IT News HeadLines (Engadget) 21/03/2010

Taking the Windows Phone 7 Series emulator for a test drive (video)

If you've been following the news about Microsoft's reinvention of its mobile presence, Windows Phone 7 Series, chances are you heard about how the company's developer-friendly emulator... modified slightly by Dan Ardelean to expose a series of applications and hubs that maybe you weren't supposed to see yet. Microsoft was quite gracious about it, indicating it basically expected this would happen and just reminding everyone that these newly discovered apps are far from complete. With that in mind let's take a look at the unlocked version of the OS, and we'll spell out for you exactly how you can do the same to see it for yourself.

Continue reading Taking the Windows Phone 7 Series emulator for a test drive (video)

Taking the Windows Phone 7 Series emulator for a test drive (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Something 'big' coming from SanDisk, complete with cape

Something big is coming March 23rd, and like a good used car salesman, SanDisk has rolled out an inflatable superhero in its honor. What could it be? We honestly have no idea. SanDisk has already introduced 64GB SDXC cards and the G3 SSD, condensed commercial FM into sugary syrup with slotRadio, and generally exploited NAND in every way imaginable. The company's not scheduled to introduce 128GB chips until 2011, and rewritable 3D flash is still years out. That said, SanDisk does have experience in the portable audio/video realm, and that notch on our wide, cape-wearing friend does look awfully familiar... Oh please, no, not another blasted tablet. We jest, of course, but what could a memory manufacturer possibly be planning that warrants such a teaser page?

[Thanks, Steve]

Something 'big' coming from SanDisk, complete with cape originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Subretinal implant successfully tested on humans, makes blind narrowly see

How many scientists does it take to properly install a lightbulb? When that lightbulb is an implant that stimulates retinal photoreceptors to restore one's sight, quite a few -- even if they disagree whether said implant should be placed on top of the retina (requiring glasses to supply power and video feed) or underneath, using photocells to channel natural sunlight. Now, a German firm dubbed Retina Implant has scored a big win for the subretinal solution with a three-millimeter, 1,500 pixel microchip that gives patients a 12 degree field of view. Conducting human trials with 11 patients suffering from retinitis pigmentosa, the company successfully performed operations on seven, with one even managing to distinguish between similar objects (knife, fork, spoon) and perform very basic reading. Though usual disclaimers apply -- the tech is still a long way off, it only works on folks who've slowly lost their vision, etc. -- this seems like a step in the right direction, and at least one man now knows which direction that is.

Subretinal implant successfully tested on humans, makes blind narrowly see originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 08:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dual Electronics iPod touch GPS dock ships at long last

It took a little longer than expected, but the first major docking solution to transform ones iPod touch into a full fledged navigating machine is now shipping directly from Apple. Dual Electronics' XGPS300 was originally announced way back in November of last year, and after a minor hiccup in January, we're finally able to plop down $199.95 to snag a window-sucking cradle with an inbuilt GPS receiver, rechargeable battery, amplified speaker and NavAtlas US / Canada map app. So, what'll it be? This, or one of those perfectly acceptable $99 PNDs? If you're smart, you'll tune in next week for our review before making any rash decisions.

[Thanks, Bridget]

Dual Electronics iPod touch GPS dock ships at long last originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 06:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP flexible display unfurled on video

HP has been working on flexible displays for some time now, but it looks like things are starting to get a bit more real. Not real as in actual products, mind you -- but real like a big, flexible display spotting out in the wild. Doing the honors for this one is Hardware.info, which not only snapped shot above, but captured some of the action on video (head on past the break for that). Interestingly, HP doesn't acutally see these panels being used in truly flexible or rollable displays -- the material itself would only survive being rolled up about a half dozen times -- but instead sees them mostly being used to make displays thinner and lighter.

[Thanks, Frank]

Continue reading HP flexible display unfurled on video

HP flexible display unfurled on video originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 02:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How would you change HTC's Sense?

Microsoft's not going to allow HTC to cover Windows Phone 7 Series with its Sense UI overlay (which is going to be an interesting thing to watch in and of itself), but there's no question that the homegrown user interface has made a-many Windows Mobile phones look and feel a whole lot better than stock. Sense is also gaining traction in the Android realm, a sector where it's far more likely to either make a huge impact or be overlooked entirely. So, the question we're posing here today is this: if you were granted an HTC badge for a day, how would you change Sense? Are you satisfied with the quickness? Does anything simply get in the way? Any quirks that you just can't figure out? Any tweaks that you'd love to see made? We aren't always serious when we say that these companies are listening to you, but trust us when we say that design folks from HTC might just give your comments a once over. Here's your chance. Don't screw it up.

How would you change HTC's Sense? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spike Jonze's free web film features robot love, vodka, long wait times

We wanted to tell you what Spike Jonze's new web film I'm Here is all about, we really did, and not just because it reportedly has robots in it -- though that was certainly a major factor in the decision. But after we crossed the virtual street to the virtual box office, we were informed that there were no seats left in the virtual theater. Imagine that. So instead of providing our impressions here, we'll just give you the facts. I'm Here is sponsored by Absolut Vodka; I'm Here is a 30-minute love story about humanoids living in Los Angeles. I'm Here can be viewed alongside Facebook friends; I'm Here can only be seen by 5,000 viewers a day. I'm Here promises a "striking online cinema experience," and we were struck by just how lifelike waiting for tickets could be. And if you, too, can't get "in" to see it, I'm Here can satiate you slightly with a one-minute trailer after the break.

Continue reading Spike Jonze's free web film features robot love, vodka, long wait times

Spike Jonze's free web film features robot love, vodka, long wait times originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS' Express Gate 2.0 instant-on OS demoed on video

ASUS' original ExpressGate instant-on OS may be getting a little long in the tooth, but it looks like it's finally due for a serious replacement. While it didn't cause much fanfare at the time, ASUS was apparently showing off version 2.0 of the SlashTop-based OS at CeBIT earlier this month, and Notebook Italia has just now provided a quick hands-on video that gives us some idea of what's in store. As you can see, the biggest change is the interface, which now looks more than a little like webOS' cards system, and represents a significant step up form the barebones original. Head on past the break to check it out for yourself.

[Thanks, Sal]

Continue reading ASUS' Express Gate 2.0 instant-on OS demoed on video

ASUS' Express Gate 2.0 instant-on OS demoed on video originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 14 and 15 shipping to small businesses, cupcake lovers

We knew it was only a matter of time before Lenovo finally started shipping the larger and more powerful relatives of the ThinkPad Edge 13. Available from retailers now and Lenovo's own webstore in early April, the 14- and 15-inch Edges have the same design as the Edge 13 -- including the same spill-resistant chiclet keyboard we adore -- but boast more muscle under the hood. While the $599 models pack Celeron processors, they can be configured to your heart's content with Core i3 or i5 CPUs, 5,400 / 7,200rpm drives, Blu-ray and mobile broadband options. And if having a red ThinkPad has always been a drunken fantasy of yours, the Edge 14 and 15 come in a glossy black or red, and a matte black option is there for the traditionalists. Wondering what the Edge 14 and 15 have to do with cupcakes? Apparently Lenovo sent the Edge 14 to a true small business owner -- Lev Ekster, founder of NYC's Cupcake Stop -- a few months ago, and he's been wearing out the AT&T 3G ever since as he gets work done on the go. We've no icing for you, but you can salivate over the full press release after the break.

Continue reading Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 14 and 15 shipping to small businesses, cupcake lovers

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 14 and 15 shipping to small businesses, cupcake lovers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft: Windows Phone 7 series 'will not initially offer copy and paste,' case-specific actions integrated into OS

Here you go, folks, an official statement from Redmond itself on the perennial Windows Phone 7 Series / copy-and-paste discussion. First and foremost, from the onset, there will be no copy and paste in the traditional sense; Microsoft is hoping to bypass the issue by integrating into the OS contextual, single-tap instances for viewing an address on a map (let's hope it has some good recognition algorithms here), doing Bing searches based on highlighted terms, dial a phone number, and so on. But the book isn't entirely closed here, apparently, as the statement goes on to say the company "will continue to improve our feature set over time based on what we hear." We've also got a statement regarding the hacked emulator, to which a representative told us, "we have been very clear that [it] is based on early code and is not reflective of the final user experience," which is a nice way of saying don't get your hopes up on those fun little surprises (task manager, anyone?). Full statements after the break.

Continue reading Microsoft: Windows Phone 7 series 'will not initially offer copy and paste,' case-specific actions integrated into OS

Microsoft: Windows Phone 7 series 'will not initially offer copy and paste,' case-specific actions integrated into OS originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget Podcast, live... now!

[Sung to a popular tune] Having a podcast, it's happening right now! Don't forget to listen in on the live podcast-ing! Che-ck out out, after the break!

Update: And it's over. Thanks for joining us, the podcast should be posted this weekend.

Engadget Podcast, live... now! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint's HTC Touch Pro2 gets official Windows Mobile 6.5 update
Sprint had promised a first-quarter update for its Touch Pro2 way back in January, and sure enough, it's delivered the Windows Mobile 6.5 boost right on time. It might not have as much punch now that we know everything there is to know about Windows Phone 7 Series, of course, but it's still a pretty big deal -- the Touch Pro2 remains one of the best Microsoft-powered phones you can buy in the States, and unlike AT&T's Tilt2, it launched with that grubby old WinMo 6.1. It's available now, complete with Sense "enhancements" and a variety of bug fixes -- so if you've got one of these bad boys in your pocket, it seems like a must-grab.

Sprint's HTC Touch Pro2 gets official Windows Mobile 6.5 update originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Palm: this is your survival guide

Oh Palm. Just a little over a year ago your future seemed so bright, so renewed. You walked away from CES 2009 reborn, held aloft by a completely innovative new mobile operating system, a striking piece of hardware, and a feeling amongst the press and investors that you were back in the game and playing to win. Now, less than a year and a half later, you've nearly returned to the dark and desperate place you'd found yourself in at the end of 2008; a rapidly declining mindshare, the bottom falling out of your stock, and bad dips in phone sales. All of it is leaving you backed into a corner where the common perception now is that you've got to sell to survive at all. So what went wrong? How did such a promising launch lead to such a disappointing reality? And how can you wrestle your way back from the brink yet again? Is that even an option?

In 2007 the editors of Engadget penned an impassioned open letter to the company, pleading for many of the changes we eventually saw at Palm. This isn't a follow-up, but it's very much in the spirit. We're going to take a look at the missteps that put the company in its current spot, and talk about what we think can pull it back out. Palm, it's time for a little tough love... again.

Continue reading Palm: this is your survival guide

Palm: this is your survival guide originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft dishes out Windows 7 SP1, Windows Server 2008 R2 details
Both still seem to be a quite a ways from a release, but Microsoft has now announced a few details for its forthcoming Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 updates. The latter of the two actually seems to be the more significant, as it adds a so-called RemoteFX feature that Microsoft describes as the "special sauce" in its Remote Desktop Services. The short of it is that RemoteFX uses virtualized graphics resources and is able to function independently of any graphics stack, which Microsoft says will allow "any screen content" (including Silverlight and Flash) to be delivered to everything from full-fledged PCs to low-cost, thin client devices. Windows 7 SP1, on the other hand, is described as having "only minor updates," the biggest of which is -- you guessed it -- an updated Remote Desktop client that takes advantage of RemoteFX. Dive into the links below for the complete details.

Microsoft dishes out Windows 7 SP1, Windows Server 2008 R2 details originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple now accepting iPad app submissions, get your jumbo-sized beer drinking simulations in before launch day

Apple just announced to developers that it's now accepting iPad applications. From the sound of it, applications submitted now will have a shot at being reviewed and approved before the iPad launch next month, though since most all apps developed so far have only been tested in the emulator, this is more of a "feedback" round for devs looking to be ready for the launch without actually testing their apps on hardware themselves. Apple says that "[o]nly apps submitted for the initial review will be considered for the grand opening of the iPad App Store," so you probably shouldn't wait around -- unless you've got one of those iPad test units headed your way, or you're a hardware-testing purist that will wait for the iPad launch to start testing apps and miss one of those cushy spots on the opening day iPad App Store. Either way, we can't really imagine we'll be seeing true 3rd party iPad app greatness until a month or so after the launch, but who are we to talk down a "gold rush"?

Update: We just saw that the deadline for getting apps in for the first round is March 27 at 5PM PT. Fire up that SDK 3.2 beta 5 and start cracking!

Apple now accepting iPad app submissions, get your jumbo-sized beer drinking simulations in before launch day originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Comcast's 3D Masters broadcast explained

Still wondering how the first live broadcasts for the new 3DTVs will work? Comcast Fellow Mark Francisco has been working on bringing 3D home for several years now, and was able to clear up some of the questions that you've been asking about what takes place before home viewers slip on those "beautifully styled" glasses for the first time. Whether you'd want to, can afford to with the first generation of compatible HDTVs, or why it's expanding the use of that silly Xfinity name weren't among them, so for that you're on your own.

What format/compression will Comcast use on its Masters broadcast and going forward?

Just like DirecTV, Comcast is planning on a side-by-side 1080i (not sure what that is? Check out our breakdown of the different ways to send 3D) MPEG-2 transmission. Mark confirmed what we'd heard previously in our discussion with Bob Wilson from Motorola, on the backend, very little needed changing or updating to enable this transmission, which will take up a 6MHz channel, other than their frame multiplexers. There will also be an h.264 stream and VC-1 (for the Masters.com feed) and for broadcast within hospitality tents at Augusta National.

Will I need a new cable box or have to get a firmware update of some kind to watch 3D?

All of Comcast's HD set-top boxes connected through HDMI already capable of handling the signal, so don't expect a firmware upgrade (unless you're waiting for remote DVR features, of course) between then and now, although future upgrades will include 3D menus and guide information, which are currently still 2D.

Continue reading Comcast's 3D Masters broadcast explained

Comcast's 3D Masters broadcast explained originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Engadget Show tapes tomorrow, with Nicholas Negroponte and PlayStation Move!

Can't wait for another Engadget Show to roll around? Well you're in luck, friend. It's happening tomorrow at 5:00pm ET. We'll be doing giveaways at the show taping only, so brave the glorious sunshine and join us in person for a chance to win great prizes!

Josh will be sitting down with Nicholas Negroponte of the MIT Media Lab and the OLPC project to discuss the upcoming XO PC and pontificate about the future of technology.

Sony will also be on hand to demo PlayStation Move motion controller and the company's senior researcher Dr. Richard Marks will be there to give us the behind-the-scenes story. We'll have live demos of stuff never-before-seen on Move, including some hands-on audience demos! Much to our excitement, the usual crew will be joined by Joystiq's very own Christ Grant for the roundtable. You'll also be meeting our new investigative correspondent Rick Karr and we'll have plenty of amazing giveaways at the show. Also expect an out-of-this-world performance from minusbaby complete with stunning visuals from notendo, as well as some other big surprises...

As you may have heard, livestreaming is back by popular demand and so is live Twitter commenting! You will now be able to tweet your comments directly to the livestream! During the show, just include the hashtag "#engadgetshow" and look for your tweet to show up on the ticker at the bottom of the stream. One thing to note, The Engadget Show is a family program, so any single instance of swearing or trolling will force us to turn off the ticker... and it won't come back on. So, keep it clean and have fun!

The Engadget Show is sponsored by Sprint, and will take place at the Times Center, part of The New York Times Building in the heart of New York City at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues (see map after the break). Tickets are -- as always -- free to anyone who would like to attend, but seating is limited, and tickets will be first come, first served... so get there early! Here's all the info you need:

• There is no admission fee -- tickets are completely free
• The event is all ages
• Ticketing will begin at the Times Center at 2:30PM on Saturday, doors will open for seating at 4:30PM, and the show begins at 5PM
• You cannot collect tickets for friends or family -- anyone who would like to come must be present to get a ticket
• Seating capacity in the Times Center is about 340, and once we're full, we're full
• The venue is located at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues in New York City (map after the break)
• The show length is around an hour

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:

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Continue reading The Engadget Show tapes tomorrow, with Nicholas Negroponte and PlayStation Move!

The Engadget Show tapes tomorrow, with Nicholas Negroponte and PlayStation Move! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Palm shares take 25 percent plunge after downer earnings announcement

Remember that wild January day a bit over a year ago, when Palm debuted webOS and shares went wild? Well, after months of setbacks in the sales arena, and a rough $22 million Q3 loss announced yesterday, Palm's stocks took over a 25 percent dive today, dipping below $5 for the first time since the Pre was announced. At the time of this writing things seem to be leveling off a bit, but it's the most damage the shares have seen since October of 2009. Morgan Joseph analyst Ilya Grozovsky has downgraded the stock to "sell" and set a target price at $0. Canaccord Adams analyst Peter Misek has set a similar target, saying that he sees a "complete lack of earnings visibility." So, candlelit vigil time? Imminent buyout? Riots in the streets? Hardly. Palm's own Jon Rubinstein said in the earnings announcement that the company is "looking forward to upcoming launches with new carrier partners" which should (hopefully) brighten spirits a bit, and we haven't heard a single credible buyout rumor, despite plenty of wild conjecture. There are also still a pair of analyst hold outs (just two, to be exact) that have buy ratings on the stock, reports Thomson Reuters. As for rioting? Well, that's up to you. No matter what, Palm has some serious soul searching to do.

Palm shares take 25 percent plunge after downer earnings announcement originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Synaptics driver enables multitouch gestures on older trackpads

Haven't updated your laptop's trackpad driver lately? Then you may well want to consider doing so, at least if your laptop is equipped with a Synaptics trackpad. As a user on the Hardware Zone forums discovered, the latest Synaptics driver seems to enable multitouch gestures on older laptops that didn't previously support them, including two-finger scrolling, and three-finger click. What's more, while the drivers themselves come from HP, they should work just fine on other laptops with a Synaptics trackpad. Hit up the link below to try it out for yourself.

Synaptics driver enables multitouch gestures on older trackpads originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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