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- Insert Coin: PressurePen stylus lets you make all kinds of lines on your tablet
- Facebook could be looking to buy Opera browser
- Supercomputer gets a memory boost with 380 petabytes of magnetic tape
- ViewSonic teases 22-inch Android ICS 'tablet,' promises more at Computex
- Sony pushing ICS to more devices next week, confirms Xperia Play won't be upgraded
- Samsung Galaxy S III review
- Toshiba bows out of netbooks in the US, sees Ultrabooks as the wave of the future
- Apple introduces 'free app of the week,' kicks things off with Cut the Rope: Experiments
- Engadget Podcast 295 - 05.25.2012
- Nokia has its wicked way with Bing Maps, stork delivers traffic advice and geocoding
- Distro Issue 42 lands with the Engadget Summer Gear Guide, a handsome new look and more!
- Absinthe 2.0 hits the download wire, jailbreaks all iOS 5.1.1 devices but the 32nm iPad 2
- RealNetworks to refund $2 million, 'guilt' box stays un-ticked
- Kanex outs non-Apple Thunderbolt cable (updated)
- Leap Motion gesture control technology hands-on
- Satechi BT Media Remote steers your iOS media habits, summons Siri via Bluetooth
- Comcast video on-demand comes to Boston area TiVo Premieres Monday
- PayPal lines up 15 retailers for mobile payments, will let you buy Jamba Juice smoothies with a smartphone
- PSA: Watch the SpaceX Dragon's first attempt at docking right now! (video)
- Google's Project Glass... it's spreading (sample video)
- Custom-made Aperture Science gas mask will make sure you're still alive, won't open portals
- MIT's needleless injections help you get drugs faster, doesn't even hurt (video)
- Nokia Alpha, Phi, PurePhi and PureLambda pop up in tests, bring Windows Phone 8 along for the ride
- Google snags the webOS Enyo team, HP says open source plans are still on schedule
- Sony ST26i benchmarks reveal Android 4.0, 4-inch FWVGA display and lackluster performance
- X Prize adopts NASA guidelines for protecting lunar heritage sites, Buzz Aldrin punch averted
- Intel funnels $40 million into global network of research laboratories
- Nissan announces e-NV200 all-electric van, production slated for 2013
- Samsung's GSM-only dual-SIM Galaxy Ace Duos kicks off its world tour in Russia next month
- NVIDIA touts 30 Tegra 3 smartphones set for this year, teases next-gen Grey SoC with on-board LTE
- ASUS Transformer Pad TF300TL hits the FCC with AT&T-friendly LTE
- Google adds copyright takedowns to Transparency Reports, 1.2 million a month and growing
- HTC One X for AT&T gets unofficial bootloader unlock
- Samsung Galaxy S III shows in Best Buy Canada leak due June 20th, maple syrup uncorked to celebrate
- Tweetbot 2.4 brings keyword mute filters, offline favorite and read later support
- RIM patent application puts pressure on sensitive touchscreens for a possible unlock alternative
- Slide shows Dell Latitude 10 tablet running Windows 8
- BBM staying exclusive to BlackBerry, says WSJ source
- Microsoft pulling free development tools for Windows 8 desktop apps, only lets you ride the Metro for free (update: confirmed)
- Broadcast TV networks, Dish Network file lawsuits over new Auto Hop ad skipping feature
| Insert Coin: PressurePen stylus lets you make all kinds of lines on your tablet Posted: 25 May 2012 11:13 AM PDT In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. If you're like Charles Mangin, you love your iPad or Android tablet, but wish it was a little more Wacom-esque. But why wait for hardware manufacturers to bring the styli to you? Mangin has concocted the PressurePen, a pressure-sensitive stylus that plugs into a tablet's audio jack. The peripheral sends a tone to the tablet based on how far the tip of the pen is pushed in. The tone affects the thickness of the pen stroke, helping you alternate the sizes of lines more naturally than on a standard tablet. Mangin is shooting for $10,000 over on his Kickstarter page, with a little under a week and around $4,000 left to go. Those who pledge $60 or more will get a PressurePen to call their own. Mangin will also be open sourcing the plans for the pen, so those with access to a 3D printer will be able to make their own shell at home. Video of a PressurePen prototype in action after the break.
Previous project update: With 43 days to go, the cookoo connected watch has crossed the halfway point to its lofty $150,000 goal. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Facebook could be looking to buy Opera browser Posted: 25 May 2012 10:40 AM PDT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Supercomputer gets a memory boost with 380 petabytes of magnetic tape Posted: 25 May 2012 10:17 AM PDT Remember the Cray XK6 at the University of Illinois that drives the National Science Foundation's Blue Waters project? Well, it looks like it's getting a little memory upgrade, sorta. We're not talking a slick new SSD here, or even a sweet NAS, all that computational power requires nothing less than... tape. Okay, so it's actually a full storage infrastructure, and some of it -- 25 petabytes no less -- will be disk-based. The rest -- a not insignificant 380 petabytes -- will be the good old magnetic stuff. The idea is that the disk part will be used for instant access, with the tape section serving as "nearline" storage -- something between an archive and online solution. Spectra Logic is providing the tape, and says it'll take a couple of years to implement the whole lot. Once complete, the system will support the supercomputer's lofty tasks, such as understanding how the cosmos evolved after the Big Bang and, y'know designing new materials at the atomic level. And we thought we were excited about out next desktop. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ViewSonic teases 22-inch Android ICS 'tablet,' promises more at Computex Posted: 25 May 2012 09:48 AM PDT Have we finally found a tablet match for the 5.3-inch Galaxy Note? ViewSonic sent around a teaser for its "Touch and Connect" series prototypes, including a 22-inch "smart business tablet monitor," powered by what appears to be Ice Cream Sandwich. The giant touch-enabled device will be joined by a Windows 8 multi-touch display, new cloud computing solutions, high-end laser projectors and some interactive electronic billboards -- all set to make their debut on June 5th at Computex. More details will no-doubt be forthcoming in Taipei, so do stay tuned. And you may want to hold off on those giant tablet acquisitions in the meantime -- we have less than two weeks to wait for what could just be the largest mainstream tablet to date. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sony pushing ICS to more devices next week, confirms Xperia Play won't be upgraded Posted: 25 May 2012 09:16 AM PDT Owners of the Xperia Play, it's time to curl up with a teddy bear and your favorite ice cream -- just as long as it's not in sandwich form. After the sudden and unexplained disappearance of the "PlayStation Phone" from the Android 4.0 upgrade list yesterday, Sony has followed it up with a full confirmation accompanied by the usual explanation. As you may have already guessed, the manufacturer tells us that after extensive testing, it was determined that "a consistent and stable experience, particularly with gaming, cannot be guaranteed for this smartphone on Ice Cream Sandwich... in this instance the ICS upgrade would have compromised stability." Sony went on to discuss that it received similar feedback from the developer community after releasing a beta ROM. Still, after being told repeatedly that the entire 2011 smartphone lineup would receive the update, we can't help but be a bit heartbroken by the news. In the same breath, however, Sony also updated its timeline for the rest of the lineup that is still on schedule to receive upgrades to Ice Cream Sandwich: the Xperia arc, neo, mini, mini pro, pro, active and Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman will begin receiving their refreshes next week. The Xperia S is still on track for an end of June rollout, with the Xperia P closely following it and the Xperia U sometime in the third quarter. It's just unfortunate that the good tidings must be balanced out by equally horrible news, depending on which device you own. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 25 May 2012 08:30 AM PDT More InfoIt's a strange feeling, receiving such a keenly anticipated phone to review. The hubbub of launch events, hands-on previews and heated debates suddenly dies away, leaving you with one small and intensely silent cardboard box. In this instance, the packaging contained the "marble white" version of the Galaxy S III (not the more daring "pebble blue") alongside one burning question: apart from all the hype, do this handset's paper credentials translate into a product that is worthy of serious cash and a 24-month commitment? Those credentials are certainly more subtle than those of other recent devices. There's no unusual camera, stand-out display or unibody build. Instead, we get an abstract design statement about the phone being "inspired by nature" alongside a list of incremental hardware improvements such as a quad-core processor, as well as fresh additions to Samsung's customized Android 4.0 skin. As it turns out, these specs forgo immediate swagger in favor of creating a solid workhorse of a smartphone that is intent on attracting a long-term following. Read on and you'll discover just how it pulls that off.
Hardware
There's no point in skirting around the fact that the GS III can be deflating when you first look at it. That's partly because its rounded corners and glossy finish make the phone look more mainstream and less, well, edgy than the Galaxy S II, but also because the handset still bears so much physical affinity to its predecessors. The earpiece and speaker grilles, camera lenses, home button and other items of furniture are all in their familiar and predictable bolt-holes and there's nothing overwhelmingly new about any aspect of the design. HTC tried something different with the build of their new flagship, the One X, but on this occasion Samsung has voted conservative. (Incidentally, if you begin to notice that this review mentions the One X a heck of a lot, then you've already cottoned on to one of the major themes that will dog not only these paragraphs, but also the GS III's entire existence.) In any case, once you get past that "oh, it's another Samsung" vibe, you realize that the GS III's design tradition is -- in many respects -- no bad thing. Minimal bulk with no frills is what Galaxy phones are all about, and seeing as this particular model lugs a 4.8-inch panel it's only right that Samsung's designers used all their old tricks to keep the weight and dimensions to a minimum. Thanks to the signature plastic build and paper-thin peel-off rear cover, the weight is kept to a respectable 135 grams (4.7 ounces) -- yes, that's still 17 grams more than the GS II, but it's way less than a unibody handset like the Lumia 900, which weighs 160 grams while possessing a smaller display. The GS III is also just 8.6mm (0.34 inches) thick, which is only marginally fatter than its predecessor and still well below the average smartphone belt buckle, despite the inclusion of a hefty 2,100mAh interchangeable battery. Speaking of interchangeable: in addition to the battery we also get a microSD slot, which means you won't have to pay over the odds for more storage. That adds up to a second (and increasingly rare) tick for the GS III -- from the current pack of rivals, only the HTC EVO 4G LTE matches this spec, but that's still a niche device due to its limited radio. Some buyers will still be put off by this handset's length and width, but at 136.6mm long and 70.6mm wide the GS III actually falls well inside the bell curve of other current big-screened flagships. It feels like a phone, not a phablet, and when you bear in mind what you get in return – a vast, amazing display, for example – the slightly XL dimensions feel like a bargain. Overall, the build quality is hard to criticize. The plastic is extremely well put together, it doesn't flex or creak and the phone never feels fragile. The all-over continuous sheet of Gorilla Glass 2 on the front panel did a good (though not perfect) job of fending off car keys, while the glossy rear cover was equally impervious in its own way. What more could you want from a phone that's going to follow you around for years on end? Display The GS III's display is a 4.8-inch window onto wondrousness and certainly a major selling point. It has all the contrast and deep blacks that we've come to love from AMOLED displays, but it's also bigger than average, with a healthy pixel density and -- most importantly -- much better color rendition than some older AMOLED screens. Six months of progress has led to real visual improvements since the Galaxy Nexus, even though the underlying screen technology is the same: colors aren't over-saturated and they don't have that unnatural blue-ish tint. In fact, the color temperature is very similar to that of the HTC One X, which uses more conventional LCD technology, and that's a huge accomplishment for Samsung. Although it doesn't sound like much, the extra screen size is noticeable and great to have. It's 0.1 inches bigger across the diagonal than the HTC One X, and 0.15 inches bigger than the Galaxy Nexus – which equates to a seven or eight percent difference in surface area. When it comes to watching videos, reading e-books or surfing websites, every fraction helps. In fact, if you almost made the leap to the jumbo Galaxy Note but couldn't quite convince yourself it was sensible, then the GS III could be the compromise you've been waiting for.
The extra screen size also serves another useful purpose: it helps to mitigate the effect of the strange PenTile technology that Samsung uses in its AMOLED smartphones these days. For the benefit of those who haven't followed this controversy, here's a refresher: PenTile displays generally don't deliver the pixelation-free appearance that you'd rightfully expect when you purchase a smartphone with a stated resolution of 1280 x 720 and a pixel density of 306ppi. The photo above demonstrates why, by comparing the Galaxy S line of displays under a 230x microscopic zoom. Look how nice and neat the older GS II's red, green and blue sub-pixels are: they come in tightly-bunched trios (i.e., an RGB layout). The newer GS III, however, is meant to have three times the resolution of its predecessor, but if you count up its sub-pixels you'll see that it has nothing like that numerical advantage. Its sub-pixels are awkwardly spaced out in a PenTile matrix, just like the first Galaxy S. When you zoom back out to a normal viewing distance, that arrangement of sub-pixels generally results in grainier or fuzzier images. Should the world bang on Samsung's doors and demand a 300dpi letter of apology? Well, maybe, but not so much with the GS III, because it's largely rescued by its extra screen size. Having a 4.8-inch panel encourages you to hold the phone slightly further from your face, and even lengthening the distance from your eyeballs by a couple of inches can be enough to obscure the PenTile effect. Compared to the PenTile display on a Lumia 800 for example, which is both smaller and has a lower resolution, the GS III was infinitely nicer to look at, to the point where the word "PenTile" was totally forgotten after a couple of days of acclimatization. We'd only advise caution if you're an avid e-book consumer and you're extremely fussy about your text looking like it would on a printed page – in that case you may well prefer the HTC One X's Super LCD2 alternative. In the meantime, the world can save the door-banging for the GS IV. Camera Raw speed. That's what the GS III brings to the photographic table, and it's one of the most practical benefits of its powerful quad-core engine. We pulled off six frames per second with full 8-megapixel resolution by holding down the shutter button while in burst mode, which was slightly more than the HTC One X and totally sufficient for getting a nice smile out of shy subjects. In Single Shot mode, there was virtually no shutter lag, which greatly assisted shots of moving targets: what you see when you tap the screen is exactly what will appear in your gallery afterwards. There is probably a slight delay, but it's so small that it's imperceptible – judging from a non-scientific test, it's less than 0.1 seconds and shorter than the lag on the HTC One X. Overall, the speed and ease-of-use of this camera can change the way you shoot pictures – not simply by filling up your microSD card with more photos than usual, but by encouraging you to push for ever more interesting shots that wouldn't possible on a regular laggy phone. Of course, none of that would make sense without great image quality, and fortunately the GS III is up to scratch in that area too – even though it doesn't show a great deal of progress from earlier Galaxy phones. In many ways this is good: previous models delivered sharp and colorful images, while earlier iterations of the TouchWiz camera app also offered a high level of manual control, and those qualities have been carried over into the GS III. This includes the press-and-hold method of taking a photo, which allows you set focus and exposure before re-framing and releasing the shutter to take a shot -- a system that encourages more creative control and which is sorely lacking on the One X. It also includes the ability to set the compression level (Normal, Fine or Superfine).
With the lowest compression, still photos generally weigh between 2.7MB and 4.7MB, which means they contain precisely the amount of information we'd want from such a high resolution image -- other phones are known to cap file-sizes at around 3MB, which hurts image quality. The GS III also brings a triple-exposure HDR mode which works well, along with other modern extras like smile detection and the stitching of multiple shots to create panoramas. The only thing missing here is real optical development: the maximum aperture is f/2.6, which is basically the same as its predecessors and well behind the light-loving f/2.0 lens on the HTC One X. This means the GS III will generally be worse off in low-light situations, although we still found that it performed admirably, with minimal noise.
Moving on to video footage and it's clear that once again the snappy processor is living up to its rep: autofocus during video recording was some of the best we've seen in any smartphone, and broadly on par with the HTC One X. 1080p is recorded with a data-rate of around 2.2MB/s, which is very healthy indeed, and autoexposure shifts smoothly and sensibly. There's no slow-mo unfortunately, which counts against the GS III because that would have been a cool feature to have, but regular 1080p / 30fps footage is smooth and largely free of the rolling shutter "jello" effect. Performance and battery life
So, we come to one of the GS III's not-so-secret weapons: its Exynos Quad processor, which is the only other engine beyond NVIDIA's Tegra 3 to bring more than two cores to a mainstream handset. If you need further evidence of just how bleeding-edge the new 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos is, you only need to look at its transistor size. Shrinking transistors is an expensive, painstaking business that only high-volume companies like Samsung can afford, but for the end user it broadly translates to a capacity for more performance with less battery drain -- yes, that's both at the same time; one of the physical world's rare win-win situations. The GS III's silicon is a fabricated with a 32-nanometer process, which is significantly smaller than last year's generation of 45nm phones and also smaller than Tegra 3's 40nm process. The only other mainstream mobile phone processors that benefit from such shrinkage are Intel's 32nm Medfield, which is put to good effect in the Lava Xolo for example, and Qualcomm's remarkable 28nm Snapdragon S4, which powers phones like the HTC One S and the LTE version of the HTC One X. Okay, so what is this highfalutin Exynos chip capable of in real-world terms? Let's start with daily operation first: this phone boots up from cold in under 25 seconds and never stalls, never lags and never trips over itself. Whether you're navigating picture-heavy PDFs in Polaris Office, playing back chunky 1080p clips shot on your DSLR, or simply surfing content-heavy websites, you'll never even think about the processor. The true power of this processor will only materialize as the software becomes available to exploit four-way multi-threading. In the meantime, the only way you're going to test this phone is if you get the chance to do crazy things like running tough augmented reality apps (something we'd like to do in future, in order to test the graphical component of the Exynos), or a dual OS, or playing Skyrim, or if you run benchmarks. Which brings us smoothly on to those (slightly) less subjective arbiters of performance. We've recently updated our suite of tests, so there are actually two sets of tables. The first, above, throws the GS III up against recently-reviewed phones using our new benchmarks. (Note: all the numbers for other phones come after recent firmware updates, so they might be different to what we've published in earlier reviews.)
On the whole you're looking at a device that is unsurpassed in terms of performance. The GS III loses out to the One X on a few scores but beats it on others. It does particularly well on the SunSpider score, which reflects web-browsing performance: it's on a par with the One X here, and well beyond the latest Apple A5-based devices –- for instance, the new iPad only scores 2,011ms. If we look at Tegra 3 devices, like the global version of HTC One X, which isn't listed on the table above, we see a similar picture of the GS III winning on some and losing on a couple (namely CF-Bench and Quadrant). Overall, we'd have to call it a draw between the GS III and either variant of the HTC One X, at least on the basis of these specific tests.
Lastly, for the sake of comparison with a few older and cheaper devices, we've included above a legacy table with our previous suite of benchmarks. Although these benchmarks struggle to distinguish between the very latest phones -- which is precisely why we've moved on from them -– they nevertheless prove two things. Firstly, if processor grunt is a primary concern then you don't need to splash out on a GS III: you can do at least as well with a the Snapdragon S4-fueled HTC One S, which is a significantly cheaper handset. Secondly, the Galaxy Nexus – much as we love it -- is now very much last year's news in terms of horsepower. Ah, but wait a second. We can't move without acknowledging that performance has a flip-side: battery drain. We had high hopes for the GS III in this regard, after we saw it had an unusually high-capacity 2,100mAh battery, and after GSMArena found in their own tests that the handset can go for almost as a long as a tablet. Fortunately, our battery drain test paints the same picture: the GS III survived a whole day under extremely intensive use, including running benchmarks that sap a ton of energy. It also lasted somewhere between 8.5 hours and 9.5 hours on our battery run-down test. This is a great result given the phone's screen size and resolution, and the fact that it only has a very early firmware version. It's also basically the same as the nine hours achieved by the AT&T HTC One X -- so close that we're going to re-run the test to get a more precise measurement and hopefully establish a clear winner. We'll update this review as soon as that's done, and also add more battery-life examples of everyday usage, but in the meantime, rest assured that this phone already scores extremely well for battery life. Software The GS III is an Android (Version 4) phone, but it has a very heavy TouchWiz skin stuck on top of it. This means that in addition to the typical Android-style clutter of widgets and menus and settings screens, the phone also has Samsung-only twists that add to a general sense of busyness. For fans of iOS (no widgets) or Windows Phone (no clutter), the whole thing might be a turn-off. Equally, if you're a devotee of the pure Android 4.0 user interface, which is more fluid and less busy than earlier versions, then you'll also be disappointed.
It's understandable that Samsung wants to make its own mark on Android and differentiate itself from the competition, but did it really need to mess with Android 4.0 so brutally in the process? When you look at how much effort Google puts into improving its open source OS, it's actually unforgiveable for Samsung to come along and give us a skin that makes it all feel like old-fashioned Android 2.3. The phone doesn't even follow the latest button conventions: it has 'back' and 'menu' capacative buttons on either side of the physical home button, and thus omits the 'multi-tasking' button that came with the ICS. This means you have to press and hold the main home button for a second or so (honestly, it feels like an eternity), just to move between the apps that you're running. It's backwards and it's wrong. But that's enough of the rage. Not everyone feels so strongly about the UI, and perhaps many will like TouchWiz if it makes them feel at home. More importantly though, many of Samsung's functional additions are genuinely useful. Here's a list of the main features that came in handy, in descending order from good to less good: 50GB of free Dropbox storage. So good. This storage boost was triggered when we first signed into the pre-loaded Dropbox app, and it suddenly made it feasible to automatically stream our photos to the cloud. Happy days. Swiping contacts to call or message them. The simplest ideas are often the best. Swiping contacts left to send them a message or right to ring them became second nature after a while, because it's a lot faster than navigating sequential screens and tapping buttons. In fact, Samsung should have made even more use of swiping gestures, for example home screen and multi-tasking navigation like on the iPad -- the screen size is easily big enough to handle it. Smart stay. The screen refuses to timeout when you're looking at it, based on face recognition via the front-facing camera. There's nothing worse than a screen that switches off just as you're starting to make sense of the content it's showing you, and this feature nips that problem in the bud. Social tag. When you first take a photo of someone, the phone asks you to name them. From then on, it does all the hard work of recognizing that person again in future snaps, and linking up their social networking profiles so that you can share your photos faster. This should also make it really easy to catalog a gallery, or search it for pictures of a particular person, but we didn't spot a way to do that. Face unlock. This is a stock feature from pure Android 4, but fortunately Samsung has carried it over to TouchWiz. It works great and it's the easily the fastest method of unlocking the phone, even though it isn't the most secure – it also disables the ability to jump straight into a specific app from the lock screen, which often undoes some of its speed gains. And here are some features that we just didn't get along with: S Beam. This could have been so powerful, but it instead represents the problem with Samsung's philosophy. They've taken two open-source standards, Android Beam and WiFi Direct, and transformed them into a proprietary wireless interface that is extremely fast, but which only works between two GS III handsets. Aside from the ethical implications, how often are you going to get a chance to use this feature? S Voice. This isn't as "human" as iPhone's Siri. It doesn't work as quickly or as intelligently, and it often cuts you off mid-sentence, thereby wasting time interpreting meaningless fragments of requests. With patience it can yield better results, but overall it's hard to imagine many people using it on a regular basis. Do that many people even use Siri? Wrap-up The best thing about the Galaxy S III? That it's more than the sum of its parts. Individually, the slightly larger and better display, stronger processor and faster camera may not sound that special, but in daily operation they score major combo points: gathering up all the best bits of the older Galaxy S II and re-working them into a solidly modern (read: mid-2012) device. And the worst thing about the GS III? No matter how hard it tries, it just isn't greater than the sum of the HTC One X's parts. Last year's Galaxy S II landed on an unsuspecting world that was devoid of predators, but the GS III has no such luxury. The Snapdragon variant of the One X has similar computing power, battery life and photographic credibility, but it also has a much better user interface that sticks more closely to the guiding ethos of Android 4.0. It also has a more forward-looking physical design, while the GS III sticks to the tried and true styles of old. Perhaps the biggest sacrifice you'd make by going for the One X over the GS III is the loss of the cheap storage offered by the microSD card. That's a painful thing to give up, but given how deeply we feel about the need for Android to move forward and not get stuck in a Gingerbread-flavored groundhog day, we'll take the hit. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toshiba bows out of netbooks in the US, sees Ultrabooks as the wave of the future Posted: 25 May 2012 08:07 AM PDT The pace of netbook launches has visibly slowed between the dual-pronged pressures of tablets and ultrabooks, and at least for Americans, it's about to get a lot slower. A Toshiba executive has warned that there aren't any plans to bring more netbooks to the US; the NB510's presence at CES this year is now as close as Yankees will get to any more Atom-powered notebooks from the outfit. Instead, all of Toshiba's enthusiasm for ultraportables in the country will be spent on Ultrabooks like the Portege Z835. It's a sad day for those who like their computers tiny, especially as it hikes the minimum price for a super-light Toshiba laptop to $800, but it's hard to ignore a rapidly declining market. We also imagine that Toshiba will gladly steer you to one of its Excite tablets if you're looking for the basics in a small shape. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Apple introduces 'free app of the week,' kicks things off with Cut the Rope: Experiments Posted: 25 May 2012 07:39 AM PDT Amazon has been offering a free app of the day for a while now, but that offer is good for Android users only. Well, Apple seems to have caught on to the fact that iOS users like to save money too, as it's debuting a "free app of the week" offer. Cupertino kicked off the new promotion yesterday via Twitter, where it announced that the game Cut the Rope: Experiments will be the first free download. Click on through to the source link, and you'll see that the Appstore indeed lists the title as "free for a limited time." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Engadget Podcast 295 - 05.25.2012 Posted: 25 May 2012 07:15 AM PDT  A lot's bubbling in the Law & Order sector of technology news this week, and you know these guys will get you hyper-informed on the ins and outs of patents, patent trolls, and the definition of "obviousness" as it applies to the lives of both the dinosaurs and the pioneers of said sector. If you're not into that stuff, we can't blame you, and for you we'll play along with Maker Faire from home and wax meta on Finnish phone companies. From our studio, to your home, it's The Engadget Podcast. Host: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater 04:45 - Google officially closes deal for Motorola Mobility Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace.
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| Nokia has its wicked way with Bing Maps, stork delivers traffic advice and geocoding Posted: 25 May 2012 06:46 AM PDT We already knew that Nokia had been running its fingers through Bing's map-like hair, marking it with its scent, now it's added a little lipstick to its collar. The latest addition to the Microsoft-mapping service now uses Nokia's live traffic and geocoding algorithms. This brings the functionality of Nokia's "Where" platform over to 24 nations (including the US, UK and Canada) of Bing users. Best of all for American maps that info also covers side streets. Good to see the Nokia / Microsoft collaboration yielding ever more fruits, let's just hope they're considering the bigger picture, too. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distro Issue 42 lands with the Engadget Summer Gear Guide, a handsome new look and more! Posted: 25 May 2012 06:15 AM PDT Get ready, folks. We've got quite the treat for you this week. Not only do we have a brand spanking new issue of our weekly for your peepers to consume this weekend, but we've redesigned said e-publication as well. Of course, the real star this week is the Summer Gear Guide. That's right, our editors have painstakingly selected their top choices in all of the major categories to keep you blazin' the balmy trail with the best gadget arsenal possible. To go along with the refined digs, we introduce some new pages this week, too. Time Machines will test your geek cred by removing the easily identifiable logos from a classic device for your trivia pleasure. We'll also go eyes-on each week with some quite dapper offerings to satisfy the design nerd inside us all. Speaking of recent additions, we break down our recent hands-on impressions while Reaction Time offers some thoughts on next-gen gaming and upcoming releases. Switched On chats about what's next for Facebook, the Stat tallies the rise of mobile apps in the last year, Fusion-io CEO and Chairman David Flynn admits his love of Flowbee in the Q&A and Sean Pryor returns for The Strip. So, what are you waiting for? Hit the download link below that you fancy the most and you'll have a copy of this week's e-magazine before you know it. Distro Issue 42 PDF This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Absinthe 2.0 hits the download wire, jailbreaks all iOS 5.1.1 devices but the 32nm iPad 2 Posted: 25 May 2012 06:08 AM PDT Absinthe's "so-easy-your-grandma-could-do-it" jailbreak tool just got an update to version 2.0, enabling support for a handful of Apple portables running iOS 5.1.1. Absinthe 2.0, which was developed by the "Jailbreak Dream Team" (Chronic-Dev and iPhone Dev) joins Redsn0w's tool, and will support all iPhone and iPad versions, with the exception of iPad2,4 -- the most recent iPad 2 variant, shipping with a 32nm A5 chip. The jailbreak tool can also be installed on iPod3,1 and 4,1 models. Assuming your iOS device is up and running with firmware 5.1.1, you can hit up the source link after the break to get your download on. AppleTV (second gen) users can get in on the fun too, with the latest version of Seas0npass for 5.0.1.
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| RealNetworks to refund $2 million, 'guilt' box stays un-ticked Posted: 25 May 2012 05:43 AM PDT Paid for subscriptions from RealNetworks you didn't ask for a few years ago? You may be eligible for a refund. Washington State's Attorney General sued the company over a free trial of its Rhapsody music service, which had a pre-ticked box for additional content that went unnoticed by many who signed up. When clients stopped the trial without also canceling the extra options, charges often accumulated in the hundreds of dollars before being seen. While admitting no wrongdoing, RealNetworks agreed to discontinue the boxes, comply with federal laws and give refunds to any customers who signed up that way between January 2007 and December 2009. If that might be you, expect a postcard from RealNetworks or check their website to apply for a refund. Hopefully you'll be less, um, ticked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kanex outs non-Apple Thunderbolt cable (updated) Posted: 25 May 2012 05:27 AM PDT Kanex is releasing its very own Thunderbolt cable. However, if you were looking for something shorter and cheaper than Cupertino's six foot, $50 beast, prepared to be disappointed. Costing $60, the only difference between the two is that this is black instead of white, but if your inner-Goth couldn't bear to see another pearly cable, then perhaps those extra ten bucks won't matter. Update: Our friends over at 9to5mac pointed out that WD and Elgato are also pumping out speedy cables to the masses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leap Motion gesture control technology hands-on Posted: 25 May 2012 05:00 AM PDT Leap Motion unveiled its new gesture control technology earlier this week, along with videos showing the system tracking ten fingers with ease and a single digit slicing and dicing a grocery store's worth of produce in Fruit Ninja. Still, doubts persisted as to the veracity of the claim that the Leap is 200 times more accurate than existing tech. So, we decided to head up to San Francisco to talk with the men behind Leap, David Holz and Michael Buckwald, and see it for ourselves. Join us after the break to learn a bit more about Leap, our impressions of the technology, and a video of the thing in action. Before diving into the more technical details of the device he created, Holz told us about the genesis of his idea to create a better way for humans to interact with their computational devices. The idea to do so came during his days acquiring a Phd in mathematics from UNC and while working in fluid mechanics. You see, there's a problem with creating and manipulating 3D models using a mouse and keyboard --it's a needlessly complicated operation involving clicks and drop down menus. Holz wanted a way to make "molding virtual clay as easy as molding clay in the real world." After four years of research and many iterations of hardware, the Leap was finally finished.
We asked both Holz, and Buckwald about the underlying technology that enables such high-fidelity controls, and were told that it's an optical system that tracks your fingers with infrared LEDs and cameras in a way unlike any other motion control tech. This new method of motion sensing is why the Leap can be made so cheaply and come in such a small package. It can track hundreds of thousands of points at a time (note: point tracking isn't how it functions), and because its precision scales up or down according to the hardware it's connected to, it only uses one to two percent of a CPU's capabilities to work. To protect all of the IP inside the Leap, the firm has a slew of patent applications in the pipeline, which is why, despite our efforts, we couldn't extract more info about the hardware and its workings. In practice, the Leap is impressive. As anyone who's waved at Kinect or held a Wiimote in hand can attest, mass market motion controls are far from precise... Leap Motion's technology isn't. We tested it out using one of the company's prototype units, which is a bit larger than the final version, but Holz assured us that the user experience with each is identical. Using the Leap is easy, simply wave your hand in the space above the sensor, and it starts tracking any finger pointing at the screen. Whether we were slicing watermelons in a Fruit Ninja demo or drawing minuscule curlicues in a 3D-drawing app, the Leap followed our phalanges' every move on all three axes with nary a hiccup. The company touts the system's incredibly low latency -- faster than a monitor's refresh rate and below the threshold of a human's ability to sense it -- and we can confirm that there was zero perceptible lag during our demo. Because Leap works with any machine that has touch drivers onboard (whether for trackpads or touchscreens) using it is quite intuitive, and means that the technology is backwards compatible with existing apps. Naturally, Holz and Buckwald are keen to see developers create custom applications to take full advantage of the technology, and we gotta say, so are we. What's next for Leap Motion? Well, Holz and Buckwald told us that while the technology is initially available in peripheral form, the plan is to get it baked into laptops, desktops, smartphones and tablets, too. Because the hardware is so small, it can easily be stuffed into such devices. And, it'll work even better when embedded because there's greater flexibility in the placement of the hardware relative to the user's hands, and multiple sensors can be included to create a larger virtual workspace. We asked when we could expect to see Leap-enabled laptops, and were told that the company is in talks with several big hardware manufacturers to do just that. So, in the not-so-distant future, it seems we may all be waving our hands in front of screens instead of swiping and tapping on them. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Satechi BT Media Remote steers your iOS media habits, summons Siri via Bluetooth Posted: 25 May 2012 04:36 AM PDT Satechi BT Media Remote for iPhone, iPad & OS Bluetooth Devices Now Available Wirelessly control media on iPhone or iPad while it's connected to a TV, dock station or car stereo SAN DIEGO, May 24, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Satechi, a leading mobile accessories manufacturer, is thrilled to announce the availability of its new BT Media Remote. The wireless Bluetooth HID remote allows users to control any iOS Bluetooth Device while connected to a TV, dock station or car stereo. The convenient BT Media Remote is the ultimate multimedia companion for iPhone or iPad. The BT Media Remote features multimedia control which allows users to control the playback of any music or video on the iPhone or iPad. The convenient Satechi BT Media Remote has a remote camera shutter button so users can take photos without leaving themselves out of the camera. Lastly, the "Home" button on the remote can be used to activate Siri even while connected to another device. The Satechi BT Media Remote is available now for $39.99 at Satechi.net and Amazon.com. For more on the BT Media Remote and all of Satechi's award winning products, follow us on Facebook.com/Satechi and @Satechi. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Comcast video on-demand comes to Boston area TiVo Premieres Monday Posted: 25 May 2012 04:04 AM PDT Now that Comcast has started delivering its video on-demand to TiVo Premieres, the company has now revealed the second area where access will be turned on is Boston, starting Monday. The news was announced in a tweet from Head of Corporate Communications Steve Wymer, and as Gizmo Lovers notes, was likely held back as Comcast announced its own X1 platform would launch soon in Boston as well. We're now more than a year past the original announcement, hopefully this is just the start of the rollout as it picks up the pace, if the two companies work well together maybe Comcast could be on the list for that six-tuner Pace box at some point. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 25 May 2012 03:35 AM PDT Although PayPal's mobile payment system started out small with a Home Depot deal, that snowball is quickly rolling itself into a boulder. Starting next month, 15 extra US retailers will be happy to see you slap down your smartphone (not literally, we hope) instead of a credit card. The selection leads us to think a lot of smartphone owners like to shop for wearables -- Aéropostale, Foot Locker and JC Penney are in the batch, along with others -- but there's a few useful exceptions, like Barnes & Noble, Jamba Juice and TigerDirect. At least a total of 20 merchants are expected by the end of year, and as with Home Depot, you won't need special hardware besides an Android or iOS device to spend your hard-earned cash. We'll just be thankful we won't have to buy our yogurt with actual cash, like savages. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PSA: Watch the SpaceX Dragon's first attempt at docking right now! (video) Posted: 25 May 2012 03:01 AM PDT SpaceX's Dragon is rapidly approaching its historic meeting with the International Space Station. It's due to begin its first docking procedure at 7:30am ET, and NASA is streaming footage from both the ground crew, the ISS and the private craft itself. Once within a safe range, the station will extend its robotic arm and draw the Dragon in to dock -- with the hatch being opened tomorrow. We've embedded the video after the break so you can watch along at home, popcorn in hand. [Image credit: SpaceX] Live video by Ustream | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Google's Project Glass... it's spreading (sample video) Posted: 25 May 2012 02:29 AM PDT Now, we're not saying Google's elite are actually aliens managing human social affairs, but if you were our reader Ben who ran into a crew of Project Glass-equipped Googlers breaking for drinks at a Los Gatos wine bar, it might seem like a possibility. Beyond filing tons of paperwork, the team is clearly expanding quickly and most recently took part in the Google+ photographer's conference to show off what POV pictures and video (even if that's most of the functionality so far) could add to the world of photography. They wouldn't let Ben try on a pair, but Vic Gundotra reiterated that it was positioned as not to interfere with conversations, and make images appear to be floating in front of your eye. There's video of the photography presentation after the break (jump to about 45 minutes for the first person pics and video), as well as a few more pictures on Google+, but we'd keep a pair of special black sunglasses and bubblegum handy just in case.
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| Custom-made Aperture Science gas mask will make sure you're still alive, won't open portals Posted: 25 May 2012 02:17 AM PDT Valve's Portal series has been used as the pretext for many achievements outside of puzzle gaming, including getting hitched. Keeping you from shuffling off this mortal coil, however, is still new. Two Horns United has given a gas mask a decidedly nerdy visual upgrade that resembles the game's iconic Aperture Science Portable Quantum Tunneling Device, right down to the light-up energy chambers. Best of all, unlike some homebrew projects, you'll have a (probably limited) chance at buying one yourself after June. Coworkers might look at you oddly as you strap a portal gun to your face during a safety drill, but you'll have the quiet satisfaction of knowing you're truly ready for a neurotoxin attack, not to mention taking the title of a Jonathan Coulton song very literally. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MIT's needleless injections help you get drugs faster, doesn't even hurt (video) Posted: 25 May 2012 01:34 AM PDT Afraid of needles? You may not have to be if a team of MIT scientists get their way. Researchers in the Department of Mechanical Engineering are developing a jet-injection device (similar to this one) that allows professionals to pump you full of meds without poking you with a needle. The key to puncture free pharmaceuticals is pressure -- the device uses a Lorenz Force actuator to push medicine out of an opening about the diameter of a mosquito's proboscis. The nozzle pulls liquids out just as fast and efficiently as it administers them, researchers say, and can even deliver powder-based drugs as if they were a liquid, thanks to a bit of supersonic trickery. This tech could be a boon to healthcare workers who get pricked on the job or patients who get daily insulin shots. Promises of painless inoculations piquing your interest? Hit the video after the break to see how its done.
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| Nokia Alpha, Phi, PurePhi and PureLambda pop up in tests, bring Windows Phone 8 along for the ride Posted: 25 May 2012 12:43 AM PDT Not long after the Lumia 900 surfaced, Nokia's Windows Phone roadmap appeared to have come screeching to a halt -- official and otherwise. However, the first signs of Nokia's second wave may have just surfaced in WP Bench's testing leaderboards. The Nokia Alpha, Phi, PurePhi and PureLambda have all shown up at varying points in the chart; we've seen them for ourselves, although you'll need WP Bench on a Windows Phone to see them first-hand. Not much is visible without seeing the devices themselves, but the PureLambda appears to be running a build of OS 8.0 -- better known to most as Apollo, or possibly Windows Phone 8. As long as these aren't elaborate pranks, they could represent entry, mid-tier and high-end phones; we're wondering if the Pure tag isn't a reference to the PureView-equipped Lumias Nokia said were inevitable in the long run. No matter what the four phones turn out to be, any real devices will show us what Nokia can do with Microsoft's OS now that it's had time to strategize. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Google snags the webOS Enyo team, HP says open source plans are still on schedule Posted: 24 May 2012 11:53 PM PDT At one time the Enyo app framework was supposed to help webOS run faster and on a wider variety of devices, but as HP continues to struggle, reports have surfaced from The Verge and AllThingsD that much of the team behind it, including leader Matthew McNulty, has been hired away by Google. Numbering a half dozen or so, the immediate danger is the effect this might have on HP's efforts to open source webOS, but in a statement the company indicated it remains on track and will stick to the roadmap it announced in January. Less clear is what these employees might end up working on for Google, although Enyo's focus on web apps and HTML5 suggests the possibility they'll end up working on ChromeOS projects. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sony ST26i benchmarks reveal Android 4.0, 4-inch FWVGA display and lackluster performance Posted: 24 May 2012 10:33 PM PDT Rumors of the Sony ST26i smartphone have been swirling for a while now, but up until recently, we've had nothing to sink our teeth into. Thankfully, we've now come across an OpenGL benchmark test and system profile for the yet-to-be-announced handset, and while this one seems destined for emerging markets and budget-minded consumers, the ST26i will come with just enough niceties to hold its head high. First and foremost, the system profile reveals Ice Cream Sandwich on the handset, and even better, it'll include a 4-inch, 854 x 480 display -- none of that HVGA crap here. To keep costs low, sacrifices had to be made: the phone will include a Qualcomm MSM7627A SoC, which includes a pedestrian 800MHz CPU and an Adreno 200 GPU. Curiously, the ST26i was previously rumored to contain an ST-Ericsson U8500 chip with a dual-core 1GHz CPU, which leaves open the possibility that we may see different configurations based on markets. Still, if Sony is able to exercise some restraint with its custom skin, the ST26i could shape up to be a very nice handset. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| X Prize adopts NASA guidelines for protecting lunar heritage sites, Buzz Aldrin punch averted Posted: 24 May 2012 09:19 PM PDT NASA hopes that one small step by Google's Lunar X Prize will eventually lead to a giant leap in protecting historical sites on the moon. The X Prize Foundation announced that it will adopt guidelines released by the space agency last year to help preserve lunar heritage sites. The move comes at a crucial time as a new space race increases the possibility of an imminent moon landing, according to NASA. Google's Lunar X Prize alone currently has 26 contestants worldwide vying to land a robot on the lunar surface by 2015. NASA stressed that their recommendations aren't law and "do not represent mandatory U.S. or international requirements." Examples include approach and landing guidelines to minimize disturbance, contamination and degradation of Apollo mission sites. That certainly sounds more reasonable than, say, plopping some dude in a spacesuit at a lunar outpost to shoot trespassers with a plasma shotgun while yelling, "Get off my property!" In the meantime, feel free to mosey on over to the PR after the break. NASA OFFERS GUIDELINES TO PROTECT HISTORIC SITES ON THE MOON Washington (May 24, 2012) - NASA and the X PRIZE Foundation of Playa Vista, Calif., announced Thursday the Google Lunar X Prize is recognizing guidelines established by NASA to protect lunar historic sites and preserve ongoing and future science on the moon. The foundation will take the guidelines into account as it judges mobility plans submitted by 26 teams vying to be the first privately-funded entity to visit the moon. NASA recognizes that many spacefaring nations and commercial entities are on the verge of landing spacecraft on the moon. The agency engaged in a cooperative dialogue with the X Prize Foundation and the Google Lunar X PRIZE teams to develop the recommendations. NASA and the next generation of lunar explorers share a common interest in preserving humanity's first steps on another celestial body and protecting ongoing science from the potentially damaging effects of nearby landers. NASA assembled the guidelines using data from previous lunar studies and analysis of the unmanned lander Surveyor 3's samples after Apollo 12 landed nearby in 1969. Experts from the historic, scientific and flight-planning communities also contributed to the technical recommendations. The guidelines do not represent mandatory U.S. or international requirements. NASA provided them to help lunar mission planners preserve and protect historic lunar artifacts and potential science opportunities for future missions. The Google Lunar X PRIZE will award $30 million total in prizes. First place will go to a privately-funded team that builds a rover which lands successfully land on the moon, explores it by moving at least one third of a mile and returns high-definition video and imagery to Earth. Additional bonus prizes will be awarded for photographing a Lunar Heritage, Apollo or Surveyor spacecraft site. The contest ends whenever all prizes are claimed or at the end of 2015. To view the full set of guidelines, visit: http://go.nasa.gov/JDYo9v For more information about the X PRIZE Foundation, visit: http://www.xprize.org For more information about the Google Lunar X PRIZE, visit: http://www.googlelunarxprize.org For a lunar exploration timeline, visit: http://go.nasa.gov/Mk2Ms7 The $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE is an unprecedented competition to challenge and inspire engineers and entrepreneurs from around the world to develop low-cost methods of robotic space exploration. To win the Google Lunar X PRIZE, a privately-funded team must successfully place a robot on the Moon's surface that explores at least 500 meters (1/3 of a mile) and transmits high definition video and images back to Earth. The first team to do so will claim a $20 million Grand Prize, while the second team will earn a $5 million Prize. Teams are also eligible to win a $1 million award for stimulating diversity in the field of space exploration and as much as $4 million in bonus prizes for accomplishing additional technical tasks such as moving ten times as far, surviving the frigid lunar night, or visiting the site of a previous lunar mission. To date, more than 20 teams from a dozen countries around the world have registered to compete for the prize. The Google Lunar X PRIZE is available to be claimed until the end of the year 2015. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Intel funnels $40 million into global network of research laboratories Posted: 24 May 2012 08:04 PM PDT Like any tech company worth its weight in silicon, Intel puts plenty of cash into research, often partnering with outside labs and schools that are less concerned with turning every project into a multi-billion dollar product. After throwing $30 million at Carnegie Mellon last year to open two new labs, Chipzilla is investing $40 million more in a global network of university research centers. Over the next five years that money will be rolled out to what the company is calling, Intel Collaborative Research Institutes (ICRI). The ICRI are based on the same premise as Intel's Science and Technology Centers, like those opened at Mellon, except with a global reach. Two existing labs, the Intel Visual Computing Institute at Saarland University and the Intel-NTU Connected Context Computing Center at National Taiwan University are being rolled into the program. In addition, three new centers are being opened up, including ICRIs for Sustainable Connected Cities in the United Kingdom, Secure Computing at the Technische Universität Darmstadt and Computational Intelligence at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. For more info on what sort or work they'll be doing at the various labs check out the PR after the break. Intel Invests More Than $40 Million in Worldwide Network of University Research Centers to Drive Innovation Total Investment Includes New Intel Collaborative Research Institutes in U.K., Germany and Israel NEWS HIGHLIGHTS Intel will invest more than $40 million over the next 5 years in a worldwide network of university research centers called "Intel Collaborative Research Institutes" (ICRI). "The new Intel Collaborative Research Institute program underscores our commitment to establishing and funding collaborative university research to fuel global innovation in key areas and help address some of today's most challenging problems" The three ICRIs will collaborate with their own multi-university communities and other ICRIs, as well as the U.S.-based ISTCs, strengthening Intel's global research network. In addition, two previously established centers are being incorporated in the ICRI program: Intel Visual Computing Institute (Saarland University) and the Intel-NTU Connected Context Computing Center (National Taiwan University), extending Intel's global research network even further. Each institute will have a specialized focus, but is encouraged to incorporate the unique environments within their region, country and area of research. The three new ICRIs include: The ICRI for Sustainable Connected Cities, United Kingdom. This joint collaboration among Intel, Imperial College London and University College London aims to address challenging social, economic and environmental problems of city life with computing technology. Using London as a test bed, researchers will explore technologies to make cities more aware and adaptive by harnessing real-time user and city infrastructure data. For example, through a city urban cloud platform, the city managers could perform real-time city optimizations such as predicting the effects of extreme weather events on the city's water and energy supplies, resulting in delivery of near-real-time information to citizens through citywide displays and mobile applications. About Intel Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world's computing devices. Additional information about Intel is available at newsroom.intel.com and blogs.intel.com. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nissan announces e-NV200 all-electric van, production slated for 2013 Posted: 24 May 2012 07:22 PM PDT So, Chrysler's electric postal van never really took off -- perhaps a few too many mailmen refused to give up those roomy Grumman LLVs -- but now Nissan is giving the electric van concept a go. Yesterday the company announced the e-NV200 compact van (previously teased as a concept), which will go into production in 2013. The van will be Nissan's second all-electric vehicle, following the 2010 Leaf. The e-NV200's design is quite similar to that of the NV200 van, but it swaps taxi-cab yellow for the Leaf's shade of robin's egg blue. Nissan says it's putting $126 million into producing the new model, but so far it's keeping mum on other details. Head past the break for the full press release NISSAN TO PRODUCE 100% ELECTRIC VAN IN BARCELONA - All-new 100% electric e-NV200 to enter production in FY13- Nissan's second all-electric vehicle allocated to Barcelona Plant - Major project investment by Nissan of €100 mn in Spain - More than 700 jobs to be created at Nissan and its Spanish suppliers - Multi-use vehicle providing families and businesses with unique driving experience - Interior functionality and cargo capacity similar to existing NV200 with class-leading running costs BARCELONA, Spain (May 23, 2012) - Today Nissan announced that a 100% electric compact van, the e-NV200, will go into production at its Barcelona plant in the 2013 Financial Year. The new model will be based on the existing award-winning NV200 currently produced at the plant and will be an important and innovative addition to Nissan's global range of light commercial vehicles (LCV's). e-NV200 will become Nissan's second all-electric vehicle (EV) following the launch of the multi-award winning Nissan LEAF in 2010, underlining Nissan's long-term commitment to zero emission mobility. The new model, which represents €100 million investment by Nissan in Spain, is expected to create around 700 new jobs at the plant and throughout its local supplier base. As the sole producer of e-NV200, Barcelona will supply world markets highlighting the growing competitiveness of Nissan's Spanish industrial operations. Last week a new medium duty truck was allocated to Nissan's Avila Plant in central Spain. e-NV200 will provide both businesses and families with functional and roomy interior space and will retain the host of innovative and practical features of the current NV200 line up combined with the most advanced powertrain components of the Nissan LEAF. This will deliver a driving range similar to the Nissan LEAF on a single charge and similar performance, together with best in class running and maintenance costs. Andy Palmer, Nissan Executive Vice President, said: "e-NV200 represents a genuine breakthrough in commercial vehicles and further underlines Nissan's leadership within the electric vehicle segment. "The new model will offer all the spaciousness, versatility and practicality of a traditionally powered compact van, but with zero CO2 emission at the point of use and also provide an outstanding driving experience that is unique to EV's. "Crucially, it will also offer class-leading running and maintenance costs, which makes it an exceptionally attractive proposition to both businesses and families." e-NV200 will also make a significant contribution to Nissan's aim of becoming the world's largest LCV manufacturer by 2016 as a key pillar of the Nissan Power 88 mid-term plan. Last year Nissan achieved an historic milestone of selling more than one million LCV's worldwide in a single year. Andy Palmer added: "e-NV200 represents a bold and innovative addition to our commercial vehicle range, which is already one of the broadest of any manufacturer. "I would like to thank the Spanish and Catalonian Government for their continued support of Nissan in Spain, and congratulate the Barcelona workforce for earning the right to produce what will be an extremely important model for Nissan globally." The current NV200 line up has already sold around 100,000 units. Its popularity led it to be chosen as the next generation New York City 'Taxi of Tomorrow' following a rigorous selection process. Currently, intensive evaluations of prototype NV200-based electric vehicles are being carried out in Europe. Trials will continue in coming months in order to provide real-world feedback from the most demanding usage. Feedback will help Nissan to fulfill exact customer requirements ahead of the start of production expected in FY13. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Samsung's GSM-only dual-SIM Galaxy Ace Duos kicks off its world tour in Russia next month Posted: 24 May 2012 06:38 PM PDT While Samsung's Galaxy Ace Duos has already burst onto the scene in India pulling double duty on GSM and CDMA networks, the company today announced its dual-SIM GSM-only cousin will begin shipping in June in Russia, before rolling out to Europe and other regions later. Running Android 2.3 on an 832MHz processor and flashing a 3.5-inch HVGA screen, that dual-SIM capability is the highlight, with Samsung's "Dual SIM always on" feature that forwards calls from the phone number on SIM 2, even if the user is on a call through SIM 1. Bill Bellamy and all others in need of such features can check the press release after the break for a few more details, or the gallery below to get a look from a few more angles of this son of the original Galaxy Ace. Always On Call with the Samsung GALAXY Ace DUOS
May 24, 2012
Stylish GALAXY Ace successor delivers Dual SIM flexibility with high-end performance and user experience
Seoul, KOREA-May 24, 2012-Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced the new Samsung GALAXY Ace. Designed for users with active lifestyles who don't compromise on style or convenience, the GALAXY Ace DUOS will be available from June starting in Russia and gradually rolled out to Europe, CIS, Latin America, Southeast and Southwest Asia, Middle East, Africa, and China.
Building on the success of the popular GALAXY Ace, the GALAXY Ace DUOS combines a premium design, high-performance features, and rich smart experience with a Dual SIM support system, allowing users to manage their work and personal lives with one smartphone. Users can also use the device to carry two SIM cards with different billing plans, switching when convenient or cost-appropriate.
"With Dual SIM convenience, enhanced connectivity, and performance features, the GALAXY Ace Duos delivers a sleek design and incredible features intended to provide consumers with a smartphone that meets their hidden needs." said JK Shin President and Head of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung. "We continue to listen to our customers and lead them to a life extraordinary by expanding our GALAXY smart device range, which continues to gain traction as one of the most recognized and popular mobile brands in the world."
The GALAXY Ace DUOS's Dual SIM system maximizes communication flexibility by allowing users to manage two separate phone numbers on one smartphone. Samsung's unique 'Dual SIM always on' feature automatically forwards calls from the phone number on SIM 2, even if a user is on the phone with SIM 1's number. This ensures that a user can always manage their work and personal lives and never miss a call.
The GALAXY Ace DUOS builds on the GALAXY Ace's style heritage. Sleek, compact, and ultra-modern, this is a device that complements the style. It encases a 3.5'' touch screen that lets users view messages, multimedia, and Web content and scores high on performance. HSDPA 7.2 connectivity delivers enhanced browsing performance and fast content downloads with minimal lag-times, so users can balance personal and professional tasks with ease. Additionally, users can take advantage of the integrated 5MP camera to take and share stunning photos and videos.
In addition to its power and connectivity features, the GALAXY Ace DUOS delivers the rich, intuitive smartphone experience that users have come to expect from GALAXY devices. Samsung's Touchwiz user interface lets users navigate the phone easily and fluidly. A 3GB of storage ensures users can comfortably store videos, music, and images on the go. And ChatON, Samsung's communication service that connects users on any phone platform into a single community, ensures users are always connected with the content and contacts that matter.
Notes to Editors Samsung GALAXY Ace DUOS Product Specifications Network HSDPA 7.2 Mbps 900/2100 Display 3.5" HVGA (320x480) TFT-LCD OS Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) Processor 832MHz Processor Camera Main(Rear): 5 Mega pixel Auto Focus camera Video Codec: MPEG4/H263/H264/VC-1 Audio Codec: MP3/AAC/AAC＋/eAAC＋/OGG/WMA/AMR-NB/ Additional Features
Samsung Touchwiz UX Samsung ChatON mobile communication service Samsung Social Hub Swype Document Viewer Multi-touch zoom-in & out A-GPS Google™ Mobile Services Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Latitude Connectivity WiFi 802.11 (b/g/n) Sensor Accelerometer, Digital Compass Memory 3GB User memory ＋ 512MB (RAM) ＋ microSD slot (up to 32GB) Dimension 112.74 x 61.5 x 11.5 mm, 122g Battery 1,300 mAh ＊ All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NVIDIA touts 30 Tegra 3 smartphones set for this year, teases next-gen Grey SoC with on-board LTE Posted: 24 May 2012 06:14 PM PDT We're nearly halfway through 2012, but for NVIDIA, it seems the best is yet to come. The company's GM, Mike Rayfield, announced today that 30 smartphones with Tegra 3 chips are now slated for availability this year, which is double the success that the company had with its Tegra 2 platform during 2011. Perhaps more interesting, Rayfield also let it be known that the Grey platform -- not due for arrival until next year -- will be the first of NVIDIA's system-on-chip designs to include a built-in LTE radio. Specifically, we can expect it to include the Icera 500, a next-gen LTE modem that's set to supersede both the Icera 410 and 450 designs. The Icera 500 will initially debut as a standalone unit, but will later be integrated into the Grey platform. All things considered, perhaps its 2013 that NVIDIA should be most excited about. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ASUS Transformer Pad TF300TL hits the FCC with AT&T-friendly LTE Posted: 24 May 2012 05:51 PM PDT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Google adds copyright takedowns to Transparency Reports, 1.2 million a month and growing Posted: 24 May 2012 05:24 PM PDT Google has been publishing what it's dubbed Transparency Reports for some time now -- detailing things like government requests to remove content from search results or requests for users' information -- and it's now added another big chunk of data to them in the interest of full disclosure. Starting today, you can see the number of removal requests it receives from companies over copyright and piracy concerns. As you can imagine, there's a lot -- over 1.2 million in the past month alone, a number that Google notes is increasing at a substantial rate. Among those asking for takedowns, Microsoft is by far the leader, filing well over half a million requests all by itself in the past month (the film and music industries are also, of course, well represented). You can pour through all the results yourself at the source link below. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HTC One X for AT&T gets unofficial bootloader unlock Posted: 24 May 2012 05:02 PM PDT No thanks to AT&T, owners of the carrier-branded HTC One X can now unlock their phone's bootloader on the HTCdev website. The process works by altering the handset's identifier, which causes the One X to appear as a Rogers unit on HTC's servers. While the instructions should be quite simple for those with the proper knowhow, they require knowledge and proper configuration of ADB, use of a hex editor and a rooted handset. Many users have already reported success with this method, but keep in mind that AT&T might not smile on the trickery if you ever need to seek warranty repair. Naturally, all of this frustration could've been easily avoided had Ma Bell simply considered the needs of power users in the first place, but until the day comes when the carrier rights its ways, just know that eager hackers have a tendency to come out on top. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Samsung Galaxy S III shows in Best Buy Canada leak due June 20th, maple syrup uncorked to celebrate Posted: 24 May 2012 04:45 PM PDT Jitters have persisted that the Canadian release of the Galaxy S III might face the customary weeks-long delays that those north of the border are used to. If we go by what looks to be an escaped Best Buy Canada flyer graphic, Samsung's Android 4.0 beast should be going up for pre-orders soon -- MobileSyrup hears May 30th -- with launches on at least Bell, Rogers, Telus and a Bell-owned Virgin Mobile around June 20th. We know that Samsung has publicly promised a US release in June, so there's a real chance that we could be seeing a simultaneous North American appearance that brings everyone together in TouchWiz harmony. There's still some big questions left open even if we're seeing an accurate snapshot, such as when Mobilicity, Wind and other LTE-less carriers will get their units as well as whether or not the LTE versions use Snapdragons instead of the Exynos 4 Quad. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tweetbot 2.4 brings keyword mute filters, offline favorite and read later support Posted: 24 May 2012 04:21 PM PDT Tweetbot just got the update treatment, enabling a handful of features aimed at optimizing the way you interact with Twitter, both online and off. These added gems include an option to mute certain keywords ('cereal' may be a good start), location-based keyword searches, along with offline favorite and read later support (for booting links to apps like Instapaper or Pocket, for offline viewing). Most other functionality remains unchanged, as does the $2.99 price tag. You'll find the full list of updates after the break, with download links just below.
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| RIM patent application puts pressure on sensitive touchscreens for a possible unlock alternative Posted: 24 May 2012 03:59 PM PDT RIM's been busy on the patent application front lately, filing off concepts for anything from smartphone docks to rotating keypads -- even flirting with potential forays into forensics peripherals. Perhaps sensing the crushing need to differentiate its ailing BlackBerry brand, Waterloo's taken to the USPTO with a doc submitted last November that could do just that. The pressure-sensitive input scheme and touchscreen interface described therein would respond to a user-set pattern of force by granting access to a handheld device's features and applications. Sure sounds a heckuva lot like a new password protection implementation, but that's just our humble take. What it actually is, where it goes from this legal limbo and whether or not it ever winds up in BB 10 tech is truly up in the air. What you can count on, though, is a continued flood of in-process IP procurement from a company close to the edge. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Slide shows Dell Latitude 10 tablet running Windows 8 Posted: 24 May 2012 03:38 PM PDT Rumors of a Dell Peju tablet shipping with Windows 8 made the rounds last year, but they died down when the mystery device turned out to be the Windows 7-powered Latitude ST. Time to reignite the hype: NeoWin got its hands on a slide that shows a Dell Latitude 10 slate running Windows 8. The tablet is listed as having a 10.1-inch screen, which isn't to say that other form factors could be in the works. Other listed specs include a dual-core Intel Atom processor, 2GB of RAM, up to a 128GB SSD and a fingerprint reader. NeoWin has word that the Latitude 10 will get six to eight hours of battery life with the base battery and up to 12 hours with the larger one. The tablet looks quite similar to the Latitude ST, but then again we're going off of one slide here. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BBM staying exclusive to BlackBerry, says WSJ source Posted: 24 May 2012 03:18 PM PDT Been looking forward to porting your BBM addiction to iOS or Android in hopes of finally kicking that Crackberry to the curb? Take a seat -- it looks like RIM's private messaging service isn't going anywhere. According to a Wall Street Journal source, the firm's new CEO has shut down rumors of a BlackBerry Messenger port. "It was not up for discussion," the WSJ was told. According to a person "familiar with the matter," CEO Thorsten Heins decided that RIM shouldn't be pursuing licensing deals. Heins' apparent house cleaning might be a deal breaker for BlackBerry veterans looking to jump ship, requiring users to stick with RIM to maintain their dwindling BBM contact lists. Bummer? Sure is, but at least your pals don't need a security clearance to ping you. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 24 May 2012 03:07 PM PDT Microsoft has instituted a big change with its free Visual Studio 11 Express suite that's leaving some current- and soon-to-be Windows 8 developers up in arms: it's pulling support for creating anything but Metro-native apps. After 11 becomes the norm, desktop developers will need to either cling to Visual Studio 2010 for dear life or fork over the $500 for Visual Studio 11 Professional. Programmers won't have the option of backdoor coding, either, with both the compiler and toolchain being pulled from Windows' framework. The situation doesn't represent the end of the world for some developers -- more established pros don't balk at a $500 price, and third-party tools will likely live on -- but it sets a much higher price of entry for desktop apps developed through the official route, especially if you want to write games using XNA. We've reached out to Microsoft for a response, but for now we'd suggest setting aside five Benjamins if Start screen tiles and app charms aren't your cups of tea. Update: We've confirmed with a Microsoft spokesperson that it's true you'll need Professional if you want to write desktop apps using Visual Studio. It's equally correct, though, that third-party developer kits will keep building desktop apps as long as they have their own compilers and related tools. Students can get Professional for free if they're in the Dreamspark program. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Broadcast TV networks, Dish Network file lawsuits over new Auto Hop ad skipping feature Posted: 24 May 2012 02:42 PM PDT Dish Network shocked us just a couple of weeks ago by upgrading its new Hopper DVRs with "Auto Hop" ad skipping that targeted prime time programming on broadcast TV captured via its PrimeTime Anytime feature, and predictably, the networks aren't happy. After several executives took shots at the service during upfronts for the new fall programming in the past few weeks, Fox has filed suit in US District Court, while Dish Network responded with its own request for a court order specifying that it does not infringe on the TV network's copyrights. Just in the last few minutes, the New York Times reports NBC (Update: Add CBS to the list as well, THR has copies of the complaints from Dish and Fox.) has filed a lawsuit against Dish Network as well, and it likely won't be the last one to do so. ReplayTV folded under similar legal pressure, but clearly Dish Network thinks it has a workable solution and now it's going to be up to the courts to decide who wins. DISH Sues Networks in Federal Court ENGLEWOOD, CO--(Marketwire - May 24, 2012) - DISH today filed suit against ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC in federal court for a declaratory judgment on questions that have arisen related to the pay-TV provider's May 10 introduction of a user-enabled commercial skipping technology called AutoHop. This feature is an advancement that is generating buzz and already seeing a groundswell of support from consumers. Filed with the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, the suit asks for a declaratory judgment that the AutoHop feature does not infringe any copyrights that could be claimed by the major networks, and that DISH, while providing the AutoHop feature, remains in compliance with its agreements with the networks. DISH's monthly subscriber fees include significant "retransmission fees" that DISH pays to the major networks. Although the broadcasters have made much of their content available for free using sites such as Hulu, they have continued to demand substantial increases in their retransmission fees. "Consumers should be able to fairly choose for themselves what they do and do not want to watch," said David Shull, DISH senior vice president of Programming. "Viewers have been skipping commercials since the advent of the remote control; we are giving them a feature they want and that gives them more control." "We don't believe AutoHop will substantially change established consumer behavior, but we do believe it makes the viewing experience better," said Shull. In addition to increasing media reports of planned legal action against DISH, three of the networks -- CBS, Fox and NBC -- have rejected ads for DISH's Hopper Whole-Home DVR, the device that features the AutoHop function. "We respect the business models that drive our industry, but we also embrace the evolving nature of technology and new ideas," said Shull. "Advances in the ability to measure and target viewership will give the entire industry -- including advertisers -- the ability to develop better programming, more effective advertising and deliver an overall better experience to the viewer." About AutoHop Once the viewer enables the PrimeTime Anytime feature, the Hopper automatically stores these shows for eight days after they have aired, creating an on-demand library of approximately 100 hours of primetime TV shows, and making it easy to access episodes from last night, or last week. AutoHop, using patented technology, works with most shows recorded using PrimeTime Anytime (patent pending). A viewer can watch a show with the AutoHop option commercial-free starting at 1 a.m. ET, after a show has been recorded to the Hopper's PrimeTime Anytime library. Prior to that, the Hopper's 30-second "hop forward" feature continues to work for same-day viewing. About DISH |
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