Thursday, July 15, 2010

IT News HeadLines (Engadget) 15/07/2010



AdMob CEO says Apple isn't enforcing mobile advertising restrictions
They prompted some some public outcry from competitors and a preliminary antitrust investigation from the US government, but it looks like Apple isn't even enforcing those new rules on outside ad networks -- at least not yet. That's according to none other than AdMob CEO Omar Hamoui himself, who said at the MobileBeat conference this week that "they haven't been enforcing" the new regulations yet, and that he's "very appreciative of that." If enforced, those regulations would prevent companies like AdMob from collecting some analytic data on ads placed in iOS applications -- data that Apple itself could collect with its iAd platform. Of course, it's not clear when or if Apple will start enforcing the rules, but Hamoui seems to be content with the current situation, and even went out of his way to praise Apple's own advertising efforts, saying that "anybody getting advertisers interested in mobile is a good thing. It's not at all a zero-sum game."
AdMob CEO says Apple isn't enforcing mobile advertising restrictions originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceCNET News  | Email this | Comments
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UltraTek Flipper USB plug can't be stopped
Thanks to our good pal Murphy, we're fairly certain that over our past decade or so of interaction with the Universal Serial Bus we've attempted to plug the way-too-symmetric connector in upside down at a rate far above 50 percent. However, it seems we might at last have a solution to this horrific problem: UltraTek's new "Flipper" male USB connector lets you plug it in any way you choose. There's that standard metal housing you know and love, but instead of it being half filled by plastic with connectors on one side, there's a thin male connector in the center, with connectors on both sides. You'd think that would cause a bit of unwanted tension on the plug, but we're hardly engineers over here. Check out the video after the fold to see it in action.Continue reading UltraTek Flipper USB plug can't be stopped
UltraTek Flipper USB plug can't be stopped originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink EE Times  |  sourceFlipper USB  | Email this | Comments
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SmartQ T7 and T7-3G Android 2.1 tablets announced and priced in China
Don't worry, it's not déjà vu -- these SmartQ T7 tablets may appear just like their Ubuntu-riding R7 sibling, but they offer Android 2.1, an integrated 3G option, a speedier 720MHz CPU, and a colossal 4,700mAh battery -- 1,400mAh more than before! If that's woken you from the slumber brought on by yet another boilerplate tablet, SmartQ's also boasting support for a similarly impressive range of video codecs, meaning you can grab any RMVB, AVI, MKV and WMV files (even at 1080p) from your various, ahem, sources, and just play them back on the 7-inch LCD (probably at 800 x 600 like the R7) as they are. If you're cool with just WiFi connectivity, then go for the ¥1,480 ($219) T7; if 3G is a must, be prepared to dole out ¥1,880 ($278) and ¥1,980 ($292) for the EVDO and WCDMA flavors of the T7-3G, respectively. And if you're hanging out with China Mobile, price for the TD-SCDMA version's to be confirmed later.
SmartQ T7 and T7-3G Android 2.1 tablets announced and priced in China originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink iTech News Net  |  sourceSmartQ (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments
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Apple acquires web mapping firm Poly9, probably has something up its sleeve
Per usual, it seems as if this deal has happened in the dark of the night, but thankfully for the curious among us, it's a bit difficult to disguise a caravan of humans escaping Québec and fleeing to Cupertino. According to a report in The Sun as well as an independent confirmation on our end, Apple has picked up a small Canadian firm by the name of Poly9. As of now, every last employee has been relocated to California, with the couple who declined left to find other work in the Great White North. Poly9's official website is also blanked out, but in the past, the company has been credited with developing loads of web-based mapping programs (primarily in Flash, crazily enough) as well as APIs for a handful of monolithic clients like Microsoft, Yahoo!, NORAD and MSNBC. Generally speaking, Apple tends to integrate its purchases into the workflow at a rather rapid clip, so we're actually expecting something to come of this in the not-too-distant future. What, exactly, remains to be seen.

[Thanks, Anonymous]
Apple acquires web mapping firm Poly9, probably has something up its sleeve originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink MacDailyNews  |  sourceThe Sun  | Email this | Comments
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Lionsgate first to sign content deal with XStreamHD
XStreamHD UI
XStreamHD is the videophile's digital distribution dream, but a dream is what it has remained for almost three years. The bad news is the 1TB Whole Home Media Server and clients aren't shipping yet, but the good news is one of the big studios has signed a deal with XStreamHD to distribute titles day and date with DVD, as well as access to 12,000 catalog titles. This, of course, has to be one of many such deals if the service is to be successful -- high quality 1080p video and DTS-HD alone won't be enough. The content isn't the only thing that concerns us though, as the up front cost for hardware (we admit we really like the user interface) and the $9 monthly service fee is a lot to swallow for the privilege of renting movies at $3 to $6 a pop. We'll reserve judgment until we get to play with it for ourselves, but distribution deals like this and a great demo is a good start, if you can call it at start after all this time. The full details are tucked in the press release after the jump.Continue reading Lionsgate first to sign content deal with XStreamHD
Lionsgate first to sign content deal with XStreamHD originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Open Source Hardware community finally gets its Constitution
Open Source Hardware movement finally gets its Constitution
They, the people of the open source hardware movement, in order to form a more peaceful community for sharing, establish bigger and cuddlier Chumbies, ensure continued Arduino creativity, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of hackery to ourselves and our posterity, have established the Open Source Hardware Draft. It's a sort of 11 commandments for those who would share or use an open source hardware design, indicating what documentation is required, how derived works must be allowed and, perhaps most importantly, that each use must include attribution to those founding engineers who came before. Its current version, 0.3, was ratified yesterday by a group of dignitaries including folks behind the Arduino, Adafruit, and Chumby, along with plenty of other underground industry big-wigs. Now that this bit of official business is out of the way, hopefully they can all get back to crafting homemade coilguns.
Open Source Hardware community finally gets its Constitution originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 09:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Cnet News  |  sourceOSHW  | Email this | Comments
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Black Ops controllers aren't stealthy enough to avoid pre-release detection
Another autumn is fast approaching, which to FPS gamers mean only one thing: time to prepare to heed the next Call of Duty. In a repeat of last year's controller bonanza, Mad Catz is producing a litany of licensed Black Ops peripherals -- for the Wii, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC -- and we've now got the first imagery of their appearance. The new gear hasn't been made official just yet, but what you see here should be a good representation of the final product. Above is the 360 controller, which will share a major new feature with its PS3 brother: precision aiming. It's a simple lowering of the analog sticks' sensitivity when you want to do some more precise work and will be toggled by the use of "combat" buttons on the controller's back. MSRPs are expected to land at just under $50 for the console pads and $100 for a rebadged Cyborg Rat PC mouse and accompanying 2GB USB dog tag. You'll find a video and more pictures after the break.Continue reading Black Ops controllers aren't stealthy enough to avoid pre-release detection
Black Ops controllers aren't stealthy enough to avoid pre-release detection originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 09:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Kotaku, @JD_2020 (Twitter)  |  sourceGames Radar, COD Black Ops Blog  | Email this | Comments
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Intel's Sandy Bridge CPUs to tape out ahead of schedule, could be with us this year
Right now, Intel has every right to lay contentedly atop the laurels of its biggest quarterly profit ever, but that's not what the company is doing at all. Instead of protracting the life of its current-gen processors unduly, Intel is planning to accelerate the roadmap for its next generation of multicore parts, codenamed Sandy Bridge. The difference between the Nehalem-based stuff we have today and the upcoming chip is that the Sandy Bridge architecture takes everything down to 32nm -- including the graphics processor and memory controller which are built at 45nm at present -- while keeping it all within the same enclosure. Enthusiastic feedback from customers who were given tasters of the Sandy stuff has been to blame for this haste on Intel's part, and we're told that with additional investment in 32nm infrastructure, the chip giant plans to make deliveries late this year. That in turn could potentially result in some eager vendor pushing a Sandy Bridge laptop or desktop out before 2010 is through -- which would be all kinds of nice.
Permalink   |  sourcePCWorld  | Email this | Comments
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DoCoMo's glasses-free 3D LCD panel could make the 3DS look decidedly first-gen
DoCoMo's glasses-free 3D LCD panel could make the 3DS look decidedly first-gen
At E3 this past summer, we got our first taste of the Nintendo 3DS, and early impressions were good: compelling 3D effect sans glasses from its Sharp-sourced parallax barrier LCD. But, as soon as we moved the thing it became clear that the viewing angle on the effect is woefully slim. This is a problem DoCoMo is said to have at least reduced with its glasses-free LCD, relying on eight lenticular lenses to offer a 30 degree viewing angle -- on the horizontal plane. Vertically you still have to be perfectly aligned, but the company hopes to remove that restriction before products based on this tech are released in the next year or two. It's a bit early, but we're already having flashbacks to young LCD manufacturers battling to deliver the widest viewing angles while maintaining full contrast. Hopefully that means in the not-too-distant future everyone will have 180-degree 3D LCDs -- and they'll all be dirt cheap, too.
DoCoMo's glasses-free 3D LCD panel could make the 3DS look decidedly first-gen originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 08:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceAkihabara News  | Email this | Comments
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New Xbox 360 Arcade unit revealed by Amazon Germany?
New Xbox 360 Arcade unit revealed by Amazon Germany?
Looking for a new, slinky Xbox 360 but don't have 250GB worth of stuff to archive on there? Sprechen Sie deutsch? Sehr gut! Amazon Germany has posted up what appears to be solid details about the cousin of the new Xbox 360 revealed at E3. Where that model has a 250GB HDD stuffed up inside, this one appears to have 4GB of some sort of flash memory and a price listed as €148.99 -- about $190. It's also listed as being a "bundle," meaning it's likely there's a game, extra controller, or novelty hat included as well. And, the thing is said to be shipping on August 20, which just so happens to be when Gamescom 2010 takes over Cologne. Finally, Cologne just so happens to be in Germany. Another surprise unveiling and announcement of units shipping immediately? We wouldn't bet against it -- except for the "surprise" bit.
New Xbox 360 Arcade unit revealed by Amazon Germany? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 07:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Joystiq  |  sourceAmazon.de  | Email this | Comments
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Windows 7 SP1 public beta now ready for download
Slightly ahead of schedule, Microsoft has dished out Service Pack numero uno for Windows 7. The hot-selling OS has been a revelation since its release and it's therefore no surprise that this update pack does nothing remarkably new or important. It collates all of Microsoft's patches since launch into a neat little (well, not really, it's 1.2GB in size) package and throws in a few other hotfixes to boot. Microsoft treats its betas rather unceremoniously, however, so don't expect any support with this thing until it goes final -- which we're hearing might not be until early 2011. We'd say that's a long way out but it's not like Windows 7 isn't treating us well enough already. Hit the source to obtain the download, if you must.

[Thanks, JagsLive]
Windows 7 SP1 public beta now ready for download originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 06:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink H-Online  |  sourceMicrosoft TechNet  | Email this | Comments
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VW Passat takes the red pill, jacks into Nokia's Terminal Mode (video)
We've seen flashy concepts of what Nokia's seamless cellular infotainment initiative might look like, but it took a pair of Germans from Volkswagen to give us our first glimpse of Terminal Mode in action. At MobileBeat 2010, engineers showed off the video after the break, which shows how a prototype VW Passat might be rigged -- in this case duplicating the phone's display in its entirety (plus additional controls) on the auto's larger touchscreen. Sadly, VW said the tech's still a couple years away from commercial integration into vehicles, though they expect to see third parties selling Terminal Mode add-on kits and the like a bit sooner.

Until then, Nokia and partner companies have to figure out how to encourage developers while simultaneously restricting apps that might distract drivers; VW reps told us that while you'll download car-compatible apps from existing app stores rather than a separate Terminal Mode marketplace, compatible programs will be categorized and restricted from in-motion use based on a set of still-to-be-determined rules. Nerd-to-English translation: don't expect to watch Netflix for iPhone on the go. Sans a hack, of course.Continue reading VW Passat takes the red pill, jacks into Nokia's Terminal Mode (video)
VW Passat takes the red pill, jacks into Nokia's Terminal Mode (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 06:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Modu, world's lightest cellphone, lands in UK
Another day, another... oh wait, what's this? The Modu phone has been an enigmatic figure in the mobile world, treading the precipice of vaporware for a while before finally launching in its home market of Israel last year and in a few more places around the world since then. Aiming to shake up the apparently stale mobile market, this minimalist take on the phone is no larger than the standard battery in your modern smartphone and gets its name from the modular "jackets" it can slip into. They furnish it with added functionality and buttons, while also sprinkling a bit of extra style on top as well. Slide past the break to learn more about this handset, the Modu 1, together with a few teasers about the upcoming touchscreen-based Modu 2.
Gallery: Modu official press pics
Gallery: Modu hands-on
Continue reading Modu, world's lightest cellphone, lands in UK
Modu, world's lightest cellphone, lands in UK originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 04:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Swiftkey beta brings new keyboard, world class predictive text to Android
The software and language engineers at Swiftkey have been toiling on this app for the past two years, and at long last, it's being made available for precisely nothing to anxious Android users. Hot on the heels of Swype's own beta, the Swiftkey beta is now available to download directly from the App Market, and once installed (along with language packs of your choice), it can be used in place of your stock Android soft keyboard. We've never been the biggest fan of Google's factory keys, and while we still feel that Swiftkey's letters are a tad on the skinny side, it's definitely an improvement. But that's not where the magic's at -- this software has an uncanny ability to guess what your next word will be, and it actually looks at your prior SMS list (if allowed) in order to "learn" how you converse. In our early tests, we're pretty darn impressed, and yes, it's definitely worth the $0.00 price tag. Get your download on right now, or hop past the break for a video demonstration if you still need convincing.

[Thanks, Martino]Continue reading Swiftkey beta brings new keyboard, world class predictive text to Android
Swiftkey beta brings new keyboard, world class predictive text to Android originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 03:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceSwiftkey, Download Page  | Email this | Comments
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Yves Behar-designed GE WattStation electric vehicle charger spruces streets, juices cars
We've dug deep within the mind of Yves Béhar, and when that man designs something, we take notice. Particularly when the object of reference is an all-new electric vehicle charger that looks good enough for the sparkling streets of Minneapolis. Introduced today, the GE WattStation is a beautifully engineered EV charger designed to "accelerate the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles," and furthermore, allow "utility companies to manage the impact of electric vehicles on the local and regional grids." We're also told that it's capable of handling Level 2 (240V) charging, and if all goes to plan, it'll be available globally next year. Oh, and if you're considering a move to the inner city just to be near one, hold your horses -- a specialized home version will be available later in 2010. Hop on past the break for a little showboating from Yves himself.
Gallery: Yves Behar-designed GE WattStation electric vehicle charger
Continue reading Yves Behar-designed GE WattStation electric vehicle charger spruces streets, juices cars
Permalink fuseproject, Inhabitat  |   | Email this | Comments
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Canon VIXIA HF M32 adds SDXC compatibility, has 64GB of its own flash anyway
Talk about a bad time to introduce your latest camcorder. Hot on the heels of Sony's category-redefining NEX-VG10, Canon is coming out with a humble refresher of its VIXIA line of consumer shooters (known as Legria in Europe). It's as incremental as upgrades get, with the HF M32 doubling its predecessor's 32GB of internal storage and adding in SDXC memory card compatibility. Canon's Relay Recording feature will allow you to transition from one storage cell to another without interrupting your video, but it's something the M31 already offers. The rest of the specs are also familiar: a HD CMOS sensor capable of 3 megapixel stills, a 15x optical zoom lens with both optical and powered image stabilization, a 2.7-inch touchscreen LCD with Touch and Track functionality, and the same DIGIC DV III processor that's been knocking about since last year. Still, you've gotta be pretty good to last that long in this industry, so maybe it's worth giving this camera a look if you have $1,000 to spend and can wait for a September delivery.
Gallery: Canon VIXIA HF M32 camcorder
Continue reading Canon VIXIA HF M32 adds SDXC compatibility, has 64GB of its own flash anyway
Canon VIXIA HF M32 adds SDXC compatibility, has 64GB of its own flash anyway originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 02:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sony issues NEX-VG10: first interchangeable lens HD camcorder
What a way to celebrate 25 years of the Handycam brand, right? Out of absolutely (almost) nowhere, Sony has just upended the entire prosumer camcorder universe, and it may very well sway you from purchasing that Canon EOS 7D for video purposes. For all intents and purposes, this is Micro Four Thirds for your camcorder, but since Olympus and Panasonic own that specific technology, Sony's left calling the NEX-VG10 an "interchangeable lens HD camcorder." Moreover, it's the first Handycam to sport an Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor (the same one found in the NEX-5 and NEX-3), and it'll shoot 1080p24 with a wealth of E-mount and A-mount lenses. When not handling live action, it's also capable of snapping stills at 14.2 megapixels, and the 18-200mm lens that's bundled with it is about as versatile as they come. Budding videographers will also appreciate the Quad Capsule Spatial Array Stereo Microphone (yes, seriously), not to mention the 3-inch swivel display, Optical Steadyshot image stabilization, BIONZ processor and twin accessory shoes. There's no internal storage to speak of, but it will accept SDHC / SDXC (huzzah!) in addition to MS Pro Duo. Get ready to get wowed this September when it lands for around $2,000.
Gallery: Sony Handycam NEX-VG10 HD interchangeable lens camcorder
Continue reading Sony issues NEX-VG10: first interchangeable lens HD camcorder
Sony issues NEX-VG10: first interchangeable lens HD camcorder originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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LaCie's XtremKey: it's pretty rugged, we guess
OK GUYS, WE GET IT. Sheesh, it's like they think we're a bunch of klutzes or something. Sure, there was that one time with the garbage disposal... one time. But after that... alright, the time with the mud, and the thing with the ocean. Oh, and when we dropped 2GB of Word documents into a black hole. Still, we hardly deserve to be treated like children. LaCie has stepped up the condescension to new levels with its XtremKey, a drive that's waterproof up to 100 meters, temperature proof from -58 degrees Fahrenheit to +400, and resistant to 16 foot drops. This ruggedness is accomplished by screwing the USB drive into a 2mm thick metal pipe that can withstand the pressure of a 10 ton truck rolling over it. Like that would ever happen that one time. The drive ranges in capacity from 8GB to 64GB, and will be out in August for some exorbitant, as-yet-undisclosed cost. Check out a needlessly abusive video of the drive after the break.
Gallery: LaCie's XtremKey press shots
Continue reading LaCie's XtremKey: it's pretty rugged, we guess
LaCie's XtremKey: it's pretty rugged, we guess originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 23:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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FaceTime video call works beautifully on airplane's in-flight WiFi (video)
358diggsdiggYeah, seriously. While Aircell's Gogo in-flight WiFi service has been blocking VoIP calling services (Skype being the most obvious example) from day one, it's apparently not throwing the same brick wall in the face of Apple's new standard. Our good pals over at TUAW managed to record a (relatively) solid two minute FaceTime conversation with an iPhone 4 owner, and only after you realize that said owner is a few thousand feet above the Earth's surface does this all become a lot more interesting. We know for a fact that certain iPhone 4 owners have had difficulty with FaceTime conversations when using highly firewalled access points (like those found in hotels and corporate offices), but it seems as if seat 16A is cleared for transmission. For now, anyway. Head on past the break to peek the FaceTime ad that Apple forgot to make.Continue reading FaceTime video call works beautifully on airplane's in-flight WiFi (video)
FaceTime video call works beautifully on airplane's in-flight WiFi (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceTUAW  | Email this | Comments
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iPhone 4 carrier unlock teased, not released just yet (update: video)
While we wait for a full, no-strings-attached jailbreak for the iPhone 4, let's turn our attention to the other important matter of unlocking, shall we? iPhone Dev Team member planetbeing is teasing the world with a picture of an unlocked AT&T iPhone 4 being used way up north on Canada's Bell -- and while we don't have a timeline for a release just yet, this should be particularly exciting news for Canadians who don't have much interest in waiting any longer for their version of the phone to officially arrive. We'll update you just as soon as it's available.

[Thanks, Brad]

Update: Numerous readers have written in to remind us that the above image isn't proof of an unlock, since an AT&T iPhone can roam on Bell. True -- but considering how this is coming straight from an iPhone Dev Team member, we're going to stay optimistic.

Update 2: Planetbeing has uploaded a video of the carrier unlock (embedded after the break), but he confesses that the existing build "sucks." A cleaned up version should be ready for mass consumption shortly, though. [Thanks, all!]Continue reading iPhone 4 carrier unlock teased, not released just yet (update: video)
iPhone 4 carrier unlock teased, not released just yet (update: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Redmond Pie  |  source@planetbeing (via Twitter)  | Email this | Comments
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XpanD heads to Paris, comes back with Jean Paul Gaultier... in 3D!
The crossroads of fashion and gadgetry is fraught with danger, bad taste, and ill-conceived promotional campaigns. Taking its place among both the Calvin Klein crapgadget and the subtle elegance (and overall silliness) of Sony's Vaio P campaign, XpanD decided that the best way to sell consumers on its 3D technology was by following folks like Jean Paul Gaultier and Dita Von Teese around with a 3D camera. So they headed to Paris to film the outrageous clothing and personalities during something called Paris Haute Couture Week. "At XpanD, fashion is a religion-we aim to not only make 3D content look fabulous, but to make the people wearing our glasses look fabulous as well," says Maria Costeira, XpanD CEO. Sounds great! Because, really, if American consumers are going to be sold on 3D it will be on the runway (and not, say, on the basketball court). Learn all about the XpanD Universal 3D glasses (designed to work with any 3D-enabled device!) in the PR after the break.

[Image courtesy of Dominique Tépé]
Continue reading XpanD heads to Paris, comes back with Jean Paul Gaultier... in 3D!
XpanD heads to Paris, comes back with Jean Paul Gaultier... in 3D! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Colorware douses iPhone 4 in double rainbow, might just solve your reception issues
Given just how much that white iPhone 4 bumper is about to cost you on eBay, it seems as if a Colorware'd alternative has never been a better bargain. The master of gadget coloration is back once more, this time promising to dress Apple's latest problem child up with just about any combination of hues that you choose. Consumers can splash paint on the frame, back, button, SIM card tray and earbuds, with the minimum price set at $250 for a sent-in device. There's no guarantee that a coat of Colorware will serve to remedy those awfully annoying reception issues, but at least you can pocket a beautiful reminder of just how happy a pair of colorful bands can make the average vacationer. And that, friends, is priceless.
Gallery: Colorware paints Apple iPhone 4
Continue reading Colorware douses iPhone 4 in double rainbow, might just solve your reception issues
Permalink   |  sourceColorware PC  | Email this | Comments
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Verizon catalog reveals Motorola Droid 2, new dumbphones
We knew the original Droid's replacement was coming, but we were never able to nail down the market name with confidence -- until now, it seems. The Droid 2 makes a prominent appearance in an official catalog of Verizon devices leaked to BGR, talking up its 5 megapixel cam, 8GB of onboard storage, and 1GHz processor, positioning it just ever so slightly below the mighty Droid X. Also finding their way into the catalog are the recently-launched Pantech Jest, the self-branded Verizon Salute, and the Intensity II and Gusto both from Samsung, all dumbphones that just add more evidence to the theory that all the good names for mobile devices have already been taken. No date's given for the Droid 2, but we imagine it can't be long now that they're openly talking about it, right?
Verizon catalog reveals Motorola Droid 2, new dumbphones originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceBGR  | Email this | Comments
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Kondo aims lower down the food chain with cute turtle robot kit (video)
Kondo's bipedal robots have always filled us with a sense of awe, whether they're duking it out in the arena or practicing touchscreen moves. However, we'd never quite seen a Kondo bot that we'd classify as cute until this robot turtle came along. The Kame Robotto is apparently the first in the Kondo Animal series, and it's honestly a pretty simple kit -- nine servos, a tiny board and a 10.8V, 300mAh NiMH battery pack , plus software and a simple frame. That said, it's pretty amazing how tightly these off-the-shelf components come together to create a scuttling, waving little thing, and we dare you to watch the video after the break without feeling the slightest twinge of compassion for the bot. RT Robot Shop wants ¥39,900 (about $450) for the creature, which is reportedly limited to 100 pieces -- if you happen to live in Japan, get your preorder (for July 15) in at the source link.Continue reading Kondo aims lower down the food chain with cute turtle robot kit (video)
Kondo aims lower down the food chain with cute turtle robot kit (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink CrunchGear  |  sourceRT Robot Shop (1), RT Robot Shop (2)  | Email this | Comments
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Yes, the iPhone 4 is broken / No, the iPhone 4 is not broken
93diggsdigg The controversy over the iPhone 4's antenna issues continues to grow, particularly after Consumer Reports confirmed yesterday that every iPhone 4 suffers from signal attenuation when the phone is held with the lower left corner covered -- a report that we confirmed with results from our own custom signal metering app. At this point, there's no longer any question in our minds that the iPhone 4's antenna can be made to lose signal by holding it "wrong" -- and we definitely think it's more than a little silly that simply holding the phone in your left hand has been nicknamed the "death grip."

That said, however, it's not at all clear what the real-world effects of the antenna issue actually are for most people -- as we've repeatedly said, several iPhone 4s owned by the Engadget staff (including our review unit) have never experienced so much as a single dropped call, while others suffer from signal issues that results in lost calls and unresponsive data in a dramatic way. What's more, at this point Apple's sold well over two million iPhone 4s, and we simply haven't heard the sort of outcry from users that we'd normally hear if a product this high-profile and this popular had a showstopping defect. Honestly, it's puzzling -- we know that the phone has an antenna-related problem, but we're simply not able to say what that issue actually means for everyday users.

So we're doing what we can do: we've collected reports from every member of the Engadget staff who's using the phone, as well as reached out to a variety of tech industry colleagues for their experiences. As you'll see, it seems like most of our peers seem to be doing perfectly fine with their iPhone 4s, but the people who are having problems are having maddening issues in an inconsistent way. We'd say it all comes down to the network -- particularly in New York City, where AT&T just completed a major upgrade -- but even that isn't a consistent factor in predicting experience. Ultimately, we just won't know what's really going on until Apple comes clean and addresses this issue (and the growing PR nightmare it's become), but for now we can say with some certainty that not everyone is affected, and those that are seem to be in the minority. Read on for the full report.Continue reading Yes, the iPhone 4 is broken / No, the iPhone 4 is not broken
Yes, the iPhone 4 is broken / No, the iPhone 4 is not broken originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Intel has its best quarter ever, brings in $2.9b profit
Sure, smartphone and tablets might be the Next Big Thing, but desktop computing ain't dead yet -- just ask Intel, which just reported its best-ever quarter with a $2.9b profit on $10.8b in revenue. That's an increase of $445m in profit from last quarter and a whopping $3.3b from last year, all driven by record laptop and server chip revenue, as well as a 16 percent increase in Atom revenue. What's more, the average sale price of all those chips went up, and selling more chips at a higher price is always good for business. Intel's got a call to discuss these numbers in depth at 5:30PM ET, we'll let you know if we hear anything good.
Intel has its best quarter ever, brings in $2.9b profit originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceIntel  | Email this | Comments
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GPS parachutes delivering blood to front lines in the coming years
GPS-guided parachutes are nothing new -- in fact, we're guessing that a few are being dropped somewhere in this wide world right now -- but a new deal between the Armed Services Blood Program and US Joint Forces Command will allow these devices to start saving even more lives in 2011. As the story goes, a cadre of air-dropped 'chutes will be sent to the front lines of the battlefield in order to deliver vital blood to medics. For those unaware, blood loss is a major cause of death in war, and by skipping over the lengthy process that's currently in place for delivery, the powers that be feel that more soldiers can be saved. Reportedly, the JPADS system "is a family of guided parachutes that can carry payloads ranging from about 150 to 60,000 pounds," and at a predetermined altitude, a "parafoil deploys and a GPS-device steers supplies to an exact target." The new system, however, will rely on ultralight versions of the aforesaid JPADS in order to sneak into locations that were previously thought impossible to penetrate. 'Course, all of this will be a moot point once the robot armies rise to power and start pulverizing each other with scrap metal, but hey...
GPS parachutes delivering blood to front lines in the coming years originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink DailyTech  |  sourceMilitary Blood, Marine Corps Times  | Email this | Comments
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Nexus One now a step closer to FM radio support, thanks to modified kernel
As you may or may not be already aware, the Nexus One and HTC Desire have the same Broadcom chip. Seems trivial at cursory glance until you realize the Desire has a FM radio app, which should ergo be just as feasible on the Google-branded device. Cut to xda-developers' intersectRaven, who's released a custom N1 kernel that theoretically brings life to the FM receptor. It's available to download, but as for when you'll get a chance to really use this yourself, that's entirely up to the custom ROM developers updating their respective wares. For his part, Paul O'Brien said today he's already got it working on an upcoming Froyo Sense build for the device -- hang tight, folks, it's coming.

[Thanks, John]
Nexus One now a step closer to FM radio support, thanks to modified kernel originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Android Police  |  sourcexda-developers  | Email this | Comments
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South Korea enlists armed sentry robots to patrol DMZ
South Korea has been working on deploying armed sentry robots along the border with North Korea since at least as far back as 2006, and it looks like it's still keeping at it. While complete details are a bit light, they country apparently put a pair of new sentry robots in place in the Demilitarized Zone last month, which pack both a machine gun and a grenade launcher to ward off intruders. Those would of course be controlled by humans, but the robots apparently use heat and motion sensors to do all the monitoring on their own, and simply alert a command center if they spots a trespasser. Of course, they are still just in the testing phase, and the military says it's waiting to see how things work out before it begins a more widespread deployment.
South Korea enlists armed sentry robots to patrol DMZ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink AFP  |  sourceYonhap News  | Email this | Comments
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Tec Hideoto portable cassette player time-travels from 1994, gets USB audio for its trouble
Of all the USB tape players we've seen in our day, this is certainly one of them! Available from a Japanese company called Tec, Hideoto is a Walkman-esque portable cassette player that features USB and stereo headphone outputs, powered by either the aforementioned Universal Serial Bus or two AA batteries. It also comes with Cassette Mate software for Windows, which presumably makes saving your audio to MP3, WAV, or WMA a figurative snap. Available next month in Japan for roughly $57, at which point we expect to see these pop up at our favorite import e-tailers here in the states. Get a closer look after the break.
Continue reading Tec Hideoto portable cassette player time-travels from 1994, gets USB audio for its trouble
Permalink CrunchGear  |  sourceAV Watch  | Email this | Comments
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Velocity Micro shows off $199 Cruz Reader
We haven't heard much about Velocity Micro's Android-based Cruz Reader since it sort of came out of nowhere back in April, but it's now finally nearing a release (sometime in August), and the company is starting to show it off a bit more. As expected, the Cruz Reader is just one of a series of tablets from the company and, despite the "reader" moniker, is actually more of a full-fledged Android tablet, complete with support for apps, games, web browsing, and other tablet-like activities. Velocity Micro is playing up the reader angle though, and has announced a partnership with Borders and Kobo to deliver ebooks to the device. Somewhat confusingly, however, it will be joined later in August by the $299 Cruz Tablet, which opts for a 16:9 capacitive display, adds 4GB of internal storage and an 8GB SD card, and Flash support, which the Reader apparently doesn't have (we're not quite sure what that means OS-wise). Rounding out the initial group is the kid-friendly Cruz StoryPad, which boasts a spill-resistant case and will run $149. Head on past the break for a look at the Cruz Reader on video, and the complete press release.Continue reading Velocity Micro shows off $199 Cruz Reader
Velocity Micro shows off $199 Cruz Reader originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceRichmond Times Dispatch  | Email this | Comments
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Boeing Phantom Eye unmanned spy plane stays aloft four days, sort of bums us out
Sometimes, in the seat of our despair (which almost always corresponds with a viewing of The Real Housewives of New Jersey), we reflect on the sorry state of the world and note that the one thing we don't have to doubt is that history is marching us towards a mechanized slaughter that will make World War I look like Burning Man (the rave, not the actual burning people). Sure, it never occurred to anyone to maybe figure out how to cap an undersea oil well, but at least we are making headway in our development of autonomous, long range aircraft (you know, for shooting people and eavesdropping and whatnot). Our latest example of a world gone mad comes courtesy of Boeing, and it's called Phantom Eye. The unmanned aircraft system looks something like a bowling pin with wings and can spend up to four days at 65,000 feet. Also featured on the craft is a hydrogen propulsion system that promises great fuel economy, and whose only byproduct is water. At the unveiling ceremony in St. Louis, Boeing Phantom Works president Darryl Davis noted that the "capabilities inherent" in its design "will offer game-changing opportunities for our military, civil and commercial customers." Awesome! Look for the device later this summer, when it begins a series of ground and taxi tests in preparation for its first flight early next year.
Continue reading Boeing Phantom Eye unmanned spy plane stays aloft four days, sort of bums us out
Boeing Phantom Eye unmanned spy plane stays aloft four days, sort of bums us out originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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