Monday, March 29, 2010

IT News HeadLines (Engadget) 29/03/2010



Pre-order iPad now, wait until April 12th for delivery
Consider this a friendly public service announcement care of our friends at TUAW. Those who coveted the iPad and pre-ordered anytime before today can still apparently expect a delivery by the original April 3rd launch date. Anyone that orders a WiFi model today, however, can expect to wait a little over a week, April 12th, to get an Apple tablet of his or her own, while the 3G-equipped units are guesstimated for late April. Have patience -- on the bright side, that gives more time to see apps that justify your larger-screen iPhone purchase.

Pre-order iPad now, wait until April 12th for delivery originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Mar 2010 12:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TUAW | sourceApple | Email this | Comments
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HTC HD2 gets early Windows Phone 7 OS port, could be released before official devices
Don't look surprised. With the Windows Phone 7 Series dev tools now out in the open the pent up demand for that elusive HD2 upgrade was bound to be a priority for some well-meaning developers, somewhere... namely, Russia. Now we've got what looks to be the first screenies of the WP7S OS running on an HD2. Better yet, htcpedia claims that almost everything is working including WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth. However, the graphics driver is still showing problems and there is noticeable device lag. Nevertheless, the team is planning a beta release soon. Imagine it, an HD2 WP7S ROM available before Microsoft and its partners can even launch an official device, with its 5 buttons or not -- now that would be something. One more grab after the break, the rest at the source below.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading HTC HD2 gets early Windows Phone 7 OS port, could be released before official devices

HTC HD2 gets early Windows Phone 7 OS port, could be released before official devices originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourcehtcpedia | Email this | Comments
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Nokia N8-00 gets first official mention with Symbian^3 and nHD display
Simmer down, we don't have official pics yet (just the supposed leaks) but we do have the first official mention of what looks to be Nokia's first Symbian^3 handset. The culprit is the "NN8-00r100-3G" XML file sitting pretty on nokia.com right now. The first notables are a "N8-00" model and the "Symbian/3" string listed in the agent header that seemingly confirm that the N8-00 will run Symbian^3. Next is a "360 x 640 pixel" screen size. Note that the N8-00 display is rumored to be 3.5-inches making this a very similar nHD display to the one found on Nokia's current N-series flagship: the N97. The difference this time is that we're expecting Nokia's newest flagship to opt for a capacitive touchscreen display to match Symbian^3's more finger friendly UI. Unfortunately, we're not seeing any mention of the rumored 12 megapixel camera and the only keyboard mentioned is a "PhoneKeyPad" -- in other words, no QWERTY not that we were expecting one. We do see Bluetooth 2.0 and radios for WiFi and GPRS/EGPRS/EDGE/WCDMA/HSDPA among the other details. Feel free to sleuth the file for yourselves in the source link below while we wait for the mid-April announcement.

[Thanks, Glenn]

Nokia N8-00 gets first official mention with Symbian^3 and nHD display originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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International Space Station gets 'Man Cave,' Robonaut 2
In the narrow confines of the International Space Station, every cubic inch counts, but that won't necessarily keep NASA from building a rec room. When the Leonardo Pressurized Multipurpose Module (PMM) launches in September 2010, NASA is considering turning it into a internet-connected "man cave" isolated and quiet enough for astronauts to tweet in privacy. The connection's nothing special -- science officer T.J. Creamer compared it to that of a 14.4K modem capable of only tweets, text articles and basic browsing -- but Universe Today reports that they will also have a robotic servant, the Robonaut 2, to play with. Imagine a cramped world without fresh water or YouTube, but where you can program a state-of-the-art robot to perform monotonous tasks... We think that's a fair tradeoff, don't you?

[Thanks, Robert P.]

International Space Station gets 'Man Cave,' Robonaut 2 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Mar 2010 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceUniverse Today | Email this | Comments
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Hercules supports diminutive scratchers with two-deck DJ Console Mk4 controller
We've certainly heard this "world's smallest" claim before in the world of DJ controllers, but as components shrink and plastics get thinner, we aren't shocked to see one company leap-frogging another. According to Hercules, its new DJ Console Mk4 is "the most portable and most compact 2-deck DJ controller with built-in audio for PC and Mac," checking in at 10.4- x 7.3-inches and weighing just 3.3 pounds. Making its musical debut at Musikmesse 2010, this controller boasts a pair of stereo outputs (one for mixing, one for previewing tracks), a duo of analog inputs, the ability to hum along on USB power alone and a bevy of knobs / faders for those who actually know what they're doing with a pair of platters spinning in front of them. It's slated to ship this June in the UK for £179.99 ($268), though no US availability seems planned at the moment.

Hercules supports diminutive scratchers with two-deck DJ Console Mk4 controller originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Mar 2010 07:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oregon Scientific debuts solar-powered weather station and projection clock
Oregon Scientific only introduces a few new products each year, so when we heard that a new pair were making their debut, we couldn't help but take notice. Unfortunately for those in favor of fantastic overhauls, you won't find a whole lot here to cheer about; for those that can appreciate subtle but satisfying updates, you might just be in heaven. Up first is the new +ECO Solar Projection Clock, which is equipped with a detachable solar panel and an integrated projector that beams the time out onto a nearby wall. Second, we've got the Helios Weather Station, also outfitted with a built-in solar panel; it's designed to forecast the weather in your location for the next dozen hours, and it'll also spit out indoor / outdoor temperature and humidity readings in up to three locations around your abode. We're told that the former will be available for an undisclosed amount next month, while the latter can be snapped up now for $54.99

Continue reading Oregon Scientific debuts solar-powered weather station and projection clock

Oregon Scientific debuts solar-powered weather station and projection clock originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Mar 2010 05:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceOregon Scientific | Email this | Comments
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Victorinox Secure Pro USB drive is 'un-hackable,' can file your nails
This isn't the first USB drive / Swiss army knife we've seen from Victorinox, but the company's new Secure Pro drive is the first that is supposedly "un-hackable." To put that claim to the test, Victorinox actually offered a £100,000 prize to a team of "professional hackers" if they could crack the drive during the company's launch event -- they were unable to do so. That un-hackableness apparently comes primarily from the drive's combination of AES256 technology and fingerprint security, which is paired with (get this) a self-destruct mechanism that irrevocably burns the CPU and memory chip if there's any attempt to force the drive open. All that and a pair of scissors -- how can you go wrong? No word on a release over here just yet, but the drive is now available in the UK in capacities from 8GB to 32GB for between £50 and £180 (or about $75 to $270).

[Thanks, Nikolas R]

Victorinox Secure Pro USB drive is 'un-hackable,' can file your nails originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Mar 2010 03:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceRealwire | Email this | Comments
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Apple to announce iAd / AdKit 'mobile advertising system' on April 7th?
Since Apple's acquisition of Quattro Wireless in January, both parties have been keeping mum on plans for Madison Avenue domination, but now MediaPost claims to know a thing or two about the newlyweds. According to the report, Apple will apparently unveil "a new personalized, mobile advertising system" which will go by the underwhelming name of "iAd" on April 7th. The article speculates that the service could be heavily focused on location-aware advertising, though that angle could hit some snags as apparently coffee-partner / arch nemesis Eric Schmidt and a little company called Google hold patents on said functionality. Of course, something that drives a wedge between these two players wouldn't exactly be a surprise at this point -- and we'd be happy if Apple doesn't cash in on those ad-supported OS ideas it's recently had.

Really, we're not surprised to hear this may be coming, as a tipster just pinged us with info that an "AdKit" reference has shown up in a special file on Apple's public "Phobos" server. This file, which is called StoreBag, provides a public XML interface into iTunes. That interface describes how applications and web browsers can "call home" to either retrieve iTunes information pages or to request that iTunes jump to a given product listing.

What you see here is a key-value pair from that file. The URL string that follows after the "adkit-product-url" key suggests that Apple is about to introduce a way to link ads with product URLs. How will this URL work exactly? It's hard to say without any further details, which are regrettably sparse on the ground, but it suggests that ad sourced product links can be used in a similar way to affiliate-driven links.
adkit-product-url
http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/adkitProduct
Not much else is known about Apple's first venture into the ad business at this stage, but Steve Jobs has allegedly told some executives that this will be "revolutionary" and "our next big thing." Frankly, we're starting to get a little concerned with just how often the folks in Cupertino are bandying around the word "revolutionary" -- but we'll hold our judgments until after this announcement happens (if it happens at all).

Apple to announce iAd / AdKit 'mobile advertising system' on April 7th? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Mar 2010 01:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink MacRumors | sourceMediaPost | Email this | Comments
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Yes, the Apple Store is down... and we definitely know about it
Hey, the Apple Store is down. Readers: we know, and we hear you! We're curious too, but we should warn you that since Apple isn't keen on launching products in the middle of the night on a weekend, it's probably nothing. Still, we'll be here if the iPhone 5G pops into existence and ruins our marathon of The X-Files. Until then... maybe hold your tip email.

Update: It's back and guess what? Nothing new to report.

[Thanks to the millions of readers who sent this in]

Yes, the Apple Store is down... and we definitely know about it originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Mar 2010 00:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceApple Store | Email this | Comments
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T-Mobile USA staying single for now
T-Mobile USA staying single for now
We've heard various rumors over the past year or so that T-Mobile USA parent Deutsche Telekom was looking for someone to look over its fledgling American wireless provider, either in the form of a partnership or an outright buyout. Now, many moons later, the company has felt compelled to set those rumors to rest -- possibly because it couldn't find any interested parties. Rene Obermann, Chairman of the Management Board at Deutsche Telekom, believes there is room for four major wireless players in the US (T-Mo is number four, currently) and asks the question: "Why can't you have penetration rates of 500 percent or 1,000 percent?" The idea here is that, as more and more devices go wireless, people are going to need more and more wireless plans to cover them. But 10 separate wireless plans per person? That sounds 'spensive.

T-Mobile USA staying single for now originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Mar 2010 23:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink electronista | sourceThe Wall Street Journal | Email this | Comments
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New screenshots of iPad apps start to make this thing seem less like a giant iPhone
We already knew that the iPad would be getting a few pieces of software that haven't shown up on its tinier, phone counterpart -- but now that a few screenshots of forthcoming apps for the device have reared their head, we're getting a clearer picture of just what this thing will feel like. If these shots of the new Yahoo! Entertainment, Bento, OmniGraffle, and Brushes are any indication, the iPad will be doing a lot more than just zooming up your Facebook profile. There's definitely an emphasis on content creation, file exporting (if not saving), and syncing with desktop versions of some of these apps, and Yahoo!'s work (alongside Brushes') shows that we've only begun to scratch the surface of what interfaces will be like on this device. We're sure the next week will be filled with all sorts of these kinds of leaks, but for now you can cherish the moment when you first laid eyes on your new way to check a TV schedule. A few more shots after the break, and lots more at the sources.

Continue reading New screenshots of iPad apps start to make this thing seem less like a giant iPhone

New screenshots of iPad apps start to make this thing seem less like a giant iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Mar 2010 21:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source9 to 5 Mac, MacStories | Email this | Comments
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Keepin' it real fake: 'new' iPad is the jumbo iPod you always wanted, coming April 3
Tired of all those "jumbo iPhone" jibes you keep hearing about the iPad? So are we, but there's simply no other way to describe this priceless Shenzhen knockoff than as a supersized iPod. Featuring the unmistakable click wheel and what looks like some sort of riff on Apple's Mac OS, the "new" iPad will be on sale immediately alongside Apple's offering, this April 3, for 2,000 Yuan ($290). Of course, we doubt Shenzhen Huayi's distribution network will stretch quite all the way to the USA, but given the population of 1.3 billion people in China, someone's bound to be happy to help you out. What say you -- does this 4GB pen-friendly beastie do anything for you?

[Thanks, Taimur]

Keepin' it real fake: 'new' iPad is the jumbo iPod you always wanted, coming April 3 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Mar 2010 19:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Redmond Pie | sourceKorea IT Times | Email this | Comments
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ASUS Eee PC T101MT headed to US in April for $499
Well beginning of April, you sure do like tablets for $499, don't ya? While the Eee PC T101MT has been available to suave Europeans since February, ASUS has let out word that the 10-inch, multitouch tablet will start shipping in the US sometime in April for $499. Not a bad deal considering the Pine Trail-powered netvertible has been been priced around 499 Euros overseas -- though we're unsure at this point of the final specs of the American T101MT and what version of Windows 7 it will boot. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled for it at the usual etailers, but before you head out and buy one you may want to wait on our upcoming full review to see how this thing measures up to the other netvertibles out there.

ASUS Eee PC T101MT headed to US in April for $499 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Mar 2010 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceLiliputing | Email this | Comments
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This day in Engadget: Microsoft unleashes a laptop hunter
Welcome to 'This day in Engadget', where we crack open the archives and take a whimsical look back at the memories and moments of our storied past. Please join us on this trip down random access memory lane.

On March 27th, 2009, Microsoft outed the first of a new series of ads called the "Laptop Hunters," starting off its campaign with Lauren, who wanted a powerful computer for less than a thousand dollars. We poked a bit of fun at the ad (well, mostly we poked fun at Lauren herself), but it signaled that Microsoft was taking on its main competitor -- Apple -- where it hurt them most: pricing. Of course, this was pre-Windows 7, which proved to be a major success by any metric, but certainly against the much-maligned Vista. Apple later called called to complain about the ads -- saying that the pricing was no longer correct -- and Microsoft updated the ads, though Microsoft COO Tim Cook Kevin Turner had something to say about the size of the price cuts.

Also on this date:

March 27th, 2009:
Tesla's CEO said that model S Roadster wasn't actually that expensive (and we laughed at him), the iPhone 3G became available contract free, and Palm issued a takedown for TealOS (the fake WebOS for older Palm devices.

March 27th, 2008:
NVIDIA drivers took the heat for causing 30 percent of Windows Vista crashes, MIcrosoft Surface was reportedly headed for consumers in 2011, the PlayStation Network had a major security situation on its hands, the OLPC was lovingly overclocked, and a MacBook Air got pwnd.

March 27th, 2007:
The as-yet-unreleased first gen iPhone was waved around at CTIA, AT&T sued NASCAR over a paint job, Netflix founder Reed Hastings joined the board of Microsoft, and Texas Instruments showed of its tiny little DLP projector.

March 27th, 2006: Media snacker Robert Scoble showed off Microsoft's Auxiliary Display on video, Denmark was reported to be joining forces with France in asking Apple to open its DRM, and photos of the supposed iRiver E10 got shown off.

March 27th, 2005: Sony was reportedly going to be forced to stop selling its Dual Shock Controllers over patent infringement, TiVo was said to be testing banner ads during fast forwards, and Palm's Tungsten E2's specs were finally revealed.

March 27th, 2004:
Two men in Italy were banned from ever using cellphones again after using them to harass ex-girlfriends, some Palm video game emulators got shown off, and something called the Simputer finally came into existence.

This day in Engadget: Microsoft unleashes a laptop hunter originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Mar 2010 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earth Hour starts at 8.30PM tonight, asks for sixty minutes of natural living
Time to don your eco-warrior armor, strap on your nature-loving helmet, and flick that big old... light switch. Yes, in honor of the WWF's Earth Hour, countries around the globe are tonight switching off non-essential lights and appliances for sixty minutes, with highlights including Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, the Burj Khalifa, and the Empire State Building all going dark in the hope of helping the planet stay green. Timed for 8.30pm your local time, this unorthodox event has already commenced with Australia, New Zealand, China and others doing their bit -- videos after the break -- and is just now hitting Eastern European borders. So, fellow earthlings, will you be among the projected one billion souls that go au naturel for an hour tonight?

[Thanks, Pavel]

Continue reading Earth Hour starts at 8.30PM tonight, asks for sixty minutes of natural living

Earth Hour starts at 8.30PM tonight, asks for sixty minutes of natural living originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Mar 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Novatel NovaDrive cloud-based unlimited storage preview
Hold onto your hats, it seems Novatel, maker of some of the finest 3G / WiFi devices has decided to stretch its legs from connectivity into the realm of data storage. Not only is the cloud-based storage accessible through their software for Windows or Apple, but they're thoughfully built a nice mobile site so your cellphone can get in on the fun. Other notables include the ability to mail files to your file server, easy online collaboration for a team, and you can even send folks links to files who don't have access to your server and track when and if they download it. NovaDrive also touts "unlimited" storage -- though, we'd bet they'll drop the fair use hammer quick if you go too wild -- for roughly $50 a year for the personal version and $150 for the team fileserver version. Not too shabby if online storage is your thing, and even if it isn't, Novadrive has a 30-day demo that won't cost you one red cent, so feel feel to give it a whirl.

Novatel NovaDrive cloud-based unlimited storage preview originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Mar 2010 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceNovaDrive | Email this | Comments
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Leaked image says iPad lands at Best Buy... on launch day
We'd heard buzzing for some time now around the internet that Apple planned to sell its iPad in more than just its own stores, and usually the name Best Buy was mentioned in the same breath... but now we've got some photographic evidence. The above shot comes from what looks to be an internal memo from the big box retailer, not only stating that the stores will be getting the iPad, but that they'll be getting the iPad on launch day. Now, there's no way for us to confirm that is 100 percent the real deal, but we speculated this could be coming back in mid-February, and there's lots of corroborating evidence to suggest this is no joke (such as COO Tim Cook explicitly mentioning the device would be sold at Best Buy) -- we just didn't expect to see it day one. We're digging for more info on this story, so stay tuned.

Update:
Best Buy's iPad playbook is certainly looking legit at this point. Our tipster sent us another two screenshots (they're after the break) showing off BB's new retail display which includes the iPad. Interestingly, they also tell us that the iPads are set to be delivered to stores on the night of April 2nd, and that quantities will be limited to about five of each model on launch. TUAW has also just published more of the playbook if you want to head over there and check it out.

Continue reading Leaked image says iPad lands at Best Buy... on launch day

Leaked image says iPad lands at Best Buy... on launch day originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Mar 2010 12:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Twist alarm clock has you wring math equations by the neck

Man has striven for centuries to build a better mousetrap, but in the digital age, mice are the least of our worries. No, the modern day rat race requires a better alarm clock instead, and lord knows we've seen plenty, from tickers that chomp your change to clocks that give you target practice. What we don't see that often is a clock that makes you think at the same time it provokes a physical action. Thus, the Twist Alarm Clock, which displays a simple math equation when it's time to wake up, but requires effort to silence. In order to quiet the alarm, you have to twist the numbered dials on either side of its LCD screen into the right position -- in this case, to figure out what minus what equals two. It's no Turing Alarm Clock, to be sure, but this human number cruncher's actually for sale; you can get yours for ¥2,625 (about $28) in Japan.

Twist alarm clock has you wring math equations by the neck originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Mar 2010 11:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Oh Gizmo! | sourceD-FORME, 1030 Goodfriend Workshop | Email this | Comments
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