals founder William Bowen. "Whether it's sheep or cattle, rabbits or squirrels, or other dogs, it's in their DNA. Dogs are not meant to lead sedentary lives, but many owners find it difficult to consistently exercise their dogs properly. Lack of exercise can lead to health and behavior problems. The Go-Go Dog Pals product is a great way to provide the exercise critical to your dog's health without exhausting you in the process. Dogs love it, and it's fun for the whole family." About Go-Go Dog Pals: Go-Go Dog Pals is a premium provider of pet-pleasing products that can improve the health and lifestyles of pets and their owners. The mission of Go-Go Dog Pals is to skyrocket the fun factor of dog exercise. The toy is great for owners who have limited time, who are older, fitness challenged, disabled or otherwise have difficulty training their pets. It is also great for dogs that are athletic or have high energy, and can be used for training for sight hounds and hunting dogs. Go-Go Dog Pals are available at www.gogodogpals.com, where you can find additional information about Go-Go Dog Pals. Get $25 off your Go-Go when you order by July 1st. Use the coupon code 'CHASE' at checkout. |
| Galaxy S III will launch a day early -- for some UK pre-orders Posted: 16 May 2012 01:20 AM PDT
Be still your beating heart, Samsung has announced that several customers who have already fallen for its incoming flagship's charms will get their pre-orders honored a day early. Unfortunately, it will be limited to those that ordered through its own brand store in Westfield Stratford City in London, but those lucky few will get their very own Galaxy S III at 6pm on May 29th -- half a day before the rest of the UK. We're planning to get our hands on a review model before then, so expect to see our fully-fleshed musings before the end of May. SAMSUNG GALAXY SIII AVAILABLE A DAY EARLY FOR SAMSUNG BRAND STORE PRE-ORDER CUSTOMERS 16th May 2012, London, UK – Samsung Mobile UK today announced that customers who have pre-ordered a Galaxy S III from the Samsung Brand Store at Westfield Stratford City will be able to collect their device the night before the official launch date of 30 May.
Samsung Brand Store pre-order customers can get their hands on the new device from 6pm on 29 May. Early collection will only be available for customers that have pre-ordered from the Samsung Brand Store before 6pm on 29 May. The device will not be available to buy on May 29 – this offer is for pre-order customers only. Pre-orders made after 6pm on 29 May, whether in-store or online, will be fulfilled from 30 May. Pre-orders from retentions or online will also not be delivered to customers' delivery addresses until 30 May onwards.
Samsung is also giving its retail partners the option to make their own Galaxy S III pre-orders available early; an hour later from 7pm. The final decision will be contingent on individual retailers as to whether they make this offer available to their customers.
Simon Stanford, Vice President, Telecommunications and Networks, Samsung UK and Ireland said: "We've had an overwhelming response from our retail partners and customers alike since announcing the Galaxy S III on 3 May. So we wanted to delight our customers and reward them for pre-ordering by letting them get their hands on the device a day before anyone else. We believe we have created our best smartphone yet, designed specifically with daily human needs in mind, and we are proud to provide our customers with a truly unique mobile user experience."
The Galaxy S III will be available to buy in the UK across all major networks, key high street and out of town electrical retailers, online retailers and the Samsung Brand Store at Westfield Stratford City on 30 May. |
| iPhone waltzes into top spot of US phone satisfaction index, small carriers trump the giants Posted: 16 May 2012 01:19 AM PDT
We know almost too well how smartphones perform in US market share; what we don't usually see is how happy customers are once the shrink wrap's off. Going by a newly-expanded American Customer Satisfaction Index, it's the iPhone that most scratches the itch at a score of 83. Despite having just been added, Apple was noticeably ahead of a three-way tie between HTC, LG and Nokia at 75. You might not want to look if you're a freshly-minted RIM executive: the BlackBerry made its freshman debut on the charts at the bottom, or 69. Big carriers have their own reasons to wince, too, knowing that smaller carriers like US Cellular and TracFone scored higher on the happiness meter than incumbents hiking service fees. While there's definitely some wiggle room for your own experience to have been better or worse, if you were an iPhone owner on a regional carrier in the past few months, you were statistically the most likely to be on Cloud Nine. Cell Phones & Wireless Service: Apple's Debut Changes the Game Starting this year, the ACSI has expanded its coverage of the cell phone industry, adding another four companies to the roster of cell phone firms. Customer satisfaction with the cell phone industry (part of the manufacturing/durable goods sector) slips 1.3% to 74, while wireless service drops 1.4% to 70. For many users, the advent of smartphone technology has dramatically changed what they look for in a cell phone device. Two smartphones makers, Apple and Research in Motion (RIM), enter the ACSI with very different results. At 83, Apple (iPhone) leads the field by a long shot, while RIM (Blackberry) lags behind as the least satisfying at 69. "Companies with weak customer satisfaction often have weak stock performance," notes [ACSI founder Claes] Fornell. "RIM's sales are slumping amid a bevy of problems, from hardware and software issues to server lapses that have caused email and messaging outages. Over the past year, share price for RIM has virtually collapsed." At 83, Apple's iPhone is a game changer when it comes to customer satisfaction. No other cell phone company has ever broken into the 80s. Apple's nearest competitors this year are three companies tied at 75: Nokia (+3%) and ACSI newcomers LG and HTC. Motorola declines 5% to 73 and ties the aggregate of smaller manufacturers (-1%). This may be unwelcome news for Google as it hopes to make the most of its Motorola acquisition and widen the user base for its Android operating system. Samsung, another company that relies heavily on Android, backtracks 4% to a below-average score of 71. On the service side, the aggregation of smaller carriers (such as TracFone and U.S. Cellular) maintains a strong lead at 76, despite a small downturn (-1%). All companies show modest ACSI declines except for AT&T Mobility. Last year, customer satisfaction for AT&T and T-Mobile tumbled amid merger talks. This year, AT&T recoups its loss (+5%), but only to tie T-Mobile (-1%) at 69. On the other hand, AT&T is now close to rival Verizon (-3% to 70), whose score has dwindled over three years. At 71, Sprint Nextel nominally grabs first place among the big carriers and holds nearly steady (-1%) following three years of swift ACSI progress (up from 56 in 2008). |
| New Roku HD, 2 and LT updated to version 4.7, slew of 'under the hood' improvements in tow Posted: 16 May 2012 12:59 AM PDT
It's been nearly a month since we saw the Roku 2 and LT get hit with some performance-boosting updates, and now the pair's about to be on the receiving end of some additional enhancements. Version 4.7 -- which is also coming to that new Roku HD -- brings with it a slew of improvements, including refined stability for the aforementioned player and a sharpened device discovery method on the company's Android / iOS applications. Inside v4.7, Roku's also added support for channels using Microsoft Smooth Streaming as well as other improvements to help with launch of "several new partner channels" later this year. The refresh is set to arrive automatically over the next 48 hours, though you could always grab it manually by hitting the Software Update menu on your tiny box. |
| NTT DoCoMo hopes to expand content game with Buongiorno buyout Posted: 16 May 2012 12:43 AM PDT
Japanese mobile operator, NTT DoCoMo, is making a play at the Italian firm Buongiorno, a mobile content provider that boasts two billion customers across 57 countries. The €224 million offer must still be approved by Italian regulators, and would reflect a purchase price of €2 per share for the entirety of Buongiorno's outstanding stock. For its part, NTT DoCoMo hopes the buyout will help bolster its reach outside the home country of Japan, although the purchase is a bit of a gamble just the same. As it stands, Buongiorno's annual operating profit hovers in the neighborhood of €7 million, which means DoCoMo may be in for a bit of a wait before this deal bears fruit. You'll find the nitty gritty details in the PR after the break. [Raining money photo via Shutterstock] NTT DOCOMO to Launch Public Tender Offer for Buongiorno TOKYO, JAPAN, May 14, 2012 --- NTT DOCOMO, INC. announced today that it has launched a tender offer to acquire all shares in Buongiorno S.p.A., one of the largest providers of mobile internet content and apps in Europe and beyond. The tender offer will be conducted by NTT DOCOMO's German subsidiary, DOCOMO Deutschland GmbH. Mr. Mauro Del Rio, owner of approximately 20% of the company's stock, has entered into an irrevocable undertaking with DOCOMO Deutschland GmbH to tender all of his shares for the offer. DOCOMO Deutschland GmbH has issued a public notice in Italy to announce the tender offer. (1) Purpose (2) Target Company (3) Tender Offer Period (4) Minimum Threshold Condition for Shares (5) Tender Offer Price (6) Effect (7) Pertinent materials (8) Others |
| ESPN Radio app gets a refresh, now properly outfitted for the iPad Posted: 16 May 2012 12:21 AM PDT
If you're needing to keep Mike & Mike an arm's length away at all times, ESPN has refreshed its Radio app to help with just that. Now optimized to the iPad in addition to the iPhone and iPod touch, the software allows you to sort your listening habits by sports, teams and athletes that you follow. The free version offers access to podcasts, the 20-minute SportCenter cycle, and offline listening for on-demand content. Currently, the premium version of the app is free as well -- touting custom stations / playlists, live audio pause / rewind, myESPN personalization, alerts / push notifications and a few more gems to keep you well informed on the latest Red Sox debacle. After a "limited time," though, you'll have to shell out $4.99 for the premium app and its 35 ESPN radio stations. What about Android and WP7 devices, you ask? The folks in Bristol claim that apps for those platforms will arrive later this summer. Now optimized for iPad and includes "build your sports station" personalization feature ESPN Radio today unveils its single, most definitive ESPN Radio App optimized for iPhone, iPod touch and – for the first time – iPad. The app, sponsored by Lowe's, creates a seamless, personalized sports listening experience both live and on demand and includes a new feature that allows fans to build their own sports stations. Additionally, fans now have the option to rewind live audio streams, including ESPN Deportes Radio. Versions for Android and Windows 7 smartphones are slated to launch later this summer. "This latest version of the ESPN Radio App builds on our promise to deliver the best sports audio content across any device," said Marc Horine, Vice President, ESPN Digital and Print Media. "With this update, fans now have complete control over their listening experience as the app provides the functionality to customize specifically by sports, teams and athletes they care most about." The app is free to download and includes: Beginning today, fans can download the premium version of the app at no cost for a limited time. After that, for a one-time fee of $4.99, fans can access the full experience of the app, complete with the new personalization features and enhancements. These include: Additionally, the premium app will continue to give millions of ESPN Radio listeners access to live, crystal clear radio streams from over 35 ESPN Radio stations, fan favorite shows like Mike & Mike in the Morning, The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Waddle & Silvy (Chicago), The Michael Kay Show (New York) and more, select play-by-play broadcasts, live scores and text messaging. Additional features include integrated news content from ESPN's five local sites in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and Dallas, and social media integrations via Facebook and Twitter. ESPN Radio launched its first app in September 2009 and has since been one of the top paid sports apps in the marketplace. Additionally, it was named Best Radio App by Radio Ink Magazine at the Digital Convergence Awards in May 2011. The ESPN Radio App is available from the App Store on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore. The ESPN Radio app is the latest product from ESPN's digital audio portfolio. In March, ESPNRadio.com logged its best month ever since it first launched 11 years ago. The site generated nearly 1.51 million page views from users listening between 30-60 minutes of digital audio through the ESPN Audio NOW Player, a 511 percent increase compared to the same month last year (source: Adobe/Omniture). It also generated more than 3.22 million unique visitors (up 10.75 percent) and nearly 27 million total page views (up 35.8 percent). Additionally, ESPN Podcasts recorded its own best month ever in March, logging 49 million downloads, up 73 percent compared to the same month last year. |
| Panasonic gifts NTT DoCoMo with Eluga V, Eluga Power smartphones and Eluga Live tablet Posted: 16 May 2012 12:03 AM PDT
Among the slew of new Android 4.0 devices unveiled by Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo today were a trio from Panasonic, including the Eluga Power phone we'd seen before and a few new entries in the Eluga V phone and Eluga Live tablet. We've already gotten our mitts all over the Eluga Power's 5-inch screen and 1.5Ghz dual-core S4 CPU at MWC, so this time we'll take a close look into the other two Ice Cream Sandwiched models. The P-06D Eluga V is a 4.6-inch variant (sliding between the Power and original P-04D Eluga) while still packing a dual-core 1.5GHz CPU. The P-08D Eluga Live tablet measures at 10.1-inches, packs DLNA streaming features and slots stereo speakers into a smooth curved edge design. The Eluga V is scheduled to arrive July 6th, while the other two should hit Japanese shelves in January, hit the source link and brink your kanji skills (or translation software) for more information. |
| Kantar: Windows Phone clawing back share thanks to Nokia, but Android still rules the roost Posted: 15 May 2012 11:31 PM PDT
It's seldom the case that we get to look at world smartphone market share on a national level, but Kantar WorldPanel has given a rare peek that might give Windows Phone fans some good news to crow about. Even though things haven't always gone well for the Microsoft camp, Nokia phones like the Lumia 800 sparked a minor Renaissance in some countries in the three months leading up to mid-April: Windows Phone was up to between three and four percent in France, Italy, the UK and the US. The Metro interface must also be sehr gut for Germans, which nearly doubled Windows Phone's local share to six percent in that short space of time. Kantar is eager to point out that it's still mostly a tale of Android and iOS successes, though. Google took extra ground in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and the US, while Apple was on a tear both on its native soil and in the UK. HTC's upbeat predictions may have played a significant part in Android's continued rise -- the One X cracked the British top 10 list despite having only been in shops for a few days. About the only underdog story not going well in early spring was RIM's, where the BlackBerry's share of the US was cut to a third of its year-ago glory at three percent. |
| Upcoming Mozilla Marketplace lacks Linux support; open-source fix in the works Posted: 15 May 2012 10:47 PM PDT
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| NTT DoCoMo launching 19 new devices this summer, brings Galaxy S III to Japan Posted: 15 May 2012 10:12 PM PDT
If you aren't already accustomed to Japan's regular deluge of device announcements, brace yourself: NTT DoCoMo just stepped forward with 17 new phones, as well as a mobile WiFi hotspot and a tablet. Throw a stone at the pile of hardware, and you're likely to strike something running Ice Cream Sandwich -- with the exception of the WiFi hotspot and a single handset designed for kids, every device on the list is running Android 4.0. Among the hodgepodge of handsets, DoCoMo is offering ten dual-core devices with screens ranging from 3.7 to 5-inches, a 10.1-inch 1.2Ghz dual-core slate, camera sensors of all sizes (from 8 megapixels to 13, that is) and a curious "Raku-Raku smartphone" that promises the "sensation of pressing actual keys" to smartphone newbies. The lineup's superstars, however, can all be found in DoCoMo's "NEXT" series of smartphones, bolstering the carrier's Xi LTE service with heavy hitters like the Galaxy S III, the Optimus Vu, Sony's Xperia GX and the Tegra 3 touting Arrows X. Hit the source links to check out the smartphone smorgasbord for yourself, or read on for our list of the never-before-seen ICS devices (they're all waterproof!) as well as DoCoMo's official press release. DoCoMo With series NEC Medias X N-07D: 4.3-inch, 1.5GHz dual core, 123g, 8.1MP / 1.3MP, Xi LTE, 1,800mAh Optimus it L-05D: 4-inch, 1.5GHz dual core, 131g, 8.2MP / 0.32MP, Xi LTE, 1,650mAh Fujitsu F-09D Anteprima: 3.7-inch, 1.4GHz, 120g, 8.1MP / 1.3MP, 1,460mAh Fujitsu Arrows Me F-11D: 3.7-inch, 1GHz, 125g, 5MP, 1,520mAh Panasonic Eluga V P-06D: 4.6-inch, 1.5GHz dual core, 127g, 13.2MP / 1.3MP, 1,600mAh Sharp AQUOS Phone st SH-07D: 3.4-inch, 1GHz, 108g, 8MP, 1,520mAh DoCoMo Next series Sharp AQUOS Phone sv SH-10D: 4.5-inch, 1.5GHz dual core, 138g, 12.1MP / 0.32MP, Xi LTE, 1,900mAh, microSDXC Toshiba Regza Phone T-02D: 4.3-inch, 1.5GHz dual core, 139g, 13.1MP / 1.3MP, Xi LTE, 1,800mAh Sharp AQUOS Phone Zeta SH-09D: 4.7-inch, 1.5GHz dual core, 140g, 12.1MP / 0.32MP, Xi LTE, 1,900mAh, microSDXC Others DoCoMo Raku-Raku F-12D: 4-inch, 1.4GHz, 139g, 8.1MP / 0.32MP, 1,800mAh Tablet Panasonic Eluga Live P-08D: 10.1-inch, 1.2GHz dual core (TI OMAP), 672g, 1.3MP front cam, 6,560mAh Richard Lai contributed to this report. TOKYO, JAPAN, May 16, 2012 --- NTT DOCOMO, INC. announced today its 2012 summer lineup of 19 models for launch in or after June, including 16 smartphones, a tablet and a mobile phone for children as well as a mobile Wi-Fi® router, many of which will be compatible with DOCOMO's Xi™ (read "Crossy") LTE mobile service. DOCOMO's new smartphone and tablet lineup, which covers an exceptionally broad range of specifications, is designed to satisfy diverse needs at a time when smart devices are becoming an increasingly essential and ubiquitous part of daily life. For the first time, for example, the Raku-Raku PHONE series of simplified models offers a touch-screen smartphone that mimics the sensation of pressing actual keys. Users less experienced in touch screen operations are expected to welcome the familiar feel of this newest model in DOCOMO's series of easy-to-see, easy-to-hear and easy-to-use mobile devices. Also for the first time, users of this phone may subscribe to the "Raku-Raku Pake-hodai" flat-rate packet service. DOCOMO also has launched a number of initiatives for enhanced security and customer support to ensure that all smartphone and tablet models in the summer 2012 lineup can be used with peace of mind. Key features of DOCOMO's new lineup of smartphones and tablet are as follow: All models run on Android™ 4.0. |
| IKEA Uppleva HDTV to retail for $960 in Europe beginning next month, US launch in 2013 Posted: 15 May 2012 09:44 PM PDT
Details continue to emerge as we approach the IKEA Uppleva's June launch. GigaOM has discovered that the set will be available in sizes ranging from 24 to 46 inches and will be priced "around $960" -- with a scale relative to the display size, we presume. The TV will feature a built-in Blu-ray player and a wireless subwoofer, and is being assembled by TCL Multimedia a manufacturer in China. Uppleva is expected to roll out to France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden beginning next month, then to other European countries later in the year, followed by the US in 2013. There will also be a handful of applications that will vary based on region, including Dailymotion, Vimeo and YouTube, along with games, music playback and video-on-demand apps, and the Opera for TV web browser. There's a familiar sneak-peek vid awaiting you just past the break. Update: Due to an error at the source article, we originally identified the manufacturer as TLC, rather than TCL Multimedia. The text above has been updated to reflect the correction.
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| The BBC's coverage promises to make you sick of the Olympics by the time it's done Posted: 15 May 2012 08:57 PM PDT
How much Olympics is too much Olympics? The BBC aims to find out at this year's London 2012 games, by offering up "the most comprehensive coverage ever," a list that includes 2,500 hours of coverage via the broadcaster's site and up to 24 live HD streams. Live coverage will be offered up for every sport and each sport, athlete, venue and country will have its own page on the site. The BBC will also be providing a free mobile app, a mobile browser site and apps for connected TVs -- 3D and Super Hi-Vision coverage is a bonus. Check out an explanatory video about the new video player after the break, as well as some scheduling information in the source link below. And maybe think about a training regimen to get ready to watch this summer's games. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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