Tuesday, December 6, 2011

IT News Head Lines (Engadget) 06/12/2011





Xbox 360 Dashboard update (Fall 2011) review
Kiss that old "New Xbox Experience" goodbye -- the Xbox Dashboard just went full Metro. Microsoft teased the console's latest overhaul back at E3, promising to "change living room entertainment forever." The following months saw leaks, previews and betas, all leading up to today, the eve of the Xbox 360's Fall Dashboard update. Is the new dash the game-changer it hopes to be? Hit the break, and we'll find out together.

Gallery: Xbox Live 2011 Fall Dashboard update
Continue reading Xbox 360 Dashboard update (Fall 2011) review
Xbox 360 Dashboard update (Fall 2011) review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Xbox 360's new video services won't all launch right away; Comcast, Verizon, and HBO Go delayed
Microsoft's new dashboard for the Xbox 360 is close at hand (read our full review for the details) but not all of the video partners that were announced for the new Kinect-centric experience will be launching alongside it. As of launch December 6th the list will look basically the same as it does now, with Epix joining options like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Sky Go. Later on in the month more new providers like Crackle, Dailymotion, Rogers On Demand, Vudu, and Verizon FiOS TV will filter in, while the UFC app is timed to launch December 20th. Finally, a few highly anticipated additions including MLB.tv, HBO Go and Comcast's Xfinity On Demand are among those slated for arrival in "early 2012". Check after the break for the complete list, we'll let you know about more specific launch dates as they become available.

Gallery: Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard update 2011 Video Service screenshots
Continue reading Xbox 360's new video services won't all launch right away; Comcast, Verizon, and HBO Go delayed
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How would you change Motorola's Droid Bionic?
Two Droid units, two weeks in a row here at HWYC? Say it ain't so! This go 'round, we've got Motorola's Droid Bionic, yet another LTE handset in Verizon Wireless' stable, and with a $300-on-contract asking price, we're pretty sure the early adopters will have some pointed things to say. Still feeling like your chunk of change was spent on something worthwhile? How's the battery life? Would you have jazzed up the overall design in any way? Feeling like you should've waited for the Galaxy Nexus? Good or bad, we're eager to hear your comments now that you've had a few months to play around with it -- drop 'em in comments below!
How would you change Motorola's Droid Bionic? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Dec 2011 22:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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AT&T's LG Nitro HD goes up for sale, LTE-enabled Gingerbread pep for $250
In case you forget that AT&T's latest LTE-equipped smartphone hit shelves today, consider this a friendly reminder from your mobile obsessed friends here at Engadget.We're talking about the LG's Nitro HD, the 4.5-inch device we lovingly handled last week -- loaded with a skinned version of Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, running atop its peppy 1.5 GHz Qualcomm APQ8060 dual-core processor. If you'll recall, it's notably packing a 1280 x 720p screen resolution with an ultra-crisp looking 329ppi, an 8 megapixel rear camera (1.3 MP up front) and a healthy 4GB of internal storage supplemented by an included 16GB microSD card (expandable to 32GB). Thankfully, bloatware on the Nitro is at an all time low, but we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that's it's been confirmed to be loaded with the ickyness of Carrier IQ. Sure, it's not as tasty as an Ice Cream Sandwich, but if your hungering for LTE-enabled 4G speeds on Ma Bell, at least you now have a third option. It can be yours now for $250 with a two-year renewal of service, and you'll find more info at the source link below.
AT&T's LG Nitro HD goes up for sale, LTE-enabled Gingerbread pep for $250 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink The Verge, Mobile Burn  |  sourceAT&T  | Email this | Comments

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Switched On: Keeping the 'app' out of Apple's TV
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.



Rumors continue to heat up that Apple will enter the television market next year, stepping up its Apple TV "hobby" into a greater revenue-generating vocation. The company would clearly like to repeat the kind of rousing success it has seen in smartphones. There, it entered a market at least as crowded and competitive as that for televisions whereas most of its Windows rivals have barely been able to eke out a few models with nominal share.



Indeed, the challenge is not as much about competition as commoditization. At first glance, this would be a curious time for Apple to enter the TV space. The HD and flat-panel transitions on which premium manufacturer brands and retailers once feasted has long passed. "Flat-panel TV" and "HDTV" are now just "TV." And prices for smaller sets are settling into a range familiar to those who remember what they cost back in the heyday of CRTs.
Continue reading Switched On: Keeping the 'app' out of Apple's TV
Switched On: Keeping the 'app' out of Apple's TV originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Lovefilm's movie streaming will switch from Flash to Silverlight on PCs in 2012
As it prepares for Netflix's 2012 UK invasion Lovefilm appears to be taking a page out of its competitor's strategy, and it's all because of the studios. When streaming to Windows PCs and Macs it will only support Silverlight as of the first week in January (we should mention it's coincidentally timed alongside a particular electronics show), ditching Flash encodes for its video. Like Watch Instantly, that will mean a lockout for non-Intel Macs and Linux users who don't have a player that supports the necessary DRM, but it's just those three letters that are behind this. Streaming Project Manager Paul Thompson writes on the company blog that Silverlight beat out Flash and new challenger HTML5 in order to meet studio's anti-piracy requirements, as well as take advantage of its Smooth Streaming adaptive bandwidth adjustments. Everything will stay the same on other streaming devices, while Netflix has been able to support Chromebooks via plugin and is rumored to be working on a Netflix solution, we'll have to wait and see if Lovefilm can do the same.
Lovefilm's movie streaming will switch from Flash to Silverlight on PCs in 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Dec 2011 18:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink UK Streaming Services Blog  |  sourceLovefilm  | Email this | Comments

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Kobo offers one free book a month, brings peashooter to the e-reader gunfight
In a slightly underwhelming attempt to match Amazon's Lending Library proposition, Kobo will start to offer a free download each month to new Touch eReader owners. Starting in January, customers will be able to pick from the decidedly broad selection of Pride and Prejudice, HBR's 10 Must Reads: On Managing People and Star Wars Vs. Star Trek. Unfortunately, the offer is limited to devices purchased between November 24 and March 31 2012, but Kobo is hoping that the ability to hold on to the titles indefinitely will cancel out Amazon's legion of free rentals. Users can sign up to the ebook's offers mailing list for the full details. Remember: A book is for life, not just for Christmas.
Kobo offers one free book a month, brings peashooter to the e-reader gunfight originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Dec 2011 16:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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German researchers create smudge repellent coating from candle soot
While they're working on the lack of feedback, and need for exposed skin problems for touch screens, that other gripe -- dirty smudges -- could soon be wiped-out permanently. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz obviously had enough of sleeve-cleaning their devices and created a coating that could usher in a smudge-free world. The discovery comes after the team applied candle soot to glass and then coated it in silica to keep it in place. The glass is then heated to a bratwurst-baking 600 ºC for calcination, which makes the soot transparent -- somewhat handy for screens. To test, different oils and solvents were applied, but the glass' superamphiphobic properties soon fended them off. A resilient coating sounds a little more straight-forward than what Apple recently applied to patent, but until either of these see the light of day, you'd better keep that Brasso close by.
German researchers create smudge repellent coating from candle soot originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Dec 2011 14:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Technology Review  |  sourceScience Mag  | Email this | Comments

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The original Motorola LapDock can now be yours for $50
Remember the good 'ol days (specifically, this past February) when the first Motorola LapDock cost as much as $500 up front and nearly got laughed out of AT&T stores? The sleek Webtop accessory compatible with the Motorola Atrix 4G -- and no other device whatsoever -- has come down a long way, as it's now available for a mere $50 (not counting the more expensive 4GB data plan AT&T requires you to be on when using it, of course). Indeed, it appears that a whole zero has been shaved off of the LapDock's price tag, finally making it a tempting deal for anyone still packing the Atrix around. We're thinking that AT&T's trying to clear out remaining stock prior to giving the dock a proper retirement, but does this lower cost give you pause to consider purchasing one after all this time? If so, head to the source to take another look.
The original Motorola LapDock can now be yours for $50 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Dec 2011 12:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink PhoneArena  |  sourceAT&T  | Email this | Comments

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Refresh Roundup: week of November 28, 2011
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of November 28, 2011
Refresh Roundup: week of November 28, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Dec 2011 10:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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ThinkGeek and Aperture Science do what they must, intro more Portal-themed goods because they can
Been yearning for more Portal 2-inspired goods from ThinkGeek? Fret not, dear test subject, the company's got some products ways that should satiate your desire for Cave Johnson-approved chachkas. Newly up for grabs are a $15 Aperture Science shower curtain, a $35 motion-sensing plush turret and a $40 Cave Johnson talking portrait -- think Billy Bass, but with a Portal twist. ThinkGeek's also announced a $30 Companion Cube cookie jar (the perfect companion for its Portal cookie cutters) and a $30 PotatOS Science Kit, complete with an insult-spewing "talking GLaDOS module." Sadly, the latter duo don't have an official release date just yet, and are merely listed as "coming soon." Of course, like the cake, they could just be lie. For the sake of science, portal past the break to find a press release with more details.
Continue reading ThinkGeek and Aperture Science do what they must, intro more Portal-themed goods because they can
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Google employees now testing Ice Cream Sandwich for Nexus S, claim it's delicious
Damn them. As it turns out, Google employees are the lucky guinea pigs for testing Android 4.0 on the Nexus S, and Mountain View's minions have now begun crowing about their superiority. On the up side, this means that all users of Google's former prodigy are one step closer to receiving the official version of Ice Cream Sandwich onto their devices. The company hopes its employees will discover any lingering foul tastes before delivering its frozen treat onto the unwashed masses, although early reports suggest they're digging the flavors. Of course, if you just can't wait -- and hey, we haven't -- there's always custom ROMs to fill the void.
Google employees now testing Ice Cream Sandwich for Nexus S, claim it's delicious originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Dec 2011 04:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceAndroid Police  | Email this | Comments

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Droid Xyboard accessories arrive at Verizon, can't hide from Mr. Blurrycam
If you've had any doubts regarding the likelihood Motorola Mobility's Xoom 2 LTE tablets arriving at Verizon under the Droid Xyboard moniker, Mr. Blurrycam would like you to have a gander at the picture above. Following the 8.2 and 10.1-inch variants being handled by CNET last week, and soon after caught passing through the FCC, a trio of snapshots have now been posted over at Droid-Life of what's said to be some the device's optional accessories. Among the lot, you'll find a Smart Cover-esque Protective Portfolio for the 8.2-incher, two versions of an HD dock, and lastly, set screen films for the 10.1-inch version. While there's still no definitive word on price or availability, it certainly appears like a formal reveal of the slates will be zooming in imminently. Hit the source link below for all the details.

Droid Xyboard accessories arrive at Verizon, can't hide from Mr. Blurrycam originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Dec 2011 01:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Electronista  |  sourceDroid-Life  | Email this | Comments

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