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• Curiosity rover finds radiation levels on Mars are safe for humans
• Apple pulling the plug on Messages beta for OS X Lion on December 14th
• Algoriddim's vjay gets remixed for iPhone, mobile movies meet the mash-up (video)
• Eskuché intros Control v2 and 45v2 headphones, melds '70s chic with 2012 tech for iOS listeners
• Microsoft announces SkyDrive SDKs for .NET and Windows Phone 8, highlights web integration
• Canada calls dibs on Microsoft's first permanent international store
• CIBC Mobile Payment App reaches BlackBerry App World for the rare chance you can actually use it
• Lenovo's upcoming five-inch 1080p phone to feature dual-SIM connectivity
• Netflix finally comes to Linux! (Sort of...)
• Kohler's Moxie shower head makes it rain music, sticks with you all morning
• 'Tis the season: Amazon now offering customizable video gift cards from JibJab
• PSA: HTC One X+, five other devices from ASUS, HTC, Novatel and Samsung on sale at AT&T
• Amazon stops testing monthly Prime subscriptions, leaves the results a mystery
• Lorenz Potthast's Decelerator helmet gives you slow-motion vision, sci-fi style
• iFixit pries open Google's Nexus 4, exposes somewhat stubborn battery (update: repairability verdict, LTE chip)
• Google's Nexus 10 tablet gets torn down, found to be Samsung-made inside and out
• BBC launches Earth Unplugged channel on YouTube, gives us online nature beyond the cat clips (video)
• Athens university prints polymer circuits with lasers, speeds us towards low-cost electronics
• Google updates Maps and Earth with more high-res and 45-degree images, encourages wanderlust
• BitTorrent lands deals with 20 TV makers for peer-to-peer video
• Netflix CEO claims Amazon losing up to $1 billion a year in streaming video war
• HTC Droid DNA review
• Time Warner Cable and Verizon plan to redirect, throttle internet users accused of piracy (video)
• Sony lowers PS3, PS Vita bundles to $199 for Black Friday madness

Curiosity rover finds radiation levels on Mars are safe for humans Posted: 17 Nov 2012 09:30 AM PST It's been three months since NASA's Curiosity rover set foot wheels down on Martian terrain, and now the space agency has divulged what it's learned about radiation on Mars. Marking the first time radiation has been measured from the surface of another planet, preliminary data collected using the rover's Radiation Assessment Detector (or RAD for short) revealed that levels on the ground are similar to what astronauts encounter on the International Space Station. What's that mean for space travel? "The astronauts can live in this environment," Don Hassler, principal investigator on Curiosity's RAD hardware, said in a press conference. However, humans would still experience higher levels of radiation on the way to and from the red planet than on its surface. The results are encouraging, but they're just one of many developments left before Homo sapiens set foot on Mars. For more details on the RAD's findings, look below for the press release. Show full PR text NASA Rover Providing New Weather and Radiation Data About Mars November 15, 2012 PASADENA, Calif. -- Observations of wind patterns and natural radiation patterns on Mars by NASA's Curiosity rover are helping scientists better understand the environment on the Red Planet's surface. Researchers using the car-sized mobile laboratory have identified transient whirlwinds, mapped winds in relation to slopes, tracked daily and seasonal changes in air pressure, and linked rhythmic changes in radiation to daily atmospheric changes. The knowledge being gained about these processes helps scientists interpret evidence about environmental changes on Mars that might have led to conditions favorable for life. During the first 12 weeks after Curiosity landed in an area named Gale Crater, an international team of researchers analyzed data from more than 20 atmospheric events with at least one characteristic of a whirlwind recorded by the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) instrument. Those characteristics can include a brief dip in air pressure, a change in wind direction, a change in wind speed, a rise in air temperature or a dip in ultraviolet light reaching the rover. Two of the events included all five characteristics. In many regions of Mars, dust-devil tracks and shadows have been seen from orbit, but those visual clues have not been seen in Gale Crater. One possibility is that vortex whirlwinds arise at Gale without lifting as much dust as they do elsewhere. "Dust in the atmosphere has a major role in shaping the climate on Mars," said Manuel de la Torre Juarez of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. He is the investigation scientist for REMS, which Spain provided for the mission. "The dust lifted by dust devils and dust storms warms the atmosphere." Dominant wind direction identified by REMS has surprised some researchers who expected slope effects to produce north-south winds. The rover is just north of a mountain called Mount Sharp. If air movement up and down the mountain's slope governed wind direction, dominant winds generally would be north-south. However, east-west winds appear to predominate. The rim of Gale Crater may be a factor. "With the crater rim slope to the north and Mount Sharp to the south, we may be seeing more of the wind blowing along the depression in between the two slopes, rather than up and down the slope of Mount Sharp," said Claire Newman, a REMS investigator at Ashima Research in Pasadena. "If we don't see a change in wind patterns as Curiosity heads up the slope of Mount Sharp -- that would be a surprise." REMS monitoring of air pressure has tracked both a seasonal increase and a daily rhythm. Neither was unexpected, but the details improve understanding of atmospheric cycles on present-day Mars, which helps with estimating how the cycles may have operated in the past. The seasonal increase results from tons of carbon dioxide, which had been frozen into a southern winter ice cap, returning into the atmosphere as southern spring turns to summer. The daily cycle of higher pressure in the morning and lower pressure in the evening results from daytime heating of the atmosphere by the sun. As morning works its way westward around the planet, so does a wave of heat-expanded atmosphere, known as a thermal tide. Effects of that atmospheric tide show up in data from Curiosity's Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD). This instrument monitors high-energy radiation considered to be a health risk to astronauts and a factor in whether microbes could survive on Mars' surface. "We see a definite pattern related to the daily thermal tides of the atmosphere," said RAD Principal Investigator Don Hassler of the Southwest Research Institute's Boulder, Colo., branch. "The atmosphere provides a level of shielding, and so charged-particle radiation is less when the atmosphere is thicker. Overall, Mars' atmosphere reduces the radiation dose compared to what we saw during the flight to Mars." The overall goal of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission is to use 10 instruments on Curiosity to assess whether areas inside Gale Crater ever offered a habitable environment for microbes.

Apple pulling the plug on Messages beta for OS X Lion on December 14th Posted: 17 Nov 2012 08:00 AM PST Apple is notifying OS X Lion users that the platform's preview of Messages will end on December 14th. Originally available as a free beta download for Lion 10.7, Messages went on to become an official feature of Mountain Lion 10.8. Obtained by Cult of Mac, the email from Apple advises that in order to continue using Messages, you'll need to upgrade to Mountain Lion. While it's saddening to have pay for an app that you're accustomed to having for free, keep in mind that this was only a preview. Besides, the upgrade to Mountain Lion is $20 and if you can afford any of Apple's products, we're pretty sure that this expense won't be too much of a stretch. Be sure to take a look at the email in question after the break, because it could be lurking somewhere in your junk mail folder.

Algoriddim's vjay gets remixed for iPhone, mobile movies meet the mash-up (video) Posted: 17 Nov 2012 06:24 AM PST When it comes to holding the party down on an iPad or iPhone, djay by Algoriddim's been a front-runner ever since it came out. Then came vjay for video spinning iPad owners. Now, that video follow-up is ready for the main arena, as it's just been release for iPhone / iPod touch. Now you can mash-up your favorite videos right on your phone, add soundtracks to your existing clips, and throw down some effects for good measure. If you kinda dig what you create, you can -- of course -- share it with the world, or throw it up on the big screen. Not sure your cat clips will cut the mustard? Worry not, as there's purpose-made bundled content thrown in with the deal. And at just $0.99, it won't hurt the pocket it was built for, either. Show full PR text Mix, scratch and bring your videos and music to life with Algoriddim's new vjay™ app for iPhone 5 LONDON, UK - November 15, 2012 – In a slick back-to-back move, Algoriddim is following up its blockbuster djay app with an iPhone version of its highly-acclaimed video mixing app vjay, which promises to bring personal video mashups to the masses. Anyone with an iPhone 5, iPhone 4S or even the new iPod touch can now mix videos, add a soundtrack to footage from the iPhone video library, or simply add some snazzy looking special effects to videos shot with the iPhone's built in camera. vjay for iPhone also integrates directly into the iTunes Store so users can browse, search, preview, and purchase their favorite music videos and easily remix them using stunning transitions as a new and engaging way to experience their favorite artist's music videos. Those who feel brave enough to showcase their personal mashups to a wider audience will benefit from the integrated social share buttons to instantly and directly post the results of their work on Facebook or YouTube. Even for those users without a huge collection, the new vjay directly integrates with iPhone's video-recording element in the camera app, includes pre-bundled video content from electro-pop superstars Far East Movement, video artist Eclectic Method, DJ & MC master J-Live, and many other clips and loops so fans can sample and add their favorite beats and begin mixing music and video content right away. Ultra-portable yet powerful and packed with features the new vjay for edition takes full advantage of the phone's widescreen aspect ratio (16:9) and replicates the wow factor of the existing iPad version on a palm-sized scale thanks to a dynamic user interface that automatically adapts to portrait and landscape orientation. Hooking up the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch wirelessly via Apple TV or to a high-definition TV by using an HDMI adapter means vjay for iPhone mixes can easily be beamed onto the big screen for friends and family to marvel at. Meanwhile, full iOS 6 compatibility enables budding VJs to preview sound and cue up tracks seamlessly while mixing up a storm. Hidden behind the polished design of the app is a collection of features to mix videos, a raft of audiovisual effects and performance tools features , and VJing staples such as beat and tempo detection, wave form display and 3-band equalizer to blend songs and videos seamlessly together and create unique mixes. Users of the iPad app are in for a treat too as a reloaded version, free for existing users) not only mirrors the impressive feature set of the iPhone edition but also now comes with several new features including multiple cue-points, the sharing capabilities, and a new full portrait mode to support the Numark iDJ Pro MIDI controller to give it a professional edge. Pricing and availability: vjay for iPhone is available for download from the App Store for $0.99 / £0.69 vjay for iPad is available for download from the App Store for $9.99 / £6.99 The app is free for existing users.

Eskuché intros Control v2 and 45v2 headphones, melds '70s chic with 2012 tech for iOS listeners Posted: 17 Nov 2012 04:40 AM PST Sound quality matters most for headphones, but we won't lie: we've got a soft spot for a slick design. Eskuché is undoubtedly trying to play that opening like a fiddle with its just-launched Control v2 (left) and 45v2 (right) sets. Both evoke the feel of vintage studio monitors through their 1970s-era finishes while including a decidedly non-vintage microphone and remote combo for iOS devices. The two styles share a 20Hz to 20kHz frequency range, 32-ohm impedance and 40mm drivers, although there's an incentive to splurge: the $60 Control v2 is the baseline for casual listening with its nostalgic colors and 3.5mm cabling, while the $129 45v2 is tailored to DJs through its titanium drivers, rotatable aluminum cups and a detachable cable system that works with 6.3mm (quarter-inch) plugs through an adapter. iPhone owners eager to recreate a first Led Zeppelin listening will have to trek to Apple's online or retail stores for a Control v2 during the holidays; they'll have more shopping choices for the studio-friendly 45v2 arriving at the same time. Show full PR text Eskuché Headphones Launches V2 Collection eskuché's premiere v2 Collection is the next evolution in our classic inspired audio headphone line consisting of two new on-ear headphone designs, the 45v2 ($129) and Control v2 ($59.99). Designed with Apple's three button mic control system combined with our industrial design platform, the v2 Collection delivers eskuche's staple design, clean acoustics and modern technology for today's savvy consumers. Seamlessly control your Apple device with the play/pause + answer/end + volume control functionality, all from the custom in-line mic controller. The newly released collection is available at Apple retail stores in North America and online at Apple.com. The Control v2 comes in three distinct colors (Café Brown, Burnt Orange, and Baby Blue) and are exclusive to Apple Retail stores and Apple.com through the holiday. In addition, the newly and improved 45v2, is available in a custom machined metallic Silver as well as Matte Black. The 45v2 will be available on Apple.com and other specialty retail outlets this holiday.

Microsoft announces SkyDrive SDKs for .NET and Windows Phone 8, highlights web integration Posted: 17 Nov 2012 03:00 AM PST After the introduction of new APIs last year, Microsoft has released SkyDrive SDKs for almost every major platform including Windows 8, JavaScript Web library, Android and iOS. Now the cloud service has opened its doors to more of Microsoft's own with new SDKs for .NET and of course, Windows Phone 8. To entice even more developers to its side, the team at SkyDrive also integrated with services like IFTTT (If This Then That), which lets you customize action triggers between different web services, DocuSign, an electronic signature site and SoundGecko, a text-to-audio transcription service. It'll likely take a lot of work for SkyDrive to win over fans of Dropbox and Box.net, but opening up its doors to developers is a step in the right direction.

Canada calls dibs on Microsoft's first permanent international store Posted: 17 Nov 2012 01:20 AM PST Canadian Windows fans rejoice! The rumors have panned out, as Microsoft opened its first permanent non-US retail location on Friday at the Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto. To celebrate this milestone, the company had a grand opening event with special guest Wayne Gretzky and a performance by the band Train. For the sake of die-hard Windows fans everywhere, here's hoping Microsoft is just scratching the Surface of its international expansion plans.

CIBC Mobile Payment App reaches BlackBerry App World for the rare chance you can actually use it Posted: 16 Nov 2012 11:40 PM PST Rogers kicked off Canadian NFC mobile payments at the start of the month through what was mostly a ceremonial gesture -- until the CIBC app arrived, locals simply had to wait. It's at last time try some Suretap mobile shopping now that the CIBC Mobile Payment App has popped up in BlackBerry App World. As promised, the title will let Canucks tap to pay with a credit card (up to $50 at once) at the 17 store chains offering use of a MasterCard PayPass or Visa PayWave terminal. The catch remains the sheer number of conditions that need to be in place: on top of requiring an NFC-aware SIM card, a CIBC credit card and the right stores, the early software only works its magic with the BlackBerry Bold 9900; Curve 9380 support depends on a future update. Having the crucial app is still a step forward, and the handful of trailblazers can always recount tales of buying Timbits with their Bolds while those on other platforms have to sit tight until 2013.

Lenovo's upcoming five-inch 1080p phone to feature dual-SIM connectivity Posted: 16 Nov 2012 10:08 PM PST By now you should already know that HTC, Sharp and Oppo share a common theme: 1080p display on their five-inch phones. As it turns out, Lenovo also wants in on the VIP list. Spotted on Sina Weibo earlier this week (but have since been deleted) are the above three screenshots showing off Lenovo's customized Android UI in 1080p glory. As with many phones in China these days, the device in question supports dual-SIM connectivity -- the screenshots indicate that it's connected to China Telecom's CDMA2000 network and China Mobile's 2G network simultaneously. Our own source wouldn't directly confirm that it's a five-inch display on this mysterious phone, but we were told that it'll be somewhere between 4.5 inches and 5.5 inches -- we'll take that as a yes, especially since the only 1080p mobile panels available right now are the five-inch, 440ppi ones from Sharp and JDI. Our source also said the phone's entered DVT (Design Verification Test) phase for some time, so it might not be long before we hear an official announcement in China. As always, stay tuned. Lenovo's upcoming five-inch 1080p phone to feature dual-SIM connectivity

Netflix finally comes to Linux! (Sort of...) Posted: 16 Nov 2012 09:30 PM PST Netflix's reluctance to support playback on Linux computers is infamous notorious ridiculous well documented. Well, while the company isn't ready to officially start streaming to your Ubuntu box, you can gain access to its vast library with a specially patched version of Wine. For those of you that don't know, Wine is a compatibility layer that allows Windows apps to run under Linux. Fire up the Windows version of Firefox with this version of the software, install Microsoft's Silverlight and voilà -- Netflix on Linux. Unfortunately, that makes the whole ordeal sound a lot simpler than it is. For the moment you'll need to download Wine from its Git repository, then download and apply five different patches. Then you'll have to download and install Firefox 14.0.1 and Silverlight 4, neither of which are the current (read: easy to find) versions. So far the hack is only confirmed to work on the 32-bit version of Ubuntu 12.10, but we imagine getting it up and running on other distros shouldn't be too difficult. The work around should get easier once the crafty devs get a PPA up and running that will streamline installation. If you're the impatient type you can hit up the source link to get complete instructions.

Kohler's Moxie shower head makes it rain music, sticks with you all morning Posted: 16 Nov 2012 08:01 PM PST Like to sing in the shower? Take a seat on your grandma's old bathing stool -- your own shower head is about to show you up. Kohler's latest water dispersal nozzle, Moxie, features a detachable Bluetooth speaker secured in the shower head's center with a magnet. It sounds like a bad Yakov Smirnoff gag: in Soviet Russia, shower sings to you! The speaker pops off the sprayer when it's time to towel off, and promises to provide up to seven hours of sudsy tunes before needing a recharge. The only thing it seems to be missing is a water powered micro-turbine. Read on for Kohler's official press release. Show full PR text Kohler Debuts Moxie Showerhead with Integrated Speaker Capsule Bluetooth-enabled KOHLER Moxie brings music into the shower with an integrated speaker capsule that's both rechargeable and removable KOHLER, Wis. – November 17, 2012 – Smartphones are everywhere. More than 38 percent of adults - 120 million-in the U.S. own one, and the number continues to climb. Users even admit to taking them everywhere; a recent survey found 75 percent use their phones in the bathroom. To embrace the demand for constant connectivity, Kohler Co. introduces a new sensory experience to showerheads with the KOHLER Moxie showerhead. "We're seeing a growing demand for music in the bathroom," says Kohler performance showering product manager Leslie Bronson. "The Moxie showerhead is the first of its kind to combine the delivery of water and music. And with the proximity of the Bluetooth*-enabled speaker pod, bathers are simultaneously showered with music and a best-in-class spray experience." The Moxie showerhead syncs with any Bluetooth-enabled device-smartphones and mp3 players-and streams music directly into the shower. But the fun doesn't stop there; the speaker pod can be removed for enjoyment on the go, throughout the rest of the bathroom and beyond. "Smartphones are transforming the way users access music," Bronson says. "Half of all smartphone users stream music directly from their devices. The Moxie Showerhead takes accessibility to a whole new level. It offers a convenient, stylish sound boost. It's like having your own mobile DJ." About the KOHLER Moxie Showerhead: Installation is fast and simple, the same required for a standard showerhead. Audio Control is managed through the paired Bluetooth-enabled device, such as a smartphone or mp3 player. The on/off button discretely incorporated into the speaker capsule's design also includes a light that changes color to indicate when the speaker is paired and when the battery needs to be charged. A lithium battery** provides on average seven hours of playtime; recharging the speaker is easy with the USB cord provided. Redocking the speaker capsule is simple. A strong magnet located in the dock's base maintains a secure hold.

'Tis the season: Amazon now offering customizable video gift cards from JibJab Posted: 16 Nov 2012 07:27 PM PST Amazon announced a partnership with digital media company JibJab on Friday that will introduce free, personalized video gift cards to its customers. This new feature gives you the option to attach pictures to over 50 pre-themed videos, which includes holidays, birthdays and other special occasions. Customers can load up to $2,000 on a video gift card, which can be sent instantly or at a scheduled date and time via email or a Facebook wall post. The cards never expire and recipients can share their videos through Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or email, while keeping the gift's cash value private. So, if gift cards from the people with the smile on the box rank high on your holiday wish list, get ready to have your inbox hit with a barrage of disco grannies and snowball-throwing elf cat videos. Show full PR text Amazon Brings Holiday Cheer with Video Gift Cards Customers can now send personalized video gift cards featuring JibJab videos for over a dozen occasions, including winter holidays, birthday, graduation, everyday fun and more SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 16, 2012-- (NASDAQ:AMZN)- Amazon.com, Inc. today announced the launch of Amazon Video Gift Cards (www.amazon.com/giftcards-video), a new gift card experience where customers can create free, personalized JibJab Starring You® videos featuring a photo of their own face or faces of their friends and family. From the cheerful "Elf Snowball Fight" to the laugh-out-loud "Roller-skating Disco Birthday," customers can personalize a video gift card for over a dozen occasions. Additionally, customers who receive Amazon Video Gift Cards can easily share their JibJab videos through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and email, while keeping their gift card details private. "We're excited to add Amazon Video Gift Cards to our growing set of digital gift card products," said Max Bardon, General Manager, Amazon Gift Cards. "We think customers will love uploading a family photo to one of our entertaining holiday-themed video gift cards and enjoy the engaging gift-giving experience of the new Amazon Video Gift Cards this season." Sending Amazon Video Gift Cards is fun and easy. To start, customers simply choose from the more than 50 JibJab Starring You® videos, upload a photo of their own face or the faces of their friends and family, select a gift card amount of up to $2,000, then email or post it to a friend's Facebook Wall. Customers who receive a video gift card can use it to shop for the millions of items available on Amazon at their convenience – Amazon Video Gift Cards are delivered instantly or can be scheduled for a future date and never, ever expire. Here are some of the Amazon Video Gift Cards customers can send today at www.amazon.com/giftcards-video: Winter Holidays Elf Snowball Fight Pilgrim Song A Christmas Carol Birthday Birthday Piñata Rocker Birthday Roller Disco Everyday Fun Disco German Polka I Got You Babe

PSA: HTC One X+, five other devices from ASUS, HTC, Novatel and Samsung on sale at AT&T Posted: 16 Nov 2012 06:12 PM PST American carriers love to launch their device lines in bundles, and AT&T just proved the rule in style. Forget the LTE iPad mini -- six other devices have shipped in one day, covering just about every category Big Blue offers. Want a Windows tablet? There's a $500 ASUS VivoTab RT waiting for you. Smartphones? HTC's $200 One X+ covers the high-end, while its $50 One VX and Samsung's $100 Galaxy Express target the more frugal among us. Even shutterbugs and cutting-edge networkers can pick up a $500 Samsung Galaxy Camera or Novatel's $50 MiFi Liberate hotspot. There's no doubt that AT&T is cramming the channel full of new gadgets in the hopes of scooping up all the Black Friday sales it can, but we'll forgive the slightly cynical strategy for the sake of a wider device selection.

Amazon stops testing monthly Prime subscriptions, leaves the results a mystery Posted: 16 Nov 2012 05:19 PM PST Amazon's trial periods must be as quick as its shipping -- just days after we first learned that it was testing monthly subscriptions for Amazon Prime, the online retailer has already put a halt to the program. A spokesperson says only that the company has "completed" its testing and has stopped taking sign-ups. We haven't been told whether or not the test was successful, although it's not hard to see the math working against Amazon's experiment when a $79 yearly Prime subscription is unquestionably the better deal. Chalk up the rapid-fire testing to the competitive heat in the streaming video world.

Lorenz Potthast's Decelerator helmet gives you slow-motion vision, sci-fi style Posted: 16 Nov 2012 04:41 PM PST Ever wish you could just push a slow-mo button and cause the hustle and bustle of city life to ease up a little? Maybe you'd just like to seal yourself off from your surroundings within the confines of a shiny aluminum sphere. German artist Lorenz Potthast didn't stop at thinking about it, he did something. Dubbed the "Decelerator," the avant garde piece of headgear does just that: it has a camera that feeds video to the head-mounted display inside, with the wearer (or someone else) able to control the speed of the video playback with a remote. A netbook stuffed in the top handles all the video processing, and an LCD on the outside offers passers-by a look at what the wearer sees. You can find a video after the break and more details at the source link below if you're interested in building your own -- Potthast apparently has no plans to go into the Decelerator business.

iFixit pries open Google's Nexus 4, exposes somewhat stubborn battery (update: repairability verdict, LTE chip) Posted: 16 Nov 2012 03:35 PM PST The warranty-voiders over at iFixit decided to spend their Friday evening tearing into a freshly delivered Nexus 4 and have given us a peek inside Google's smartphone darling. After removing a pair of screws and spending a few minutes prying off the rear cover, the teardown specialists found that the backplate's sparkling exterior isn't the only thing that makes it special. In addition to serving a cosmetic purpose, the hind side plate packs a handful of pressure contacts that power the handset's NFC antenna and connect its wireless charging induction coil. Extracting the battery required evicting additional screws and a fair amount of elbow grease to wrangle the 2100 mAh pack free from adhesive. As for the motherboard, its removal was a relatively easy process comprised of freeing it from a couple of connectors. The outfit's final verdict on the device's repairability isn't in just yet, but you can tap the source link below to gaze at the LG-made phone's innards. Update: iFixit has given Mountain View's smartphone a 7 out of 10 score in terms of repairability. The three point mark-down stems from a tricky battery removal experience and the glass front, which is fused to the display and its frame. Also, despite the lack of LTE support, a close look at the motherboard reveals a Qualcomm WTR1605L seven-band 4G LTE chip.

Google's Nexus 10 tablet gets torn down, found to be Samsung-made inside and out Posted: 16 Nov 2012 02:39 PM PST We've already seen what makes the Nexus 7 tick, and the folks at PowerBook Medic have now done the teardown honors with its larger counterpart, the Nexus 10. Expectedly, there aren't many major surprises to be found, but the site did note the "complete ease" of taking the tablet apart, with no glue or other impediments getting in the way. It's also confirmed that this is very much a Samsung-made tablet, with the company not only putting it together, but manufacturing everything from the processor to the flash memory to the battery. You can find the full rundown at the link below.

BBC launches Earth Unplugged channel on YouTube, gives us online nature beyond the cat clips (video) Posted: 16 Nov 2012 02:04 PM PST Many would call the BBC the go-to name for nature documentaries; unless you happen to tune in at the right moments or buy a spheroid collector's set, however, it's not always easy to follow along. We'll all have an easier time getting our fill now that the broadcaster has launched its promised nature channel, Earth Unplugged. The streaming video station centers on seven shows that range from the obligatory baby animal segments -- this is YouTube, after all -- through to dinosaurs and looks at nature professionals. Earth Unplugged won't necessarily have us tossing our Blu-ray collections, but it should provide some welcome educational material once we're done watching box-loving cats. Show full PR text BBC Earth presents Earth Unplugged: A digital nature channel for YouTube Date: 16.11.2012 BBC Worldwide today announced the launch of Earth Unplugged a new YouTube channel from BBC Earth, BBC Worldwide's global natural history brand. The channel will feature a feast of new films created for a digital audience by BBC Earth Productions and is set to become a destination site for wildlife and nature. Earth Unplugged is BBC Worldwide's first original-content channel for YouTube and forms part of the company's plans to build a true consumer facing multi-channel network on the platform. Amanda Hill, Managing Director for BBC Earth at BBC Worldwide said "With Earth Unplugged we're seeking to connect a new audience with the world around them. YouTube offers a fantastic opportunity to reach people and grab their attention with innovative nature content that will captivate and inspire." Earth Unplugged has released a trailer for the channel today which can be viewed here: YouTube.com/EarthUnplugged. On launch the channel will feature videos for seven unmissable new shows: * Earth Juice will bring viewers weekly news discussing the latest discoveries in the natural world and revealing amazing facts that they may never have heard before: from bees that have produced blue honey to uncovering the real life vampires in the animal kingdom. * Meet My Planet is a glossy and intimate look inside the world of people who have been inspired by the natural world. We'll hear from a fascinating mix of people from explorers, naturalists and filmmakers to artists and musicians – all of whom have a passion for nature. * Deadliest... is a YouTube exclusive spin-off of the BBC's immensely popular TV show Deadly 60 and features the ultimate showdowns from the planet's deadliest animals; the most inhospitable habitats and most dangerous forces of nature. * Walking with Dinosaurs will see videos specially created for Earth Unplugged - including the soon-to-be-favourite sketchosaurus - the ultimate destination for dino fans with an enticing mix of fun, fear and facts! * Earth Files takes iconic nature stories and gives them a unique digital makeover, fusing high-end graphics and surprising music with beautiful photography to create a brand new experience. * Zoo La La will travel the world uncovering some of the most extraordinary animal behaviour and Bugface, part of Zoo La La, makes insects the star of a new show that has to be seen to be believed! * Amazing Animal Babies is a must for anyone needing a weekly uplift! Featuring stunning films of cute baby animals Amazing Animal Babies will reveal the extraordinary stories these infants have to tell.

Athens university prints polymer circuits with lasers, speeds us towards low-cost electronics Posted: 16 Nov 2012 01:32 PM PST The dream of ubiquitous technology revolves around cheaper materials, and polymer circuits could help make the dream a reality... if the solvents used to produce the circuits didn't cause more problems than they cured, that is. The National Technical University of Athens has developed a more exacting technique that, like most good things in science, solves the crisis with lasers. The approach fires a laser at a polymer layer (covered by quartz) to throw some of that polymer on to a receiving layer; by moving the two layers, the scientists can print virtually any 2D circuit without resorting to potentially damaging chemicals. Any leftover worries center mostly around risks of changing the chemical composition as well as the usual need to develop a reliable form of mass production. Any long-term success with laser-printed polymers, however, could lead to more affordable technology as well as more instances of flexible and wearable gear -- there might not be much of a downside to ditching the circuit status quo.

Google updates Maps and Earth with more high-res and 45-degree images, encourages wanderlust Posted: 16 Nov 2012 12:58 PM PST Google has expanded its high-res Maps and Earth offerings to cover a whopping 164 cities and 108 countries / regions, while its brand new 45-degree imagery is now available for 60 cities (40 in the US and 20 abroad) -- the list is long, so check out the source to discover all the locations. The photos are pretty stunning; highlights include a live look at the Space Needle's orange paint job for its 50th anniversary, an overhead look at Austrian bridges and an angled view of the Thun Castle in Switzerland. Now, excuse us as we stare longingly at these gorgeous vistas -- it is Friday, right?

BitTorrent lands deals with 20 TV makers for peer-to-peer video Posted: 16 Nov 2012 12:24 PM PST The file sharing crew at BitTorrent has so far taken only tentative footsteps into the living room with its certification program. If CEO Eric Kinkler's comments to Multichannel News are any indicator, though, the company is ready to make itself at home. He reveals that BitTorrent has signed pacts with 20 electronics makers to include its peer-to-peer service for media streaming in new TV sets, some of which will ship as soon as the end of 2012. Kinkler isn't naming the partners, but he notes that most of the torrent-ready screens are destined for Asia and Europe rather than the US -- many TV builders in American shops already have a raft of streaming video deals with the likes of Netflix, the executive says. Don't anticipate seeing a row of BitTorrent TVs in the local big-box store, then, but do expect the firm to make a name for itself beyond software and the occasional router.

Netflix CEO claims Amazon losing up to $1 billion a year in streaming video war Posted: 16 Nov 2012 11:49 AM PST Netflix isn't sinking, but it's certainly not the soaring brand it once was and has endured its fair share of struggles over the last several years. But, if you think Reed Hastings is shaking in his boots over encroaching competition you'd be wrong. The CEO says that Amazon will pose a legitimate threat to its streaming video dominance, but that day is still a long way off. He claims that the Kindle purveyor is losing between $500 million and $1 billion a year as it builds its empire and secures licensing rights. Of course, Hasting's comments during an interview with Dow Jones are largely speculative; based on the value of deals in which the two have competed directly. Then again, there seemed to be some implicit admission of the costs and struggles associated with competing in the subscription video sphere during its Q3 earnings report. The company lowered its forecast for the next quarter, saying it could lose as much as $490 million.

HTC Droid DNA review Posted: 16 Nov 2012 11:30 AM PST Guanine, adenine, thymine, cytosine... Android? The Droid DNA -- the latest addition to Verizon's Droid series -- may not contain any actual nucleotides (that we know of), but that doesn't make this HTC-made superphone any less of a powerhouse. On the contrary, we've been eyeballing this handset with eager anticipation ever since it first launched in Japan as the J Butterfly; much like its counterpart from the Land of the Rising Sun, the DNA boasts a jaw-dropping 5-inch, 1080p display. But while that may be the headliner-worthy feature, you certainly can't go wrong with a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor and 2GB of RAM taking charge behind the scenes, along with an ImageSense camera and other top-notch specs. In certain respects, the Droid DNA is a sneak preview of what's to come in 2013: a wave of high-performance "superphones" that take advantage of this improved resolution, and offer a long list of other top-notch features. Indeed, that's a future we could all definitely live with, but let's not get too ahead of ourselves; we've got a phone to review, after all. Is the display as tantalizing as it sounds? Will its size be a selling point or a major distraction? Should you waltz into a Verizon store on Black Friday and demand they take your hard-earned $200? Follow us after the break as we focus on the here and now. HTC Droid DNA overview Hardware HTC may not be the king of the hill in device sales or financials, but 2012 has convinced us that it's firmly planted as the champion in smartphone design. The company's had a knack for thinking outside the rectangular box and coming up with cleverly built handsets -- the Sensation series and Touch Diamond come to mind -- but it seems to have cranked the focus up another notch this year. The One series was beautifully crafted and each model therein acted as a brilliant indication of HTC's renewed dedication; without skipping a beat, it was later followed up with the colorful and visually stunning Windows Phone 8X, which has been readily endorsed by Microsoft. This brief bit of background was added to emphasize one important thing: HTC isn't slacking off with the Droid DNA. Everything about the phone -- straight down to the Ferrari-inspired edges -- screams luxury and ensures a comfortable experience. We're just as drawn to its beauty as we were when we first beheld the One X with our own eyes. It's an incredibly sleek and solidly built device that won't leave us worried about durability, since it consists of aluminum on the sides and a soft-touch polycarbonate on the back that is quite similar to the material used on the 8X. (Unfortunately, it's also a fingerprint magnet.) Gorilla Glass 2 graces the display with the promise of preventing that beautiful screen from getting scuffed. Currently, the DNA only comes in one color option: black with red accents. These two colors have been HTC's bread and butter for many years, so it comes as no huge shocker that this would be the default choice for, well, Big Red. It also correlates with the Beats Audio color scheme, so it's a perfect combination for every party involved. The red isn't overbearing and complements the black quite well, accentuating the power button, earpiece, camera and edges (as we mentioned earlier, the grille-like edge design was apparently inspired by Ferrari, and we fully support that decision). The same folks who were concerned about the Galaxy Note II's behemoth size will also have identical reservations for the 5-inch DNA at first, but this particular device isn't looking to compete in the same genre. HTC went out of its way to emphasize that the DNA is "a smartphone, not a phablet," and we can definitely attest to that statement. Holding it up to your ear when making a call likely won't inspire the same feelings of awkwardness as the Note II might do, and it's much easier to use for one-handed tasks without needing special keyboards or dialpads. In fact, the DNA's form factor reminds us of what you'll find on the One X and Samsung Galaxy S III: at 70.5mm (2.78 inches) wide, it's only 0.6mm wider than the One X and is actually 0.1mm narrower than the GS3. Boasting a height of 141mm (5.55 inches), it's also taller than either phone. At its thickest point, the DNA measures at 9.73mm (0.38 inch), which is a bit thicker than the 8.9mm One X and 8.6mm GS3, but the back gently slopes to meet the 4mm-thick tapered edges. We were expecting the phone to require some sort of adjustment period at first, but we found the DNA to be a completely natural fit in the palm of our hand -- and it feels great. The DNA's back is another indicator of HTC's recent change in design strategy. If you recall, the Windows Phone 8X offers a gently sloping curve (think of a "smiley face" when looking at the phone edge-on) without the phone becoming too thick, thanks to the pyramid-like fashion in which the designers stacked the internal components; HTC confirmed to us that this same methodology was used for the Droid DNA as well. And as we've come to expect on top-end devices made by HTC, the back is entirely unibody, so that 2,020mAh battery can't be swapped out. Near the top, you'll find the 8MP ImageSense autofocus camera flanked by an LED flash to the right and an LED notification light to the left. The rear notification light is rather uncommon to smartphones -- we can't recall having seen a device adorned with two such indicators -- but anyone who tends to put their phone face-down will actually find a great deal of use out of this addition. Near the bottom are the Verizon LTE and Beats Audio logos, though fortunately they don't take up much real estate. On the front, you'll notice HTC's standard three-button setup below the screen (back, home and recent apps), with the front-facing camera, proximity sensor and earpiece above. An LED notification light hides underneath the speaker grille. The Gorilla Glass covers nearly the entire front, but there's a U-shaped cutout at the top for the earpiece; this particular section of the phone seems ill-designed, as the earpiece -- and the small section above it -- appears completely out of place and disrupts the cohesiveness of the design. There's a fine line when it comes to continuity, however: in an effort to make the phone look sleek, HTC made the volume rocker (found on the right edge) almost completely flush with the body of the phone, making it a bit difficult to press. The power button, unfortunately placed on the top center, is designed precisely the same way. The two buttons are made of anodized aluminum and their flush placement helps them blend in better, making the edges much more aesthetically pleasing, so you'll just need to decide if that makes it worth the small cost in usability. Rounding out the top of the DNA, the power button is flanked by a micro-SIM tray on the right and 3.5mm headphone jack on the left. We noticed another small quirk soon after unboxing the phone: the micro-USB / MHL port on the bottom is covered by a plastic flap that takes more effort to snap closed than it should. According to HTC, this was done to keep the phone splash-resistant, in exactly the same manner as the J Butterfly. As we've seen on the majority of Japanese phones in the past, carriers in that country have particularly high standards when it comes to protecting devices from water, so HTC and Verizon chose to adopt those standards for the DNA. If you purchase the phone, it's important to keep in mind that it's compatible with Qi, so it may be worth investing in a certified wireless charging pad rather than fumbling with that flap on a regular basis. (We used an Energizer pad and Nokia Fatboy pillow to charge the DNA, and both worked like a charm.) While we're on the subject of wireless, we should note that the Droid DNA also features dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n, NFC and compatibility with HTC's Media Link HD for wireless HDMI mirroring. If you don't mind going the wired route, a MHL adapter will easily work here in its place. Sadly, USB OTG isn't officially supported. Last but not least, internal storage is limited to 16GB with no option for expandable memory, a poor decision on HTC's part. Sure, the idea of shunning the microSD slot is nothing new, and HTC has done this plenty of times before -- the One X+ is guilty of the same thing -- but we have a feeling that this particular choice was made by Verizon, since the J Butterfly (the DNA's Japanese counterpart) does allow for expandable storage. In other words, Verizon would have had to go out of its way to make sure the slot wasn't included. HTC Droid DNA Pricing $200 with contract Dimensions 5.55 x 2.78 x 0.38 inches (141 x 70.5 x 9.73mm) Weight 4.86 oz. (138g) Screen size 5.0 inches Screen resolution 1,920 x 1,080 pixels (440ppi) Screen type Super LCD3 Battery 2,020mAh Internal storage 16GB External storage No microSD slot Rear camera 8MP, f/2.0, 28mm wide-angle lens, AF, BSI, ImageChip Front-facing cam 2.1MP, f/2.0, wide-angle lens, BSI Video capture 1080p rear / 1080p front NFC Yes Radios LTE, CDMA, quad-band GSM / EDGE, quad-band UMTS / HSPA+ Bluetooth version 4.0 with aptX SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 CPU 1.5GHz quad-core GPU Adreno 320 RAM 2GB MHL Yes; support for HTC Media Link HD also included WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n dual-band Operating system Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, Sense 4+ UI Display And here it is: the crown jewel of the DNA. The feature that makes it stand out above the rest of the quad-core crowd: that 5-inch, 1080p (1,920 x 1,080) display. More specifically, this IPS panel -- also known as the Super LCD3 -- is an evolution of the SLCD2 you can find on the One X. If you recall, we declared that device's display to be the best we'd ever laid eyes on; the DNA, however, easily steals that title away. Granted, it's an iterative bump in resolution: the Super LCD2 panel on the One X had packed more pixels than the naked eye could discern, so pushing the density by over 100ppi merely makes the DNA screen sharper and clearer. How good is it? Images appear to just float above the screen. The font rendering is crisper than anything we've ever seen, and 1080p movies look simply stunning. Colors seem to appear more natural (without being overly saturated), the darks are darker and whites are not as harsh to our eyes as they were on the One X. Viewing angles are just as stellar, and you will love to use this phone in direct sunlight because even at 50 percent brightness you can see everything without straining your eyes -- something that we can only say about a select few devices. We give the Super LCD3 display all the praise in the world, because it's the current undisputed champion in the mobile industry. It can't be argued that the 1080p screen is the most beautiful we've laid eyes on to date, but don't go giving your current 720p display the heave-ho just for that single reason. It's an iterative improvement to be sure, and it's love at first sight, but it's a bit more nuanced than any previous bump in resolution. To put it more succinctly: it's difficult to go back to a qHD screen after using 720p for an extended period of time, but we don't have the same reservations going back to the One X+ display after using the DNA. Software As expected, the Droid DNA plays host to a fresh installation of HTC's Sense 4+ user interface, which runs atop Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean. Regardless of what you may love about the display, you may not harbor the same feelings toward the manufacturer's custom skin. With the exception of carrier-mandated tweaks, the UI here is essentially the same as the one we reviewed on the One X+ a couple weeks ago, so head over to our review to get the full rundown on the odds and ends. We mentioned special provisioning from the carrier, which comes as no surprise to anyone familiar with the US smartphone scene. Verizon has stuck with precedent and thoroughly decimated the DNA with obnoxious amounts of pre-loaded apps. Fortunately, nearly all of them can be disabled and each one can be hidden from view, thanks to some functionality in the Sense app menu. We can live with those options, especially since there seems to be very little impact on performance (more on that later), but there is one change to the firmware that simply shouldn't have happened: the recent apps / multitasking button cannot be changed or toggled to allow for the menu key. This is a feature that you can find on the One X and X+, so it gives us cause to believe this is something Verizon chose to leave out of the final product. Doing so essentially forces the menu button to take up an abnormally large amount of screen space on third-party apps. HTC Droid DNA screenshots The keyboard is also slightly different -- and just a little better. The larger screen allows for slightly bigger keys and the symbol / number toggle is on the left side instead of the right, but we were disappointed in the slow response we experienced with the Swype-like "trace" functionality on the stock HTC keyboard. Any time we finished a word, we found ourselves waiting a second or two for the phone's guess to show up on the screen. Camera Let's begin our discussion of the DNA camera by stating that we set our expectations to the same level as the One X and X+, since it sports a very similar camera module. Inside that red-rimmed contraption on the back is an 8MP camera with f/2.0 aperture, 3.63mm focal length (28mm equiv.) wide-angle lens, BSI sensor, AF and HTC's special ImageChip. Flip over the phone and you'll come face-to-face with a 2.1MP front-facing camera with BSI sensor and 88-degree ultra-wide-angle lens. The usual litany of adjustable settings is here. ISO can be manually set to a max of 800, but we noticed that rating jump up to over 1400 when we took low-light shots on auto or low-light mode. You can also adjust white balance manually, which unfortunately you will want to do more often on the DNA since the auto white balance is a little too warm. You can also choose to use HDR, macro mode or low-light mode and you can also adjust exposure / contrast settings. Since the DNA doesn't offer the ability to lock exposure, adjustments will be needed more often than not. When using the front-facing camera, you can tap the viewfinder to start a three-second timer to get that perfect Facebook profile shot. HTC Droid DNA camera samples Samsung Galaxy S III camera samples iPhone 5 camera samples HTC One X (global) camera samples Performance-wise, the camera is very snappy, taking shots even faster than the One X and X+. The images are also a little sharper and more detailed, though as we mentioned earlier, we were disappointed that the auto white balance feature is on the warm side. (This is more likely a software concern that could be resolved in a future update.) But when the white balance is adjusted correctly, we enjoyed natural colors and overall good quality shots. Low-light images are fair, but not quite as good as we'd like to see from HTC; at the very least, the LED flash is sufficiently bright. In other words, you're not going to be buying this phone for its imaging prowess, but it's not going to break the deal, either. It's not leaps and bounds better than the X or X+, but it's certainly in the same league. The front-facing camera, on the other hand, is definitely improved over the One series. The wide-angle lens makes a huge difference, especially in video chat, which is exactly where it counts -- it's much easier to bring multiple people within view, which is handy for groups of friends and family. The images, which have received a bump in resolution to 2.1MP (1,920 x 1,088) are also more detailed than anything we've seen on an HTC Android device to this point. We didn't see any huge improvement in the DNA's video recording performance on the rear camera, as it performs roughly the same as the One X and X+. It still records in MPEG-4 format at a bit rate of 10 Mbps and frame rate of 30 fps. It also features slow-motion capability, which can be quite useful when filming something with a lot of action, but you also take a hit on resolution as a consequence. The front-facing camera is great for video, as we were able to record at up to 1080p. We were quite surprised at how smooth and fluid the resulting footage came out; we didn't experience much choppiness when it came to filming moving objects. Performance and battery life It's the end of 2012 and quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro is the name of the game for top-end flagship products like the Droid DNA. Specifically, you can expect to enjoy a 1.5GHz APQ8064 paired with an MDM9615m modem, Adreno 320 GPU and 2GB RAM. This thing is as powerful as they come right now, and power users won't be disappointed with its performance. It trucks along swiftly; the speed of the processor, complemented by the efficiency of Jelly Bean, make for a killer combination that certainly kept us happy the entire time we used the phone. To be fair, there are a few more demands on the processor thanks to the higher-res display, but the hiccups this factor caused are the exception rather than the rule. As always, we ran our standard suite of benchmark tests in the hopes of quantifying the performance of the Droid DNA over some of the other quad-core powerhouses we've used recently. Here's what we found: HTC Droid DNA Samsung Galaxy Note II (N7100) LG Optimus G (Korean model) HTC One X+ (global) Quadrant Advanced 8,028 6,819 7,628 7,457 Vellamo 2.0 HTML5 1,752 1,831 1,710 1,897 AnTuTu 14,474 13,539 11,284 13,591 SunSpider 0.9.1 (ms) 1,150 1,283 1,283 1,107 GLBenchmark 2.5 1080p Egypt Offscreen (fps) 31 17 31 12 CF-Bench 18,386 15,267 14,398 14,558 Battery life (rundown test) 6:38 10:45 8:43 7:32 SunSpider: lower scores are better As you can see, the DNA can certainly hold its own against some of the current titans, and even fares better than the ICS-running LG Optimus G, which takes advantage of the same chipset (once the Optimus G gets upgraded to Jelly Bean, we may see the two phones become more evenly matched). Fortunately, our real-world experience matches the benchmark scores, so getting the DNA for its level of performance is definitely a no-brainer. That is, unless you're an avid gamer. Sad to say, our gaming experience was a mixed bag -- some of our favorite titles worked flawlessly and games like Riptide and Reign of Amira looked amazing with the Adreno 320 pushing the graphics behind the scenes, as well as the high-res screen. But it's that fantastic display that will be the thorn in early adopters' sides for a little while, we're afraid; it seems that some games don't play well with the higher resolution. To offer an example or two, Angry Birds Star Wars crashed every time we tried starting a level, and Need for Speed: Most Wanted displayed a black screen instead of a racetrack -- even though all of the controls, car positions and damage notifications showed up without a problem (shown below). How does the 2,020mAh battery hold up to a screen that's constantly pushing more pixels? Our standard rundown, which involves running a video on an endless loop, resulted in the phone holding out for six hours and 38 minutes, which isn't quite as good a showing as we saw from the One X+ and Optimus G on the same test. In terms of real-life usage, the DNA got us through a full day on moderate use, but it's quite apparent that the screen will drain the battery much faster, so frequent users will need to keep that in mind before heading off on the daily commute. There's a good chance you'll make it through a regular eight-hour workday if you're constantly using your phone, but you'll be cutting it pretty close. If you haven't already done so, it may be worth investing in a Qi pad for the office. In addition to the usual Verizon-specific LTE and CDMA / EVDO radios, the Droid DNA also features global quad-band (850/900/1900/2100) HSPA+ 14.4 Mbps and quad-band (850/900/1800/1900) GSM / EDGE. This isn't anything new, as Big Red has been giving most of its smartphone lineup the ability to access global GSM for international roaming, but the difference this time is that the DNA's GSM and HSPA+ radios are unlocked (just like Verizon's iPhone 5). You read that right: we stuck our AT&T micro-SIM card in, plugged in the proper APN settings and voila! We had full data and phone access. You can do the same with T-Mobile, although you're pretty much restricted to EDGE (unless you just happen to be in one of the few cities that offers 3G in the 1900MHz range so far). Granted, this wouldn't be the most cost-effective solution for AT&T customers who are in search for the best phone -- the Nexus 4 fits the bill much better, and it provides you with faster HSPA+ service -- but the main point of emphasis here is that you have options. Buy it at full retail price and proceed to do whatever you want with it, or at least include it as a selling point to potential eBay buyers when it comes time to swap it out for a newer model in two years. The same Beats Audio you've come to either love or hate is featured on the DNA, and as we saw with the One X+, you don't need a special set of headphones to use the feature -- we used a pair of Klipsch Image S4As, nor do you need to stick with stock music apps. Fortunately, it also has seen a significant boost in power, thanks to the 2.55V amp HTC has installed. With Beats turned on, the DNA cranks out more than enough bass for our liking, but the sound is still quite loud with the feature off, if you're not into that kind of thing. For those who cannot stand Beats but still want to take advantage of the DNA's audio capabilities, we'd like to see other EQ options offered stock, but all you need to do is download a third-party music player and set it up however you like. As for the external speaker, it's still sufficiently loud and we can comfortably handle conference calls or listen to music in the background while doing other tasks. We've definitely heard louder, but at least all of our calls on Verizon's network were crisp, clean and static-free, which makes a significant difference on the speakerphone. Dropped calls were never an issue for us. Our LTE speed tests ranged from 25 Mbps up to as high as 40 Mbps, all when enjoying five full bars of coverage. Pricing and comparison With such an impressive list of features and components (and a reasonable $200 on contract and $600 at full retail), you might assume that HTC's prized jewel would be the runaway hit of the holiday season -- but it won't be that easy. After all, it's going to be contending for a top spot in its pricing tier against the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S III and Motorola Droid RAZR HD; the RAZR Maxx HD (and the Samsung Galaxy Note II, which comes out at the end of the month) can be purchased for an extra hundred bucks. You can't argue that the Droid DNA certainly holds a unique place -- at least for now -- as the one and only smartphone in the US market that offers a 1080p display, so aficionados interested in the absolute best panel have no choice but to go with Verizon's darling. With that said, we wouldn't be surprised to see a wave of similarly specced smartphones show up at CES and MWC early next year, so it's quite possible that loyal customers on other carriers will have a few options to choose from pretty soon. If you can't wait past the holiday season, however, the DNA is our new favorite device on Verizon -- and unless you need to take advantage of a pen, this is a better (and cheaper) alternative to the Note II. Wrap-up More Info HTC Droid DNA coming to Verizon on November 21st for $200, pre-orders begin today HTC Droid DNA hands-on HTC One X+ review At present time, it's pretty tough to convince us that you can do much better than the Droid DNA on Verizon's lineup. For $200, you're getting the absolute best display on the market, a great camera, Android's Jelly Bean OS and the best quad-core processor you can get. Sure, you can't go wrong with many of the other powerhouses we mentioned earlier, but HTC isn't letting a few rough quarterly earnings reports get in the way of making a high-quality product with top-end components and a gorgeous design. It's easy to tell that HTC put a lot of TLC into the DNA, and it pays off -- let's just say that you don't need a geneticist to lecture you on why this kind of thing matters.

Time Warner Cable and Verizon plan to redirect, throttle internet users accused of piracy (video) Posted: 16 Nov 2012 11:15 AM PST We've been wondering what major American internet providers would do to thwart supposed pirates beyond nag them senseless; other than leaks surrounding AT&T's reeducation process, we've mostly been left in the dark. There's a better picture of the consequences now that Time Warner Cable and Verizon have unveiled their strategies at an Internet Society conference. Verizon's approach is an attempt to straddle the line between angry media studios and the basic need to communicate: if copyright complaints reach the fifth or sixth notice, Verizon will throttle the connection for two to three days without instituting outright blocks. TWC's method may be tougher to ignore -- the cable provider will redirect claimed infringers to a custom page and restrict what they can visit. While it's not clear just how limited access will be, it's doubtful anyone will want to find out. Not surprisingly, critics like the Electronic Frontier Foundation aren't happy with the restrictions as a whole, and point to the Center for Copyright Information allegedly going back on its vows of impartiality -- it notes that the anti-piracy initiative's reviewer is a previous RIAA lobbying firm, and that many of the real technical details are partially censored despite promises of transparency. The Center hasn't responded to those challenges, but we're somewhat comforted when it claims there won't be draconian attempts to catch everyone, at least not in the foreseeable future. We'd still be sure to lock down any WiFi hotspots to avoid false accusations; ignoring any ISP warnings could soon lead to more than just a sternly-worded message.

Sony lowers PS3, PS Vita bundles to $199 for Black Friday madness Posted: 16 Nov 2012 11:02 AM PST Black Friday's coming and you know what that means: time to move some units. For two days only starting November 23rd, Sony's knocking an additional $50 off existing PlayStation console bundles. Consumers with the wherewithal to withstand the shopping frenzy can snare the Ultimate PS3 Value Bundle (i.e. 250GB console, Uncharted Dual Pack, inFamous Collection and PS Plus trial) or one of three WiFi-only PS Vita deals (Assassin's Creed III: Liberation, Lego Batman 2 or Call of Duty Black Ops Declassified) at select retailers for $199. Of course, if M for Mature's not your bag, there's always the family-friendlier Wii U to consider.

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