Sunday, May 1, 2011

IT News Head Lines (Engadget) 01/05/2011





Plex plays nice with your Honeycomb slate after app update
We've praised Plex in the past for delivering us box-free XMBC and for it's prodigious media streaming proficiency. Problem is, its app wasn't optimized for the Honeycomb OS and the upsized screen real estate of Android slates -- until now. With the updated code comes tablet-friendly layouts and fast-scrolling in all grid and list views so you can zip through your large local media library. It also includes direct play and internet streaming sans-transcoding (just like the recently revised iOS app) for sating those right now vid cravings. The improvements serve smaller Android devices as well, which makes the newly egalitarian app more enticing than ever before. Best of all, it's still only five bucks.



[Thanks, Andrew]
Plex plays nice with your Honeycomb slate after app update originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Apr 2011 11:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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IdeaPad S205 hits Lenovo webstore, starts at $499
The first of Lenovo's CES-announced S Series, the S205, sauntered into the computer manufacturer's online store this week, albeit lacking the 8GB DDR3 SDRAM option mentioned at its announcement. The base model sells for $499, sporting a 1.60Ghz dual-core AMD Fusion E-350 CPU, an 11.6-inch (1366 x 768 resolution) 16:9 widescreen panel, 3GB of DDR3 SDRAM, ATI Mobility Radeon 6310 graphics, and a 350GB HDD. Two higher cost configurations score an extra gig of RAM, an optional Bluetooth radio, and a 500GB or 750GB HDD. The lesser of the higher end models can be had for a $429 at LogicBuy until Wednesday, if you can live without Bluetooth (which man did for thousands of years, but you know what we mean).



[Thanks, Tim!]
IdeaPad S205 hits Lenovo webstore, starts at $499 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Apr 2011 09:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Royal wedding livestream breaks hearts, records
No frogs transformed into princes and no wicked stepmothers were vanquished -- not on camera, at least -- but today's royal wedding managed to capture the world's imagination. Thanks to partnerships with CBS, the Associated Press, UK Press Association, and Entertainment Tonight, the marriage between Prince William and Kate Middleton broke viewing records on Livestream.com, maxing out at 300,000 simultaneous viewers and a total of "at least 2 million" unique users, according to Max Haot, the site's CEO. We reached out to YouTube and Facebook to see how they did on the streaming front, but neither site has a final tally -- though a Facebook spokesperson did tell us that 6,819,072 people have commented on the wedding in the past 24 hours. We don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but we hear News Corp. has secured the rights to the Royal Divorce -- just in case.
Royal wedding livestream breaks hearts, records originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Apr 2011 06:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceMashable  | Email this | Comments

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Toshiba's ET100/WT100 Honeycomb tablet clears the FCC
Toshiba's forthcoming Honeycomb tablet is already headed to Japanese stores as the Regza AT300, but it's been a bit slower in arriving stateside. Now it seems the company could be close to shipping a real, working product here in the US. The still unnamed slate -- dubbed the ET100/WT100 for now -- has won FCC approval for its 802.11n and Bluetooth radios. To recap, the slate will have a 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) display, run on NVIDIA's Tegra 2 platform, and sport dual cameras, HDMI and USB ports, an SD card reader, and, possibly, a removable battery. We say, bring it on.
Toshiba's ET100/WT100 Honeycomb tablet clears the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Apr 2011 03:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Wireless Goodness  |  sourceFCC  | Email this | Comments

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Tesla J1772 mobile connector standardizes Roadster, costs $750
That non-standard charge port on your Tesla Roadster isn't proprietary, it's just outmoded -- but don't worry, a four foot adapter is here to save the day. This new J1772 to Roadster connector bridges the Roadster's 2008 designed charge port to the industry standard J1772, adopted by automakers and energy firms over a full year after the Roadster's debut. The new coupling cable will juice up your wheels in just four hours at EV stations outputting 70 amps, or in seven and a half hours for the average 32 amp level 2 charger. Native plug access to those thousands of ChargePoint stations will set you back $750, but if you've already bought a Tesla Roadster, that's just another drop in the ($100,000) bucket.
Tesla J1772 mobile connector standardizes Roadster, costs $750 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Apr 2011 00:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Autoblog Green  |  sourceTesla  | Email this | Comments

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Ask Engadget: best network backup solution for multiple computers?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Steve, who seems to be proving the College Stereotype wrong in a big way. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

"I'm a college student and we are updating our intranet / network capabilities at my fraternity. One idea is to create a network drive for backups for each member living in the house. We already have a network drive accessible by everyone wired in (about 40 people via Ethernet cable), so the raw storage and infrastructure is there. What is a good backup software that is cross-platform (Mac and Windows) and free or relatively cheap? Moreover, once the backup software is in place, what steps should be taken to ensure security of each members data? Thanks!"
Any software junkies (or frat admins) out there care to chime in? Seems like a common problem, actually, and we're more than confident that someone sticking to that 4.0 GPA has an answer. Toss yours in comments below.
Ask Engadget: best network backup solution for multiple computers? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 22:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Computer scientists tackle the hard, long-lasting question of 'that's what she said'
Humor: it's what separates humans from machines, GlaDOS from HAL 9000, and even a good boss from a great boss. For millennia humor was seemingly unlearnable -- either you had it or you didn't -- but two University of Washington computer scientists have cracked part of the comedy code. They've developed an algorithm to find potential innuendos in everyday speech: a "that's what she said" detector. Their approach, dubbed "Double Entendre via Noun Transfer" (DeviaNT), uses a "sexiness" rating for nouns, adjectives, and verbs, while also analyzing the likelihood of similar combinations occurring in erotic literature. Higher values signal higher TWSS potential, and the researchers have successfully tested their program with user-generated content from websites like TWSSStories. Why is this useful, you ask? It's one more advance in natural-language processing, helping researchers codify the subtle workings of human language. Just think: one day, a softball like "I think this meat is too big for my buns" might receive the same "clever" response from your computer as from your juvenile friends.



[Image via Insley Unruh]
Permalink Techworld Australia  |  sourceUniversity of Washington  | Email this | Comments

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Thermaltake's Level 10 GT enclosure gets reviewed, deemed more practical than its predecessor
If you've never heard the words "form over function" used to describe a computer case, you must've missed Thermaltake's Level 10 last year. Sure, it made us do a double take with its BMW-designed, super modular chassis, but its 50-pound weight and $750 price made it an impractical choice for a sizable chunk of the enthusiast crowd. Almost a year later, The Tech Report has gotten its hands on its successor, the $270 Level 10 GT, and deemed it much more fit for real-world use. This time, the company decompartmentalized the 3.5-inch hard drive bays -- all while adding an extra 5.25-inch bay and making room for an external 2.5-incher. Nonetheless, the GT isn't without imperfections -- the reviewer found a few spots where the build quality was lacking. If you've had your eye on one of these, we highly recommend perusing the extremely thorough review at the source link.
Permalink   |  sourceThe Tech Report  | Email this | Comments

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HP webOS keyboard passes FCC smell test, won't zap you to death with radiation
We already got some hands-on time with HP's sleek webOS keyboard, and now it's the FCC's turn. The skinny peripheral -- that's Bluetooth Keyboard KT-1087 to you -- popped up on the Federal Communications Commission's site, stripped naked for the government filing enthusiasts of the world to collectively ogle. That hopefully means the rest of us will see the wireless add-on for sale in the near future, AA batteries not included -- it would sure go nicely with that HP TouchPad you've been eyeing. Those who get a perverse thrill watching unreleased products sprawled out, alien autopsy-style are encouraged to check out the gallery below.

Gallery: webOS Keyboard FCC Filing
webOS Keyboard FCC Filing
HP webOS keyboard passes FCC smell test, won't zap you to death with radiation originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sony Bloggie 3D now available for aspiring James Camerons everywhere
Sure, we'll never see dreams of a 3D Cisco Flip realized, but Sony's offering the next best thing: the Bloggie 3D. The latest addition to the company's line of pocket camcorders was quietly made available this week for $249.99 a pop -- $80 more than the recently released Bloggie Duo HD, because extra dimensions ain't cheap. The camera takes a cue from Nintendo's latest portable, with a 2.4 inch 3D display that eschews the need for glasses. Or, if you're not in the mood to squint and don't mind the eyewear, you can output the video to a 3D-enabled HDTV.
Sony Bloggie 3D now available for aspiring James Camerons everywhere originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 19:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink 3D-Display-Info  |  sourceAmazon  | Email this | Comments

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BlackBerry Bold Touch makes brief appearance on RIM's website
As you may have have been able to discern from the multitude of leaks that have surfaced over the past few months, RIM is apparently getting set to debut a new touchscreen-equipped BlackBerry Bold at BlackBerry World next week. While still not completely official, that's now been all but confirmed by RIM itself, which briefly featured the teaser pictured above on its website before pulling it for reasons unknown. As you can see, RIM apparently couldn't help itself and promised that it will be a "bold step ahead," and it appears that the phone is unsurprisingly running BlackBerry 7, which until recently was better known as OS 6.1. Of course, that's hardly the only news we're expecting to hear at BlackBerry World, and you can be sure we'll be there to brave the puns and bring it all to you.



[Thanks, Matt]
BlackBerry Bold Touch makes brief appearance on RIM's website originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 18:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Amazon launches 69-cent MP3 store for chart-toppers
Those with more obscure tastes may not find much to their liking, but we're guessing Amazon's latest move to sway customers from a certain other music store will please plenty of folks. The company's just launched a new $0.69 section on its website, which offers best-selling tracks for (you guessed it) 69 cents apiece. That's down from $0.89 before, which already had iTunes handily beat in terms of pricing -- Apple is still asking $1.29 for many of the same songs. Hit up the source link below to check out the current chart-topping singles available.
Amazon launches 69-cent MP3 store for chart-toppers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 17:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Los Angeles Times  |  sourceAmazon  | Email this | Comments

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Desk Phone Dock review
With every passing day, more people are ditching their landlines in favor of using their cellular phones as a combination device. Smartphones are no doubt excellent means of contacting other humans and managing our lives, but some of us miss the simpler days -- when a phone was just a phone. If you're a proud owner of an iPhone but looking to head down the retro road, Kee Utility would like to point you in the right direction. When we first saw the Desk Phone Dock, we were pretty intrigued by its looks but had questions about its practicality. What you see here is the $150 answer. Keep reading to see how well we got on with it.
Gallery: Kee Desk Phone Dock Review
Continue reading Desk Phone Dock review
Desk Phone Dock review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 17:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Square to add encryption to mobile card reader, skimmers put on notice


It's only been a couple days since we first heard about Visa's involvement with Square, but the credit card giant is already making its mark on the mobile payment startup. At the Visa Global Security Summit on Wednesday, Square Security Lead Sam Quigley revealed that the company will distribute an encrypted card reader this summer, which will work exclusively with its mobile payment app. The current reader theoretically scans credit card data to any app, but the encrypted version will only work with Square, which should alleviate VeriFone's concern that the company was essentially distributing "card skimmers" to anyone with a social security number. Luckily, the new encrypted reader will remain free, giving Square a colossal advantage over VeriFone's Payware Mobile product, which carries a $49 activation fee, in addition to standard merchant fees. Not to mention, it isn't available in white.
Square to add encryption to mobile card reader, skimmers put on notice originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink TechCrunch  |  sourceVisa Global Security Summit  | Email this | Comments

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Intel's Cedar Trail gets some specs, combines CPU and GPU on a single chip
Intel Atom Lineup
That new processor smell has barely started to fade from Oak Trail and we're already getting some tantalizing details about the next generation of Atom chips -- Cedar Trail. As expected, Intel has moved to 32nm, which allows it to cram the GPU and the CPU onto the same sliver of silicon. The first two models, the D2500 and D2700, will be dual-core, sport 1MB of L2 cache, and have a miserly TDP of 10w -- 3w lower than current dual-core Atoms. The former will be clocked at 1.86GHz with Hyper-Threading turned off, while the D2700 flips the switch on those two extra threads and kicks it up a notch to 2.13GHz. The new integrated graphics will boast better HD decoding and support for Blu-ray playback which, when combined with the taunts of fanless designs and WiDi, make Cedar Trail a natural fit for the living room.
Intel's Cedar Trail gets some specs, combines CPU and GPU on a single chip originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceAnandTech  | Email this | Comments

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LCD-equipped Cisco REN301 Residential Gateway stops by FCC, reveals all its dirty secrets
Cisco REN301 Residential Gateway
Ah, the all too familiar WiFi troubleshooting dance: the network goes down, you dig through the closet for an Ethernet cable, saunter over to the router, jack yourself in, type in the IP address, and start poking around at your settings. Cisco's REN301 Residential Gateway (a fancy way of saying "router"), which just passed through the FCC, could make things at least a little bit easier thanks to its built-in LCD screen and capacitive touch controls. Wave your hand over the display to bring it to life and you can check the status of your connections, modify some basic settings, and peruse a log of calls that have come in over the SIP VoIP phone jacks. The REN301, which has a single band 802.11b/g/n radio, can also turn USB drives and SD cards into NAS storage -- the company even throws in a 32GB card to get you started. We don't have a price or release date, but since it's been splayed open for federal regulators we probably won't have to wait long. There's a couple of pics of the router's UI after the break.
Continue reading LCD-equipped Cisco REN301 Residential Gateway stops by FCC, reveals all its dirty secrets
Permalink Wireless Goodness  |  sourceFCC  | Email this | Comments

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Verizon document suggests LG Revolution will have Netflix pre-installed
We didn't exactly need any more evidence that the LG Revolution would be the first Android phone to support Netflix, but a new, seemingly authentic Verizon document posted by an Android Central forum member has now all but confirmed that fact. What's more, considering that Verizon touts Netflix as one of the phone's main features, it seems safe to assume that the app will also come pre-installed for your convenience. As you can see, Verizon also says that the phone is "coming soon," which is unfortunately about as specific a release date as we've seen so far. Wondering what's in store? Then you might want to check out the hands-on we did with the app back at Mobile World Congress in February.
Verizon document suggests LG Revolution will have Netflix pre-installed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Droid Life  |  sourceAndroid Central  | Email this | Comments

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Sidekick 4G review
It's been nearly two years since we last reviewed a T-Mobile Sidekick, and it would be a vast understatement to say things have changed. Then, they were designed by Danger and manufactured by Sharp, and were the messaging phone of choice. Today, following fiasco and failure, the Sidekick empire is in ruins. But good ideas and their originators live on, and several of Danger's brightest wound up in Mountain View, California. Danger's Andy Rubin founded Android, design director Mattias Duarte built Honeycomb (after helping craft the Helio Ocean and webOS for Palm) and now, the Sidekick itself has joined its founders in the house that Google built. In many ways, the Sidekick 4G is a return to form, but in an ecosystem filled with similar Android devices, can it stand out from the crowd?

Gallery: T-Mobile Sidekick 4G unboxing and hands-on
Continue reading Sidekick 4G review
Sidekick 4G review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Engadget Podcast 237 - 04.29.2011
As Darren traipses WiFi-free across the Grand Canyon, Myriam and Brian join Tim to bring a previously unheard-of amalgamation of Engadget Podcasters to the fold. As an added bonus, If you don't watch out, this Engadget Podcast will also wormhole its way into your credit card, find out your PIN, and email your parents a list of locations where you used it for the past 6 months. Just sayin'.



Host: Tim Stevens

Guests: Myriam Joire, Brian Heater

Producer: Trent Wolbe

Music: Boom



02:25 - The Engadget Show - 020: RIM's Ryan Bidan, GDGT's Peter Rojas, Ford CEO Alan Mulally, lots of tablets, Shredder test-drive

02:48 - Samsung Galaxy S II review

13:50 - Sony provides PSN update, confirms a 'compromise of personal information' (updated)

16:55 - Sony update on PSN / Qriocity outage: 'some services up and running within a week' (updated)

18:30 - PlayStation Network outage caused by 'external intrusion,' continues for third day

22:00 - Apple officially answers questions on location tracking, says it doesn't do it

24:24 - TomTom user data sold to Dutch police, used to determine ideal locations for speed traps

28:30 - White iPhone 4 releases tomorrow, finally (update: Phil Schiller explains the delay)

32:10 - Sony S1 and S2 dual-screen Honeycomb tablets get official (video)

40:04 - Notion Ink Adam review

47:04 - Hulu Plus on Xbox 360 launches tomorrow, all members get a free week thanks to beef jerky

47:53 - Apple's cloud streaming service to be called iCloud?

48:26 - Apple signs Warner Music to its cloud-based music service

52:31 - Verizon's LTE network takes the night off, leaves a bunch of Thunderbolt users bewildered

53:15 - Verizon says its LTE network is back 'up and running'

53:43 - B&N Nook Color update released, brings Froyo, apps, and Flash, we go hands-on (video)















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Engadget Podcast 237 - 04.29.2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Microsoft launches API Mapping tool to help devs point iPhone apps at WP7 libs
Microsoft launches API Mapping tool to help iPhone devs point their apps to WP7 libraries
If you've spent much time coding in a development environment that has buttons, you know that Microsoft's tools are among the best. In the spirit of helping developers (developers, developers) find their way to its mobile platform of choice, the company has launched the API Mapping tool for iPhone. Basically, it's a utility that will look at the calls your iOS app's code is making and help you find a new home for them in .Net's ample libraries. Microsoft is also providing documentation to help with the porting and, we hear, asking really, really nicely that you consider Windows Phone for your next project.
Microsoft launches API Mapping tool to help devs point iPhone apps at WP7 libs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink ZDNet  |  sourceMicrosoft  | Email this | Comments

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HBO Go mobile app hands-on (video)
HBO Go has been live on the iTunes App Store and Android Market for just a few short hours, but we've already put it through the paces, poking and prodding on our iPad and iPhone, to see what all the hubbub's about. We're pleased with the hefty amount of video that HBO's offering up here, and the interface is pretty intuitive as well. Still, browsing through the myriad content on the iPad's larger screen is definitely a bit more leisurely than on the iPhone's 3.5-inch counterpart. Both apps sport the same feature set, so searching for content, saving things to watch later, and blasting updates to Facebook and Twitter will work well on whichever device you choose. To make the deal even sweeter, it's free for current subscribers, so there's really no reason to not check it out for yourself -- unless you don't have HBO, in which case we have a video walkthrough embedded after the break.



Update: Sorry Android users, but it looks like the only supported versions for the Android app are 2.1 - 2.3.3. However, we're getting reports that it does function in the browser -- so long as you've got Flash installed, of course. We're also told that the HBO Go site works just fine on the PlayBook as well.



Gallery: HBO Go hands-on
Continue reading HBO Go mobile app hands-on (video)
HBO Go mobile app hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 13:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceAndroid Market, iTunes App Store  | Email this | Comments

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Panasonic, Yahoo, more admit defeat, sign deal with Klausner
It's easy to mock the little guy when he takes a handful of giant corporations to court. Such litigious overzealousness usually gets tangled up or tossed out altogether -- Klausner Technologies, however, is laughing all the way to the bank, with a stellar track record taking on some of tech's biggest names over the past few years. To date, the company has scored wins in visual voicemail patent battles with Apple, Google, Verizon, LG, and Vonage -- the company also struck a deal with Sprint, though presumably with less teeth-pulling. This week, Klausner added four more big wins to the list, inking deals with Panasonic, Yahoo, Qwest Communications, and Avaya in the wake of suits against the tech firms. The company still has ongoing battles with RIM and Cisco that will hopefully stay civil. We'd hate to see someone send a visual voicemail they'd regret later.
Panasonic, Yahoo, more admit defeat, sign deal with Klausner originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 13:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceReuters  | Email this | Comments

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Sirius Satellite 2.0 to include DVR-like features, personalized stations?
The problem with Sirius Satellite Radio? You can listen to hundreds of stations, but only if you tune in live. As it stands, licensing restrictions make it impossible to record Howard Stern asking intrusive questions about people's sex lives. But that could change with version 2.0 of the platform, which is rumored to be on track for a fall release. According to a CNET report citing the good ole' "source close to the company," select programs will be available for on-demand listening for a limited period after their original airing. And, this source says, the new platform could take a cue from Pandora and Slacker with personalized stations that let you skip songs, flag your favorites, and ban the ones that drive you insane. If true, listeners would get a whole lot more value out of that $13 monthly subscription -- and SiriusXM might have a greater chance of beating Pandora in the battle for your in-car attention. Until then, you'll just have to keep listening to Tiger Blood Radio live.
Sirius Satellite 2.0 to include DVR-like features, personalized stations? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceCNET  | Email this | Comments

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Amped Wireless' UA600EX adapter quadruples your laptop's WiFi range when you're on a boat
For every gadget you can use on land, there has to be one you can use at sea, right? Just in time for yachting season, Amped Wireless released the weatherproof UA600EX High Power Wireless-N 600mW Pro USB Adapter, which promises to extend your notebook's WiFi range in areas where there are no hotspots to be mooched. That sounds ideal for boating, but thanks to some flexible mounting options and one heavy-duty 26.5-foot cable, it should also come in handy everywhere from offices to RVs. The single-band UA600EX runs on the 2.4GHz spectrum, and although the company stops short of saying just how many feet of leeway you can expect, it does claim to quadruple your computer's range -- whatever that happens to be. If you have a hankering to watch Deadliest Catch on your next fishing trip, you can nab one of these bad boys at the source link for a cool $110.
Continue reading Amped Wireless' UA600EX adapter quadruples your laptop's WiFi range when you're on a boat
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Xoom Camera Connection Kit makes us lust for Photoshop on Honeycomb
Xoom Camera Connection Kit
Soon enough you'll be able to transfer photos from your digital camera straight to your Xoom, provided you're willing to shell out $20 for the Xoom Camera Connection Kit. We already knew that the tablet was capable of reading USB drives with a little trickery, but Motorola's upcoming update will officially unlock that functionality (albeit in a limited form). The glorified micro-USB cable isn't available online yet, but we've heard if you call Verizon and ask nicely for item number MOTMZ600ADPKIT they're more than happy to send one your way. If asking for a random series of letters and numbers seems a little strange, just pretend you're a secret agent and it's some kind of cipher -- preferably one that doesn't remind you to drink your Ovaltine.
Xoom Camera Connection Kit makes us lust for Photoshop on Honeycomb originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink CrunchGear  |  sourceDroid Life  | Email this | Comments

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HBO Go hits iOS and Android, free for subscribers
Don't ditch that premium cable subscription just yet. The long-anticipated HBO Go app just hit the iOS App Store and Android Market, bringing original HBO series and a variety of blockbuster films to your mobile device. You'll need an HBO subscription with your cable provider to get past the login screen, but unlocking all that the service has to offer using our Verizon FiOS account took just a second, and we were off and running with Avatar less than a minute after launching the app. We'll have a full hands-on later today, but if you're an HBO subscriber with an iOS or Android slab, head over to your device's respective store to download the free app.



[Thanks, Jason]
HBO Go hits iOS and Android, free for subscribers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceAndroid Market, iOS App Store  | Email this | Comments

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Verizon says it will put location warning labels on all phones sold
See that rather ominous warning label above? That's a new sticker that will soon be placed directly on the screen of every new device Verizon Wireless sells. Contrary to what you might suspect, however, that's not being done in response to the most recent iPhone 4 tracking fiasco. The label was revealed in a letter to Representatives Ed Markey and Joe Barton, who themselves sent a letter to Verizon (and the three other major carriers) on March 29th inquiring about a New York Times story that raised concerns about how carriers collect and store personal location data. As for the other carriers' responses, they apparently aren't going as far as Verizon has with its warning label, but they do mostly echo Verizon's response in other respects. They all say, for instance, that personal data is secured by a variety of means and stored only as long as needed (which can apparently vary by carrier, though), that they don't rent or sell personal information, and that they request customer consent before accessing location data. Despite those assurances, however, Rep. Markey says he's still left with a "feeling of uneasiness and uncertainty," and he's pointing a finger at third-party developers in particular, who he says must be held "accountable."
Verizon says it will put location warning labels on all phones sold originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Phone Scoop  |  sourceRep. Markey  | Email this | Comments

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SIM-sized satellites to lift off with Endeavour this afternoon
They won't be beaming GPS or radio signals back to Earth anytime soon, but these one-inch-square satellites could one day travel to distant planets -- without fuel. Developed over a period of three years by a team of undergraduates at Cornell University, the Sprite chips could eventually be used for communication, flying in clusters like tiny space plankton. After hitching a ride on-board the final space shuttle Endeavour mission this afternoon, the three prototype satellites will be mounted outside the International Space Station, where they'll sit for the next few years, exposed to conditions found only beyond our atmosphere. Perhaps someday we'll even see some "Spprite" KIRFs by the time China's own space station is ready to hit the launchpad in 2020.
Continue reading SIM-sized satellites to lift off with Endeavour this afternoon
SIM-sized satellites to lift off with Endeavour this afternoon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 10:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Dvice  |  sourceCornell Chronicle Online  | Email this | Comments

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Xcom Global's international MiFi rentals getting cheaper, Eurotrips making a comeback
No sense in beating around the proverbial bush -- we're huge fans of Xcom Global's business model, and frankly, we're saddened that every single nation in the world isn't yet included in its list of supported countries. For those hearing the name for the first time, you'll be doing yourself a solid by catching up with our review of the service, which enables jetsetters to rent MiFis or USB WWAN devices for international destinations before taking off. The end result is an always-on data connection for a reasonable fee (read: no roaming), and it looks as if those fees are about to shrink in the coming months.



The company has informed us that it'll be previewing "membership pricing" starting next month, giving consumers the ability to pick up a MiFi for $14.95 per day or a USB WWAN dongle for $12.95 per day. The real story, however, is this: second MiFis for two-country itineraries will no longer incur an additional fee, and if you're setting out on a bona fide Eurotrip, every MiFi beyond that will ring up as a flat $30 fee regardless of trip length. We're told that the pricing scheme will be fully revealed in June, and that it's a permanent endeavor as opposed to a trial run. Membership itself will also be free, and while we're still holding out hope that Xcom can nail down a global MiFi solution, these pricing tweaks will certainly make it easy to nation-hop while across the pond.
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Sprint reports Q1 2011 results, adds 1.1 million subscribers
Sprint reports Q1 2011 results, posts mostly good newsIt's financials time and the word hasn't always been rosy for Sprint of late, but this time the company has some good news to share. In this, the first quarter of 2011, Sprint added 1.1 million total subscribers, 846,000 of those were prepaid, the other 310,000 postpaid. Churn was down too, 4.36 for prepaid and 1.81 percent for postpaid, lowest in five years for the former and lowest ever for the latter. Operating income was $259 million on $8.3 billion in revenue, which is up three percent from this time last year, but factor in taxes, lunar landing rights, and all the other fun stuff and the company posted a net loss of $439 million. CEO Dan Hesse called this "slow but steady progress," and the addition of subscribers "a tough streak to keep going as the bar keeps getting higher." A tough streak indeed, but the launch of phones like the Nexus S 4G might just help keep it alive for another quarter.
Sprint reports Q1 2011 results, adds 1.1 million subscribers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 09:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Alpha Bike concept: free-wheeling fixie for flip-floppers
So Philliebot was a fail, but this chainless bicycle serves as proof that UPenn doesn't always come up short. The Alpha Bike, designed by a group of engineering students, contains an entirely internal drivetrain that allows riders to switch between fixed-gear and multi-gear setups. The simple switch is enabled by an electronically controlled clutch, part of the Switchable Integrated Free-Fixed Transmission (SWIFT), discreetly hidden in the bike's frame. Populating the front hub are a drum brake and a dynamo, which juices the bike's electronics -- the back hub contains a three-speed gear set, put in motion by a simple push-pull cable. When the front wheel starts rolling, an LED screen mounted in the carbon fiber handlebars is illuminated, displaying time, cadence, and speed, among other things -- this data and more is stored on an accessible SD card. As of now, the bike is still a prototype, but if you start saving now, you might actually have enough scratch to buy one when it comes to fruition.
Alpha Bike concept: free-wheeling fixie for flip-floppers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 09:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Wired  |  sourceAlpha Bike  | Email this | Comments

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NPD credits Verizon iPhone with stemming the Android tide in Q1 smartphone sales
As much as we were hoping to get some definitive statements from AT&T and Verizon's Q1 2011 financials about the Verizon iPhone's impact on the smartphone market, none were really forthcoming. It's left to analyst outfits like the NPD, therefore, to try and parse the data for us and read between the official lines. The latest numbers from the NPD Group's Mobile Phone Tracker indicate that Apple's share of US smartphones sales jumped from 19 percent in Q4 2010 to 28 percent in the first quarter of this year, which helped stymie Android's prodigious expansion. The Google OS went from being on 53 percent of all smartphones sold to a flat 50 percent in the quarter. Also intriguing about the period is that, for the first time, smartphones accounted for more than half of all mobile phones sold in the US, at 54 percent. The top five best-selling cellphones also happened to be smartphones, with Apple and HTC providing two each; the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, Droid X, EVO 4G, and the Droid Incredible took home the NPD commendations.



[Thanks, Matt]



Disclaimer: NPD's Ross Rubin is a contributor to Engadget.
NPD credits Verizon iPhone with stemming the Android tide in Q1 smartphone sales originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 08:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Panasonic Viera AR Setup Simulator app augments the reality of your TV dream (video)
A cardboard cut-out, really? You pasted a 50-inch rectangle of stiffened paper to the wall in order to preview the flatscreen of your dreams within your new Vitsoe shelving system? For shame. A true nerd, nay, a real man would have cast aside those arts and crafts for Panasonic's new Viera AR Setup Simulator app. Just grab the wall or pedestal AR marker from the printer and place it wherever you hope to showcase that new Panny. Then watch the app augment your reality through the iPhone's camera. Don't cost nothin' but your time, starting with the 60 second video embedded after the break.
Continue reading Panasonic Viera AR Setup Simulator app augments the reality of your TV dream (video)
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Formula 1 cars set to go all electric in the pit lane from 2013 onwards, racing purists outraged already
Formula 1, the pinnacle of gas-powered racing, is more often at odds with the eco-conscious electric car movement than in tune with it, but here's an exception to that rule. The FIA, the sport's governing body, announced back in December of last year a move to a hybrid four-cylinder turbocharged engine, which is still on track to be introduced in the 2013 season, and Williams boss Adam Parr has now enlightened us on some of the benefits of the new power setup. Noting that future cars' kinetic energy recovery system will be four times as powerful as on current models, Parr says enough electric juice will be available to power each one-seater through its journey into and out of the pit lane. That would mean that at least for the tame, speed-restricted portions of a race, the F1 gas guzzlers you know and love will be humming along in almost perfect silence while using good old electricity. Unfortunately, it's exactly that lack of vroom vroom that old timers like Bernie Ecclestone and Ferrari chief Luca di Montezemolo are afraid of, describing the new hybrid stuff as sounding "terrible" and insisting on the sport sticking to its V8 roots. Then again, as Parr says, if you don't move with the times, the times leave you behind.
Permalink CNET  |  sourceReuters  | Email this | Comments

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Intel touts 50Gbps interconnect by 2015, will make it work with tablets and smartphones too
Woah there, Mr. Speedy. We've barely caught up with the 10Gbps Thunderbolt interconnect, debuted in the new Macbook Pro, and now Intel's hyperactive researchers are already chattering away about something five times faster. They're promising a new interconnect, ready in four years, that will combine silicon and optical components (a technology called silicon photonics) to pump 50Gbps over distances of up to 100m. That's the sort of speed Intel predicts will be necessary to handle, say, ultra-HD 4k video being streamed between smartphones, tablets, set-top boxes and TVs. Intel insists that poor old Mr. Thunderbolt won't be forced into early retirement, but if we were him we'd be speaking to an employment lawyer right about now.
Permalink TG Daily  |  sourceIDG News (PC World)  | Email this | Comments

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Details of Samsung's 'Alex' Chrome OS netbook leaked, Atom N550 in tow
As we approach the expected mid-2011 launch for a few Chrome OS devices, it seems inevitable that some details are bound to slip out ahead of time -- here's looking at you, Acer ZGB and Seaboard. The latest victim outed by a Chromium bug report is the Samsung "Alex," which sports a 1280 x 800 display (probably at 10 inches as previously rumored; like the mockup above), 1.5GHz dual-core Atom N550, SanDisk SSD P4 of unknown capacity, and 2GB RAM. Also listed are a Qualcomm Gobi 2000 3G card, Bluetooth, WiFi, webcam, and a Synaptics touchpad. Well, not long to go now -- perhaps the Alex might even make a cheeky appearance at Google I/O in two weeks' time? Screenshot of the bug report after the break.



[Thanks, Marco]
Continue reading Details of Samsung's 'Alex' Chrome OS netbook leaked, Atom N550 in tow
Details of Samsung's 'Alex' Chrome OS netbook leaked, Atom N550 in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 06:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Chrome Nieuws, BGR  |  sourceGoogle Groups  | Email this | Comments

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White iPhone 4 thickness creates issue for case makers, owners
By now you've probably seen the latest spectacle to consume the white iPhone 4: it's thicker than the black model. The image above illustrates the point using a piece of lead from a mechanical pencil. So what, you say, in righteous indignation to a device that shipped ten months late. Well, the size difference creates a potential consumer issue since cases (at least the good ones) are manufactured against the tight tolerances supplied by Apple. We've confirmed ourselves, that an Incase slider that fits a black iPhone 4 just fine has to be forced into place on the new white model. Unfortunately, Apple's own spec page doesn't highlight the change in thickness (measured at 9.5mm by TiPb). Instead it still shows a 9.3mm depth with a tiny disclaimer stating, "Actual size and weight vary by configuration and manufacturing process." The result is confusion -- will this case fit or won't it? -- which is never a good thing for consumers.



But why is the white iPhone 4 thicker? Phil Schiller mentioned that Apple needed to add extra UV protection among other tweaks, in an attempt to reduce the "unexpected interactions" between the white cover and the internal components. As such, Apple apparently needed to sacrifice some slimness for a better functioning white phone. In the end, we have what looks to be four different size / button configurations that must be considered when purchasing a shrink-wrapped case for your white iPhone 4, black iPhone 4, white Verizon iPhone 4, or black Verizon iPhone 4. Good luck with that.



Additional reporting by Sam Sheffer



[Thanks, Jon]
Filed under:
White iPhone 4 thickness creates issue for case makers, owners originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 05:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Nexus S 2.3.4 update now available to early adopters via manual install
The Nexus S is due to receive an over-the-air update to Android 2.3.4 over the coming weeks, but Google earned a +1 from eager fans and devs hoping to get the extra Google Talk functionality sooner. Instead of hopelessly checking for updates until the time is right, the Powers That Be are now offering the upgrade as a manual download to anyone who is already running 2.3.3 on the i9020T (the AWS-equipped model). We urge you to proceed with caution here and double-check that your phone is compatible, since those are the two requirements for the download to install properly. We've happily bumped one of our devices up to 2.3.4 this way without any sweat or tears, so we hope it will be a smooth experience for others as well. If you choose to be adventurous and update your Nexus S, click the source link below to download the necessary ZIP file.



[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Continue reading Nexus S 2.3.4 update now available to early adopters via manual install
Nexus S 2.3.4 update now available to early adopters via manual install originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 04:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink XDA-Developers  |  sourceAndroid 2.3.4 Official Download (ZIP)  | Email this | Comments

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Samsung Galaxy S II GPS -- it works, it really works! (video)
The biggest problem facing mankind? No, not really. But when the alien robot sentinels do eventually descend upon our puny green planet, you'll be happy to know that your Galaxy S II smartphone will be able to get a GPS lock reliably and accurately. Samsung's brand new flagship phone has unsurprisingly fixed whatever ailed the original Galaxy S in the satellite communications department and we've got the evidence for you just after the break. So click your clicking device on the clickable bit to see it.
Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S II GPS -- it works, it really works! (video)
Samsung Galaxy S II GPS -- it works, it really works! (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 03:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Pioneer AppRadio brings apps, iPhone connectivity to your dash
If Pioneer's AppRadio (SPH-DA01) ever sees the light of day, it'll join a long list of integrated and aftermarket products trying to play off of the iPhone's success. According to CrunchGear (and its anonymous tipster), the FCC-leaked device boasts a 6.1-inch touchscreen and built-in apps, along with a USB port for accessing content (and presumably, the data connection) on your iOS 4.1 devices. We imagine the hardware to be similar to the 6.1-inch AVIC-X930BT that Pioneer announced at CES, including Bluetooth connectivity, a microSD card slot, and GPS functionality, in addition to an AM/FM radio and single-disc CD player. iPhone connectivity really sets this receiver apart, along with the inclusion of additional apps, such as Pandora and iHeartRadio, with the possibility of adding more apps in the future as well. We're incredibly skeptical about the device's GUI having any basis on the mockup image above, but if graphics are anything like those on the models we saw at CES, we don't expect to be disappointed either.
Pioneer AppRadio brings apps, iPhone connectivity to your dash originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 03:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceTechCrunch  | Email this | Comments

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