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Engadget News |
- Amazon rumored clinching major labels for cloud music rights, iTunes Match feels the heat
- Alleged Xbox 720 document leak resurfaces, stirs rumors of Kinect 2, native 3D, AR glasses
- Nantsune meat slicer scans in 3D to get the perfect cut, bring home the bacon in record time (video)
- Microsoft details Windows 8 Calendar app design, wants to 'show your life clearly'
- LTE arrives in Colombia, stays for the coffee
- Stanford engineers find work around for barriers to carbon nanotube computers
- Nokia hints at June 18th news, may be PureView related instead of Microsoft
- MIUI reaches Google Play as MiHome Launcher, gives that Xiaomi look
- Dell gives a peek at a revamped XPS 15 in Romania
- Samsung refreshes Series 5 laptops with AMD Trinity processors
- PSA: Dropbox scraps Public folders July 31st, your sharing stays intact
- Samsung bumps Galaxy S III Canadian launch to June 27th, pins it on 9 million world pre-orders
- Microsoft explains Windows 8's Mail app, promises more changes to come
- Will podcasts receive a separate app in iOS 6?
- The Engadget Show returns Friday, June 22nd -- get tickets to the taping!
- Listen to the Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 5PM ET with Richard Lai!
- AirBurr micro air vehicle can self-right, take off again (video)
- ABI: Apple and Samsung have over 55 percent of the smartphone space, 90 percent of its money-making
- Engadget Podcast 298 - 06.15.2012
| Amazon rumored clinching major labels for cloud music rights, iTunes Match feels the heat Posted: 16 Jun 2012 09:12 AM PDT When we last checked in, Amazon was thought to finally be pushing for full music rights in its Cloud Drive and Cloud Player services. It might be a smooth operator at the negotiating table: subsequent tips to CNET maintain that the top four major labels (a currently-independent EMI as well as Sony, Universal and Warner) have all signed deals that will let Amazon offer the same scan-and-match music downloads and streaming as Apple's iTunes Match. The pacts would let Amazon offer access to every song a listener owns without having to directly upload each track that wasn't bought directly from Amazon MP3. Aside from closing a conspicuous gap, the deal could end a whole lot of acrimony from labels who were upset that Amazon preferred a free-but-limited service over having to charge anything. The online shop hasn't said anything official yet (if at all), but any signatures on the dotted line will leave Google Music as the odd man out. |
| Alleged Xbox 720 document leak resurfaces, stirs rumors of Kinect 2, native 3D, AR glasses Posted: 16 Jun 2012 07:16 AM PDT A document passing itself off as an internal Microsoft presentation about the future of Xbox has surfaced, and is stirring internet chatter with its possible hints at the future of the console. Despite turning up online over a month ago and potentially dating back to 2010, a few things mentioned that have since come to fruition -- like SmartGlass -- are earning it more attention. The proposed developments include cloud-based entertainment, native 3D, augmented reality "Fortaleza Glasses," scalable hardware -- all by 2015. If that's too long to wait, however, the time line also indicates we'd be seeing the next generation hardware in 2013 for $299 (more precise and four-player ready Kinect 2 included). The Xbox 720 package described includes such pie-in-the-sky bullet points as Blu-ray and whole-home DVR features all from a low-power always-on box built on a "Yukon" ARM hardware platform. Of course, even if this is legit and not just some business student's exercise, all the talk of value propositions, OEM licensing and developer profitability are proposals that could have changed. Need more reasons to be skeptical? Digital Foundry points out the extremely optimistic wattages listed and previous appearances of the illustrations included. Ponder over the full 56-page document for yourself -- taking into account the bored minds on the internet that are capable of cranking out this kind of stuff, like that infamous Nintendo Revolution video -- after the break. [Thanks, Leonard]
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| Nantsune meat slicer scans in 3D to get the perfect cut, bring home the bacon in record time (video) Posted: 16 Jun 2012 06:32 AM PDT Bacon, our old friend. We've missed you. Japan's Nantsune must have missed it too, as its new Libra 165C meat slicer is using some mighty advanced technology to cut pork quickly. Beating a Nikko creation to the punch by about a year, it uses a displacement sensor to scan the shape of a slab of meat and make cuts that are the exact same weight, regardless of their shape or thickness. By knowing as much as it does in advance, the Libra can cut as many as 6,000 slices every hour; they're not ready-made bacon slices, but they'll certainly get to those cuts much faster than earlier methods that only weighed in mid-chop. You might not want to get visions of setting up Nantsune's meat machine in the kitchen: it'll be ready by the end of June, but the $160,000 price could mean sacrificing a whole lot of other food to avoid breaking out the cleaver. |
| Microsoft details Windows 8 Calendar app design, wants to 'show your life clearly' Posted: 16 Jun 2012 03:33 AM PDT As part of its "Building Windows 8" blog series, Redmond has been doling inside info on apps like Mail and People, and now it's Calendar's turn in the spotlight. Steven Sinofsky blogged that one of the primary marks was to serve up a clear view of your life, and the team wanted Calendar to be easy to read and distraction free. To bring that about, it kept the info displayed to a minimum, giving users the option to easily change colors for important events and drop distracting ones from view if necessary. The designers also stressed ease of navigation, a simple interface for adding events, copious notification options and and advanced scheduling tricks -- like a full page of notes for each event. Of course, Microsoft also wanted to ensure the app conforms to Metro design standards and functionality, and it seems to fit that mold in spades. Sinofsky also said that a lot of user feedback was accounted for, so be sure to check the source to see if that "Caturday" idea made the cut. |
| LTE arrives in Colombia, stays for the coffee Posted: 16 Jun 2012 01:16 AM PDT Citizens of Colombia have yet another reason to be proud this week, as LTE connectivity is now part of the nation's infrastructure. State-owned telecom UNE EPM has officially flipped the 4G switch for Bogota and Medelin, and plans to bring similar LTE services to residents of Cali, Barranquilla, Cartagena and Bucaramanga in the near future. If all goes well, UNE EPM hopes to provide LTE coverage for 90% of Colombia's population by year's end. The carrier is now offering both 6GB and 12GB data packages to its post-paid subscribers starting at $89,900 COP ($50 USD) per month, which include data caps of 10Mbps. Meanwhile, prepaid users may choose between 1.2GB, 4GB and 8GB of data usage. Full PR follows the break, though you'll have to excuse the computer translation. Came megavelocidad: UNE launches mobile broadband 4G ® EVOLUTION · UNE is located at the forefront of Latin America being the first company to put into operation a commercial network of 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution). (Bulletin No. 48, Bogota, June 14, 2012) Starting today, users of telecommunications in Colombia can only access the 4G LTE network in the country, to connect more rapidly to the Web, be connected continuous movement, less delay in the transfer of your data and download higher quality content, surpassing the characteristics of the 3G network. These are some of the benefits of mobile broadband, 4G LTE (4G ® Evolution), which began offering UNE in Bogota and Medellin and will be extended to other cities like Cali, Barranquilla, Cartagena and Bucaramanga, in the second half of this year. With an investment of $ 130 million, UNE EPM Telecomunicaciones hopes to capture between 120,000 and 180,000 users connecting to the 4G megavelocidad ® Evolution during 2012. For the president of UNE EPM Telecomunicaciones, Marc Perret Eichmann, "it was time to offer Colombians technology far more advanced in the world. 4G LTE or 4G ® Evolution contribute to the development of the country, putting it at the forefront of telecommunications infrastructure in the region and is prepared UNE commercial, technical and operationally to do so, with the support of international stature providers to market with true mobile broadband." UNE won the auction of 2.5 GHz spectrum, conducted by the Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications MinTic in 2010. In September 2011, following receipt of the spectrum by the Ministry, began the bidding process for the assembly of the network, which was awarded to leading technology companies Huawei and Ericsson. In the month of December began the deployment of the network to install the first test antenna. Three months later with 80% coverage in the cities of Medellin and Bogota, began service tests with different users sensitive to the use of new technologies. The technology partners The firm Huawei Technologies expressed satisfaction with the work with UNE for the installation of a phase of ® Evolution 4G network: "With the launch of the first commercial LTE network in Colombia, we highlight the UNE leadership by providing networking mobile art in the country, providing a new experience of mobile broadband Internet. Huawei, a global leader in the deployment of LTE networks and network technology partner of UNE, reiterates its commitment to continue contributing to cutting edge solutions for the implementation of new technologies in Colombia, "said Lu Qi, general manager of Huawei Technologies Colombia. Meanwhile, Sergio Quiroga, president of Ericsson in Latin America and the Caribbean, responsible for assembling another phase of LTE for UNE said: "This launch reaffirms Ericsson's leadership in LTE and further extends our longstanding relationship with UNE. The new LTE network from Ericsson will enable UNE offer unique experiences to individuals and businesses in pursuit of achieving a connected society, thus contributing to the major objectives set by the Colombian government aimed at closing the digital divide and increase Internet penetration." We started the ® Evolution UNE offers 4G ® Evolution are designed to meet the needs of all users. In addition to speed, low delay and quality of service offered to individuals and households, 4G ® Evolution constitutes a technology solution that helps improve productivity and communication of large firms and MSMEs. Now you can connect in real time with employees, customers and suppliers from anywhere, become mobile offices and have connections faster, safer and smoother. UNE's offer postpaid and prepaid plans include the ability of elected gigas and a top speed of 10 megabytes. Postpaid Plans: Prepaid plans: During the launch phase, customers 4G ® Evolution, enjoy double the capacity until October 31, 2012, both prepaid and postpaid plans. The new 4G service ® Evolution can be purchased through the Customer Care Line 01 8000 41 01 41, UNE commercial stands, the customer service offices and authorized dealer network. |
| Stanford engineers find work around for barriers to carbon nanotube computers Posted: 15 Jun 2012 10:38 PM PDT |
| Nokia hints at June 18th news, may be PureView related instead of Microsoft Posted: 15 Jun 2012 08:41 PM PDT Amidst the upheaval in Espoo Nokia continues to push forward, and tonight its Facebook page has already posted a couple of teaser images, including the one seen above, suggesting there's big news due on June 18th. Astute observers will note that's also the day its good buddy Microsoft has already planned its own high profile and highly secretive event, although you may not want to connect the two just yet. One of the images is a map of Hawaii, which AllThingsD notes is home to area code 808, a possible reference to Nokia's PureView 808 41MP cameraphone technology, which was followed up by the above image, with tempo cranked all the way up (ready to to go boom...like an 808?). Draw your own conclusions -- of course we'll be hanging around Monday to see what happens. |
| MIUI reaches Google Play as MiHome Launcher, gives that Xiaomi look Posted: 15 Jun 2012 07:03 PM PDT Xiaomi's MIUI interface for Android has been available to load up for some time, but unless you were willing to flash your firmware, you might as well have just imported one of the company's phones instead. Now, however, getting much of that heavily customized (if slightly familiar) layer is as quick as heading over to Google Play. Dedicated versions are available both for Android 2.3 and 4.0 that provide the same core navigation as well MIUI Locker to replace the current lock screen. It won't quite replicate the experience of the real deal, but it will certainly be the most trouble-free. |
| Dell gives a peek at a revamped XPS 15 in Romania Posted: 15 Jun 2012 05:44 PM PDT Dell showed the heart of its 2012 laptop design language in the XPS 13 just as the snow started melting, but it's been mostly silent or conservative ever since. The company must want to close out the spring the same way it entered: Dell and Romania's Asesoft Distribution have just previewed a larger XPS 15 at an event B1 attended at the Bucharest-based Romanian Aviation Museum. Based on the early look, Dell isn't going to stretch the Ultrabook definition across the whole XPS range. There will still be full-power, 2.5GHz dual Core i5 and quad 2.1GHz Core i7 chips from Intel's Ivy Bridge family, and NVIDIA is supplying some modestly ultraportable GeForce GT 630M and 640M video. Although there's no special tricks that we can see so far, the 15.6-inch system is reportedly due to show in at least Romania by the end of the spring, which leaves just weeks to wait if you prefer your mid-size performance laptops designed in Texas. |
| Samsung refreshes Series 5 laptops with AMD Trinity processors Posted: 15 Jun 2012 04:29 PM PDT We recently got a look at Samsung's new Ivy Bridge-enhanced Series 5 laptops, but it turns out that's not the only refresh the line has gotten this month. Samsung's also now rather quietly introduced a pair of new AMD-based models on its website, including an $850 14-inch version with a quad-core A10-4655M APU, and a $700 13.3-inch model with a quad-core A6-4455M (both otherwise known as Trinity processors). You'll also get an AMD Radeon HD 7500G GPU on the 13.3-incher (while the 14 relies on integrated graphics), but their specs remain pretty much in line with their Intel-based counterparts beyond that, including a standard 4GB RAM on both models and 500GB or 750GB hard drives. You can find the full rundown on each at the links below. |
| PSA: Dropbox scraps Public folders July 31st, your sharing stays intact Posted: 15 Jun 2012 03:47 PM PDT Would-be Dropbox users who want to lean on the cloud storage service's Public folder, heads-up: when July comes to a close, new accounts won't get that common storage pool. That's not to say it's the end of sharing, however. The company's recent sharing link support is still very much in effect to let groups share files or whole folders between each other. Some will point out that it's still not a direct substitute, which is true; if you're not already packing your virtual bags for a trip to Google Drive for that reason, just remember that grandfathered Public folders will carry on for the foreseeable future. |
| Samsung bumps Galaxy S III Canadian launch to June 27th, pins it on 9 million world pre-orders Posted: 15 Jun 2012 02:31 PM PDT Canadians who marked June 20th on their calendars as Galaxy S III Day will have to hold off on the festivities for a week, as Samsung has just confirmed that it's shifting the Canadian release to June 27th. As you'd expect, the company is blaming the last-minute swap on "unprecedented demand" -- the nine million worldwide pre-orders that it only anonymously mentioned before now -- and the resultant difficulty in getting enough supply for the magic moment. Any further shortages are still poised to be "short lived," Samsung promises us. The extra wait will no doubt leave us with more than a few crestfallen Canucks; we just hope the shortage doesn't spread and push more US launches into July in the process. |
| Microsoft explains Windows 8's Mail app, promises more changes to come Posted: 15 Jun 2012 02:07 PM PDT It's not often that the folks in Redmond get to debut a new operating system as big as Windows 8, so we can't really blame them for going on at length about every feature of it. The latest to get the in-depth treatment on the Building Windows 8 blog is the Mail app, which has already gone through some fairly big changes since the Consumer Preview and is apparently set to receive even more before the final release. As Microsoft's Jeremy Epling explains in the post, central to the latest version is a three-pane view that's designed to take advantage of the 16:9 ratio Windows 8 is optimized for, and make the best use of all the space afforded by the full-screen "window" -- the latest release is now able to display 14 messages at a time at the standard 1366 x 768 resolution, for instance, as opposed to just 8.5 in the Consumer Preview version. It's also, of course, deeply integrated into Windows 8 itself, even taking advantage of a new networking APIs to detect if you're on a metered network and only download the first first 20KB of each message body if that's the case. Unfortunately, Epling didn't divulge much about those promised future changes, noting only that there are "many more features on the way." In the meantime, you can find out more than you may have wanted to know about Mail in its current state at the link below. |
| Will podcasts receive a separate app in iOS 6? Posted: 15 Jun 2012 01:46 PM PDT |
| The Engadget Show returns Friday, June 22nd -- get tickets to the taping! Posted: 15 Jun 2012 01:30 PM PDT Can you say "edutainment?" Yep, this month we'll be exploring the intersection of technology and education like only the Engadget Show can, including trips to NYU's ITP school and Northeastern University in Boston to check out some amazing student projects. Tim will be traveling all the way to Alaska to work with a team of researchers studying the northern lights with high-tech balloons and helmet cameras. And none other than LeVar Burton will be sitting down for an interview to discuss the next step in the evolution of his beloved Reading Rainbow. We'll also be highlighting the best of this year's E3, paying a visit to the awesome Artisan's Asylum in Somerville, MA and checking out the month's latest and greatest gadgets. Best of all, if you're in New York City, you can be a part of the live show at Metropolis Studios on 106th St. in Manhattan -- just fire off an email to engadgetshow [at] engadget.com. 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). |
| Listen to the Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 5PM ET with Richard Lai! Posted: 15 Jun 2012 12:59 PM PDT The good news: we're back at our regular time today. The great news: the man, the myth and the legend, Richard Lai, will be joining Myriam Joire and Brad Molen from the other side of the Pacific on this week's edition of the Engadget Mobile Podcast. We'll talk to him about his behemoth review of the ASUS Padfone and pick his brain on the rest of this week's wireless news. So meet us back here at 5PM ET and we'll have a great time. Hopefully you will too. June 15, 2012 5:00 PM EDT |
| AirBurr micro air vehicle can self-right, take off again (video) Posted: 15 Jun 2012 12:32 PM PDT EPFL's been tweaking its eerily floating AirBurr since 2009, and its latest iteration adds four carbon-fiber legs, hopefully ensuring you'll never have to chase after and recover it after a crash. When the seemingly clunky frame crashes, it's that same intentional design that will ensure gravity rolls the device towards its side, allowing the legs to extend out and let the MAV relaunch itself -- even off gravel. Hit up the source link to see how the design has evolved over the years, but before that, see it crash and
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| ABI: Apple and Samsung have over 55 percent of the smartphone space, 90 percent of its money-making Posted: 15 Jun 2012 12:07 PM PDT Tech finance sleuth Horace Dediu was clearly astute when he determined that it's really Apple and Samsung's smartphone world, and we just live in it. ABI Research just estimated that, combined, the iPhone and Galaxy creators were responsible for more than 90 percent of the profits in the first quarter of 2012 -- mostly through carving out more than 55 percent of the total market share for themselves. We already know that only a handful of companies, like HTC, were making any kind of profit at the same time; ABI, however, has underscored just how much of a mountain Nokia has to climb to reclaim its glory days. For Nokia to completely make up for Symbian's decline, shipments of Lumia phones will have to jump a staggering 5,000 percent this year. The Finnish phone maker is certainly hopeful, but with the 80 percent growth rate in China mostly being led by locals like Huawei and ZTE, that's no mean feat. Apple and Samsung Garner 50% of Global Smartphone Market and 90% of Its Profits, Says ABI Research NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Although smartphone shipments grew 41% year-over-year to 144.6 million as of the quarter ending March 2012, many smartphone OEMs are not enjoying the benefits of a rapidly expanding market. Samsung and Apple captured 55% of global smartphone shipments in 1Q'2012 and over 90% of the market's profits. The question remains: can anyone break away to become a strong third in this market? "At this point in the year, Nokia will have to grow its Windows Phone business 5000% in 2012 just to offset its declines in Symbian shipments" As the smartphone markets of North America and Western Europe pass 50% penetration, smartphone OEMs should seek growth in key markets, such as China, which continues to show strong shipment growth of over 80%. Despite the shipment growth opportunities that China offers, smartphone OEMs will have to contend with local vendors ZTE and Huawei whose cost structures are tailored to deliver smartphones and homologated content ecosystems at the lower price points needed to drive growth across the country. "As Nokia's market share in China plummets, the competition to fill this power vacuum has the potential to make or break smartphone OEMs currently struggling with profitability and differentiation," adds Jeff Orr, practice director, devices, applications & content. ABI Research's "Smartphone Market Data" (http://www.abiresearch.com/research/1012663-Smartphone+Market+Data) provides quarterly global and regional data for smartphone operating systems, ASPs, vendor market shares, revenues, air interface protocols, and technology attach rates. It is part of ABI Research's Smartphones & Mobile Devices Research Service (http://www.abiresearch.com/products/service/Smartphones_and_Mobile_Devices_Research_Service). |
| Engadget Podcast 298 - 06.15.2012 Posted: 15 Jun 2012 11:42 AM PDT  Stop! Fanboys, what's that sound? Well, we're not sure, actually, but a couple of things we know that sound isn't are Brian Heater, an optical drive, and a Vertu phone. If you asked us we might tell you it sounds kind of like an HD Big Mouth Bass hanging from the wall in an undisclosed location. But yeah, we're not sure, so you'll just have to listen for yourself and see where the Engadget Podcast takes you. You won't be disappointed. Probably. Hosts: Tim Stevens, Darren Murph, Richard Lawler 00:03:45 - The 2012 MacBook Pros vs. the 2011 models: what's changed? Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace. Download the podcast This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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