Sunday, November 28, 2010

IT News HeadLines (Engadget) 27/11/2010

Modified radar gun identifies suicide bombers up to ten meters away
William Fox of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey and John Vesecky, his colleague at UC Santa Cruz, are working on a modified radar gun that can identify suicide bombs worn under the clothing. To do this, they cataloged the most common arrangements of looped wires used to construct "suicide vests," and developed software that can identify the radar cross-section of each. So far, results have been pretty good: according to New Scientist, "telltale factors in the polarisation of the reflected signals" allowed them to correctly identify volunteers dressed as bombers up to ten meters away, roughly eighty-five percent of the time. Of course, even with a success rate this high, such a system would be prone to kicking up false positives. In order to minimize this, the devices would have to combined with other technologies, such as smart surveillance camera systems and infrared imaging.
Modified radar gun identifies suicide bombers up to ten meters away originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Nov 2010 07:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceNew Scientist  | Email this | Comments
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Advent Vega nabs Android Market access courtesy of MoDaCo custom ROM
The Advent Vega seems to be gaining some serious traction overseas, but despite the low price, not having access to Google's bona fide Android Market is a huge Debbie Downer. Well, it was. The fine folks over at MoDaCo have cooked up a custom ROM for the 10-inch tablet, and if you've nothing better to do on a Black Friday than tinker with software, the v1.04 build hosted in the source link promises a "full Google experience" including Gmail, Maps with Street View, Talk, Voice Search and even Android Market access. All the steps you'll need to follow are just a click away, so allow us to ask you this: what's the holdup?
Advent Vega nabs Android Market access courtesy of MoDaCo custom ROM originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Nov 2010 05:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceMoDaCo  | Email this | Comments
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Toshiba TG01 slowly, surely gets hacked to run Android
It's easy to forget about the TG01 nowadays, but bear in mind that Toshiba's WinMo beast from last year was the first production phone in the world to use Qualcomm Snapdragon silicon. Oh, and it was under 10mm thick and featured a 4.1-inch WVGA display at a time when such specs were basically science fiction -- so you've got to give credit where credit's due. Anyhow, the phone's far from obsolete -- apart from that little WinMo issue, that is, so the good folks on xda-developers have started the time-honored tradition of transplanting Android onto it. Important stuff still isn't working (the lack of calling capability is a big one for us, personally) but we're guessing it's just a matter of time before we see a solid, usable build in the wild now. HD2, watch your back!
Toshiba TG01 slowly, surely gets hacked to run Android originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Nov 2010 03:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Android Community  |  sourcexda-developers  | Email this | Comments
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Pockito wearable camcorder: endorsed by a knockoff Miley Cyrus and Joe McCreep
Hard to say where exactly iRes Technology found this guy on the right (Fake Miley clearly came from a nondescript party in the You Es Aye), but chances are he was sourced from same pool of megalomaniacs that MSI dipped into earlier this year. If you'll recall, iRes popped out its first wearable camcorder in July of last year, and the new edition is smaller, more capable and endorsed by voyeurs worldwide. The IRDC260 uCorder Pockito (2.5- x 1- x 0.5-inches) -- which is available in black / red colors -- is capable of being clipped onto just about anything; from there, it can log footage at 740 x 480 (30fps) onto a microSD card (2GB included). It syncs up with your PC via USB, and it can also double as a webcam should you need it to. Both hues are up for order right now at $99.99, and if you look even remotely like either of the individuals above, there's obviously nothing we can do or say to stop you from fulfilling your destiny.
Gallery: uCorder Pockito wearable camcorder
Pockito wearable camcorder: endorsed by a knockoff Miley Cyrus and Joe McCreep originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Nov 2010 01:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceuCorder (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments
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PhotoFast's AP1000 takes AirPlay support to your car
3.5mm auxiliary inputs and stereo Bluetooth used to be good enough -- but that was before Apple announced AirPlay a few months ago. Now, everything else sounds like someone is stabbing you in the ears; the world looks black and white, and food no longer has any taste. AirPlay, save us! Taiwanese firm PhotoFast is playing the superhero role here today with the AP1000, a little black module with WiFi that accepts incoming AirPlay streams and routes them through to your car's stereo. From the demo video, it's obvious that you're probably going to want to get a professional car audio installer involved to make this happen -- and before you ask, no, it won't do video -- but if you've got an Apple logo sticker on your rear window, we bet this is exactly how you want to roll. Follow the break to see the AP1000 get surgically implanted in a Mercedes.Continue reading PhotoFast's AP1000 takes AirPlay support to your car
PhotoFast's AP1000 takes AirPlay support to your car originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 23:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink TUAW  |  sourcePhotoFast  | Email this | Comments
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How would you change Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9 Beta?
It's not often that a web browser makes into our HWYC lineup, but it's also a rare occurrence for Microsoft to issue an entirely new web browser. Internet Explorer 9 Beta has been in the wild (and thus, on your PC) for a few months now, and seeing that the browser wars are raging harder than ever these days, we felt it prudent to ask how you'd change things in the world of IE. After all, being that this is a beta, there's still plenty of time for Microsoft to actually heed your wisdom and implement changes prior to the full, final, non-beta release. So, have you been pleased with performance? Tab layout? Any tweaks you'd make to the user interface? Compatibility? Go on and get sophisticated down in comments below, won'tcha?
How would you change Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9 Beta? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 22:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Hasselblad H4D-40 Stainless Steel medium format camera: limited to 100 units, priced at €13,990
Wondering just how large a premium that Ferrari badge was adding to Hasselblad's Ferrari-branded H4D? Oh, around €7,500 (if not more). Hot on the heels of the aforesaid announcement, Hasselblad has just revealed yet another variant of the famed H4D-40, with the Stainless Steel edition offering a classy, classic motif and another limited run item for collectors to snatch up. Only 100 of these will be produced, with each one selling for €13,990 ($18,497) sans lens or €14,990 ($19,809) with the HC 2.8/80 mm. If this guy's more "within reach" than the Italian-inspired alternative, hit up your local dealer as soon as humanly possible... or just before your 100 closest friends, anyway.Continue reading Hasselblad H4D-40 Stainless Steel medium format camera: limited to 100 units, priced at €13,990
Permalink   |  sourceHasselblad  | Email this | Comments
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Pirate Bay founders lose appeal: jail time reduced, fines raised
It's been a while since the four Pirate Bay founders lost their case in a Stockholm district court -- April 2009, to be more precise. The verdict was of course appealed, but alas, it was not to be. A Swedish appeals court has upheld the original ruling but changed the sentencing. Three of the quartet have had their jail time reduced: Fredrik Neij gets ten months, Peter Sunde eight months, and Carl Lundstrom four (Gottfrid Svartholm was too ill at the time of the hearing; his "criminal liability" will be determined later, according to BBC News). The fine, however, has been upped from the original 30 million kronor to 46 million (US $6.4m). That's seriously going to cut into their Black Friday shopping plans, but hey, we know a great way to pick up the Adobe suite. Well, maybe not.
Pirate Bay founders lose appeal: jail time reduced, fines raised originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 19:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Pocket-lint  |  sourceBBC News  | Email this | Comments
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Netfllix executive reveals the method behind its multiple PS3 UI madness
Netflix doesn't make a move without testing things out first, which is evidenced by the many variations seen in its recently unveiled Watch Instantly interface for the PlayStation 3, pricing and even website redesigns. Chief Product Officer Neil Harris opened up about the company's methodology in an answer on Quora, revealing it is currently delivering three different UIs for the PS3 and that testing often indicates simplicity trumps completeness. The idea is to find out more about people's tastes and how quickly they discover information as elements are moved around, though as proud as they are, we'd still prefer some choice in the matter instead of rolling the dice every time we load the service.
Netfllix executive reveals the method behind its multiple PS3 UI madness originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 18:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink @mathewi  |  sourceQuora  | Email this | Comments
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Intel research projects bring Legos to life, make groceries interactive
Kinect hacks aren't the only projects using depth cameras these days, Intel's Seattle research lab has also been working on a whole range of projects using what it describes "Kinect style" cameras, and it's now showing off some of the results. Among the most interesting are a pair of projects that combine a depth camera with a projector for some rather inventive augmented reality applications. One of those examples can effectively bring Legos to life (as pictured above), while the other adds a whole new degree of interactivity to everyday objects, namely groceries -- which could let you manage a grocery list using actual fruits and vegetables, for instance, or even warn when you've left a tub of ice cream sitting on the counter too long. That's just scratching the surface, though -- the group has also devised a system that can map a room just by walking around with a depth camera, which can then of course be navigated using the very same depth camera and a pair of 3D goggles. Head on past the break for a couple of videos, and hit up the source link below for the rest.Continue reading Intel research projects bring Legos to life, make groceries interactive
Intel research projects bring Legos to life, make groceries interactive originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 18:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Coolest Gadgets  |  sourceIntel Labs Seattle  | Email this | Comments
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Editorial: My next iPad won't be a 7-incher, but I wish it could be
It took me a while, but I'm starting to fall in love with my iPad in a way I haven't loved a gadget for a long while. There's something about the form factor, the apps, the OS that feels just right and makes me want to do as much of my daily computing on it as possible. Of course, that's still a pretty small sliver of my overall day, and the iPad isn't even close to replacing my laptop for the large majority of my work, but I'm finding myself increasingly doing casual browsing, casual gaming, serious writing, and, yes, even some reading on Apple's 10-inch tablet.

But I have one "big" problem with the tablet that doesn't look like it'll be solved anytime soon: it's not 7 inches. Will Apple ever eat its words and build a smaller iPad, or will the 7-inch form factor be left to the rest of the emerging tablet market to fight over?Continue reading Editorial: My next iPad won't be a 7-incher, but I wish it could be
Editorial: My next iPad won't be a 7-incher, but I wish it could be originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Microsoft: we figured people would hack Windows Phone 7, would suggest that they don't
Hot on the heels of the release of a utility for bypassing the Windows Marketplace and sideloading your own apps, Microsoft has released a brief statement on the state of the Windows Phone 7 hacking community... and we wouldn't exactly say they're too worked up about it:
"We anticipated that people would attempt to unlock the phones and explore the underlying operating system. We encourage people to use their Windows Phone as supplied by the manufacturer to ensure the best possible user experience. Attempting to unlock a device could void the warranty, disable phone functionality, interrupt access to Windows Phone 7 services or render the phone permanently unusable."
So yeah, we'd say this is more or less a boilerplate quote: "we figured you'd hack this thing, we'd prefer it if you didn't, and here's a laundry list of things that could (but probably won't) happen if you fail to heed our meek warning." Over the long term, we wouldn't be surprised if Redmond ended up playing an Apple-style cat-and-mouse game with these folks, breaking hacks with firmware updates only to have them re-hacked within a few days' time. Considering the lack of spitfire in the statement here, we don't see them coming down too hard unless legitimate, card-carrying, fee-paying developers throw a fit -- and granted, ChevronWP7 could be a step on the road to piracy, so that could very well happen.
Permalink Electronista  |  sourceWinRumors  | Email this | Comments
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Jolicloud Jolibook review
The Jolicloud Jolibook. Oh yes, it's sounded like a made-up device ever since the pictures of it started to leak out, but the netbook centered around the Jolicloud Linux operating system is indeed a real product. So real that we've been using the Atom N550-powered system over the past few days. Sure, we've gotten looks in public because its cartoon-covered lid, but the £279 ($443) machine isn't meant for "grown-ups" -- its intended for a younger set, or those between the ages of 15 and 25. You know, those that tend to live in the Cloud. So, does the netbook have appeal beyond the young'uns? And is the social, app-based Jolicloud 1.1 OS, which is built on Ubuntu and HTML 5, robust enough to take you away from Windows or another flavor of Linux? We've got the answers to those questions and so much more in our full review.
Gallery: Jolicloud Jolibook review
Continue reading Jolicloud Jolibook review
Jolicloud Jolibook review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceJolicloud  | Email this | Comments
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AirVideoEnabler hack brings AirPlay video to the rest of your apps
Apple's new AirPlay video streaming functionality is great... unless you want to use it in a non-Apple app. For whatever reason, Apple is restricting AirPlay video to just its first party apps right now, and not even all of those (Safari is left out, for instance). Interestingly, Apple actually built the functionality in, it's just not enabled. Thanks to some "spelunking" work by TUAW's Erica Sadun, it was discovered that a single line of code is all that's necessary to spread the feature to any app that relies on Apple's MediaPlayer framework, including VLC, AirVideo, and even Safari. Now Zone-MR has built a hack called AirVideoEnabler and put it on Cydia, allowing you to bring this functionality to your own jailbroken iPad. For the hack-averse, let's hope Apple catches up in functionality soon. Check out a video of AirVideoEnabler and Erica's original hack in action after the break.
AirVideoEnabler hack brings AirPlay video to the rest of your apps originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 15:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  source9 to 5 Mac, TUAW  | Email this | Comments
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Super Talent USB 3.0 RAIDDrive nabs an extra 55MB/sec
How's this for post-purchase pleasantries? Super Talent has just revealed a new tidbit surrounding the world's first USB 3.0 thumb drive (that would be the RAIDDrive), and it's one that takes full advantage of second generation USB 3.0 controller technology -- presumably on the PC side and not via a firmware update. The end result? An extra 55MB/sec on the benchmarking front, pushing its proven maximum speed to 370MB/sec. Head on past the break and mash play if you don't believe us, and feel free to start pressing your own storage boutique of choice for something similar for all those other SuperSpeed products.Continue reading Super Talent USB 3.0 RAIDDrive nabs an extra 55MB/sec
Super Talent USB 3.0 RAIDDrive nabs an extra 55MB/sec originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 07:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Everything USB  |   | Email this | Comments
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