IT News HeadLines (Engadget) 22/05/2010

ExoPC prototype gets handled on video, looks downright delightful

To say we've been waiting "awhile" for the ExoPC to fully emerge from under its veil and begin shipping to the world at large would be a startling understatement, but it looks like the holding period is just... about... over. We're personally getting some one-on-one time in the coming days once we touch down in Taipei for this year's Computex expo, but in the meantime, those who fancy machine translation (or who learned far too much during those high school French courses) can dig into an overview from the folks over at Blogue de Geek, who were recently able to sit down with a prototype version of the Windows 7 slate and give it a nice once-over. By and large, they were duly impressed with what they saw, noting that video playback was flawless (thanks, Broadcom!) and that bootup was shockingly quick considering that a full-on desktop OS is included. Hit that source link to get a taste (or just past the break for a video), and be sure to keep it locked here next week for continued coverage.

Continue reading ExoPC prototype gets handled on video, looks downright delightful

ExoPC prototype gets handled on video, looks downright delightful originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 May 2010 13:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry Bold 9800 slides open, shows off promising WebKit-based browser

We've known RIM has had a WebKit-based browser in its rear pocket since Mobile World Congress, and with confirmation that BlackBerry OS 6.0 would have traces of WebKit throughout, this discovery was simply inevitable. The BlackBerry Bold 9800 (polarizing design and all) has just made its most interesting appearance yet, this time showing off a purported WebKit-based web browser with a trio of tabs collected up top. Never mind the fact that whoever was using this clearly wishes he / she was browsing on an iPhone -- it's the 100/100 Acid3 test result that really titillates. 'Course, that could very well be a JPEG loaded up to fool us all, but we aren't losing the faith just yet. Head on down to the source for a few more teases.

BlackBerry Bold 9800 slides open, shows off promising WebKit-based browser originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 May 2010 12:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CrackBerry | TheCellularGuru | Email this | Comments
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FTC approves Google's AdMob buy, cites Apple's iAd competition
Google's attempt to swoop in and buy AdMob out from under Apple was looking like a Pyrrhic victory for a second there, as Federal Trade Commission approval of the deal hung in the balance based on concerns that El Goog would control far too much of the online advertising market. It's ironic, then, that Apple's acquisition of Quattro Wireless and the introduction of the iAd platform in iPhone OS 4 is what convinced the feds to let Google's acquisition go through -- the FTC says that Apple's entry into the market will provide significant competition to AdMob, regardless of whether or not it's owned by Google. That means Google's free to pursue all the ad-based initiatives in Froyo it announced yesterday at I/O, and it means we should see the already-heated rhetoric between Mountain View and Cupertino get another notch hotter. It's going to be a wild summer, folks -- get ready.

Update: Here's a statement from AdMob founder and CEO Omar Hamoui on the deal -- he's got a fuller piece on his blog, linked below.

"We are extremely pleased with today's decision from the Federal Trade Commission to clear Google's acquisition of AdMob. Over the past six months we've received a great deal of support from across the mobile industry - and we deeply appreciate it. Our focus is now on working with the team at Google team to quickly close the deal."

FTC approves Google's AdMob buy, cites Apple's iAd competition originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 May 2010 12:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Brad Stone (Twitter) | FTC, Google, AdMob blog | Email this | Comments
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J Allard leaving Microsoft over Courier axing?

Well, it looks like the Courier's demise could be having some far bigger implications for Microsoft than anyone had suspected. According to ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley, Microsoft's Chief Experience Officer and CTO for its Entertainment and Devices division, J Allard, has been on sabbatical from the company for the past short while and is "unlikely to return" -- all due to the fate of the Courier. According to Foley's sources, Allard was "the champion" of the Courier, and had reportedly made his feelings about the device and its ultimate demise clear on numerous occasions -- including, of course, directly to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. According to another of Foley's sources, things eventually got so heated that Ballmer "showed Allard the door" because of their disagreements about the Courier's potential. So, did he jump or was he pushed? Microsoft isn't saying, and Allard is seemingly nowhere to be found.

J Allard leaving Microsoft over Courier axing? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 May 2010 12:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google's homepage goes amazing to celebrate Pac-Man's 30th anniversary

Google's homepage goes amazing to celebrate Pac-Man's 30th anniversary originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 May 2010 11:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google's WebM video format might not be so free after all, says MPEG-LA

Google might be trying to shake up video on the web by releasing the WebM video format and VP8 codec under a royalty-free open-source license, but we've already heard the format's uncomfortably close relationship to H.264 might cause some patent concerns, and the MPEG-LA, which licenses the H.264 patents, doesn't seem to be sitting still. CEO Larry Horn told All Things Digital that MPEG-LA is looking into forming a patent pool in order to license vendors who want stay clear of any patent disputes while using WebM -- the idea would be to avoid any patent liability down the road by simply paying for a license now, especially since Google doesn't seem to be promising anything when it comes to protection from lawsuits. We'd wager all this means WebM will go from royalty-free to patent-encumbered just as soon as MPEG-LA gets its paperwork in order -- the same thing essentially happened to Microsoft when it tried to release the VC-1 format royalty-free -- and that means video on the web might soon be right back where it started. We'll see what happens.

Google's WebM video format might not be so free after all, says MPEG-LA originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 May 2010 11:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint still not ruling out LTE, says it's not 'mutually exclusive' to WiMAX
The fact that Sprint is welcoming LTE vendors to respond to its RFP for upgrading its legacy CDMA network is no surprise -- in fact, it's no different than the line that the carrier has been taking for well over a year now. What is a bit of a surprise, though, is that it appears to be every bit as ambivalent about the direction of its 4G technology path as ever. The current RFP is strictly for an upgrade of Sprint's "core" network, meaning its legacy (if you can call 2G / 3G "legacy") footprint comprised solely of CDMA; its WiMAX assets aren't affected this time around. In fact, the company's VP of product and technology development, Kevin Packingham, went on record with Light Reading this week saying that it doesn't "see WiMAX and LTE as being mutually exclusive" -- in other words, these guys could end up doing both in the long term. We appreciate Sprint's willingness to accept the fact that LTE's picking up momentum as the global 4G standard, but considering the overwhelming expense involved in building out a new network, is the notion of a two-pronged strategy the right call?

Sprint still not ruling out LTE, says it's not 'mutually exclusive' to WiMAX originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 May 2010 11:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple pulls the plug on 'Get a Mac' ad campaign

There's been rumors that Apple had ended its long-running of "Get a Mac" ad campaign ever since Justin "Mac" Long said he thought they might be done last month, and it looks like that's now finally been confirmed by Apple -- the company has pulled all the ads from its site and is instead redirecting folks to its new "Why You'll Love a Mac" page. Of course, the move doesn't exactly come as a huge surprise considering that Apple hasn't produced a new one since its Windows 7-challenging ads last October, and Apple has certainly had plenty of prime material since then. Head on past the break for look at one of the more recent highlights, and hit up the more coverage links below if you feel like reminiscing a bit more. As for what's next for Apple, we can only guess. A triumphant return of Jeff Goldblum, perhaps?

Continue reading Apple pulls the plug on 'Get a Mac' ad campaign

Apple pulls the plug on 'Get a Mac' ad campaign originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 May 2010 11:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Editorial: Thoughts on Foxconn
Laura June has been an Editor at Engadget since October of 2008. The views expressed in this editorial are her own, cobbled together by hand, with love, in the United States of America, for a fair wage.