Cyanogenmod 9 struts its stuff on HTC's One X
So you've procured yourself HTC's new super slim, 4.7-inch halo phone: the
One X. By now, you probably have the device set up just the way you like it: applications configured, widgets in place and Adele ringtone set. But there's just
something else left to do, isn't there? If (like some of us) you're a smartphone user who just can't leave well enough alone, you'll be excited to learn that a build of
Cyanogenmod 9 for the
Uno Equis has been made available via the
MoDaCo forums. The ROM will deliver that stock Android experience, and all those CM9 accoutrements, to those that don't fancy the panache of
Sense 4.0. The forum post does caution that the One's camera, and hotspot functionality, aren't currently working, so interested parties best proceed with caution. If all that doesn't phase you, grab a cup of coffee, get the Android SDK all warmed up and take this ROM for a spin!
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Acer Iconia Tab A510 review
We'll stop just short of quoting
Top Gun here, but if it's speed you crave, these next thousands of words could have you emptying your wallet. How's that for an opening line? To be honest, it's been quite some time since any of us Engadget editors booted up a brand new device and immediately let loose a stream of expletives -- all expressing unbridled delight, of course. Such was the beginning of our meet-cute with Acer's
Iconia Tab A510, the company's first Tegra 3 slate, and the
second to ship with Ice Cream Sandwich.
Apart from that 1280 x 800 TFT LCD display, this 10-incher looks, feels and performs nothing like its predecessor, the
A500. Turbocharged with that quad-core CPU and 1GB of RAM, this Android 4.0 tablet joins a crowded category with a generous 32GB in built-in storage and a reasonable $450 price tag to match. So, does that excellence lose its luster with more extensive use? Is your money better spent on any of the other umpteen tablets running ICS? Will the lack of a higher-quality display prove too much of a con for your exquisite tech tastes? Follow on as we probe the A510 for answers.
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Alienware's new gaming laptops get matching Ivy Bridge processors
Alienware is crossing the Ivy Bridge, less than a week since announcing its
refreshed family of gaming laptops. Intel's
latest hardware will now lend itself to all three models, the M14x (from $1100) M17x (starting at $1500) and M18x (from $2000), replacing the existing Sandy Bridge architecture in the models we saw earlier this month. Starting with the smallest, the M14x will be powered by an Intel Core i7-3820QM (up to 2.7GHz), while larger models will get their processors nudged up to the 2.9 GHz Core i7-3920XM (M17x) and 2.9GHz Core i7-3920XM (M18x). Alienware reckons these new additions will lend a 15 percent increase to the rigs' performance (depending on use), augmenting improvements seen with new PCI Express 3.0 support, mSATA cached storage and the latest generation of NVIDIA graphics. Dell's now ready to take your order -- alongside a mind-boggling number of customization options -- at the source link below.
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Commercial space shuttle prototypes fly through wind tunnel testing
A pair of companies developing their own commercial space shuttles are presumably trying to flatten their hair after some rigorous wind tunnel testing. First up,
Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos (the guy behind Amazon), which has largely quiet on its efforts to shuttle astronauts to the International Space Station. Its Space Vehicle setup will plump for a biconic shape (seen above), with a flattened side and a split flap. According to Blue Origin's president, Rob Meyerson, the shape allows greater volume than traditional designs, but forgo the "weight penalty" of winged craft. Compared to earlier capsules, the Space Vehicle's shape, with its fuselage flap to generate lift, should also give it better control on re-entry to earth.
Juggling for wind tunnel time, Sierra Nevada's
Dream Chaser has also been blasted with smoke to test its own air resistance credentials. Its module would lauch from the top of the rocket, and glide (as much as anything that costs this much can) back to earth like NASA's own space shuttles. The Dream Chaser is planning its first flight for this fall. You can check out its more traditional take on the future of space travel after the break -- and decide which of the two you'll want sending your children
to the mines.
[Picture credit: Blue Origin, SNC]
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Ceton's Media Center mobile apps are for all, app and Echo extender beta signups open now
If you're a Windows Media Center fan and have been drooling over the treats
Ceton showed off at CES like its mobile companion apps (whether on
WP7 or other platforms like
iPhone and Android) and Echo extender we've got good news and better news. The good news is that the apps have been rebranded simply as Ceton Companion Apps and they will be available for all Windows Media Center 7 users when they launch, spreading their guides, file browsing and remote DVR management options throughout the land. The better news is that you'll be able to get your hands on the apps and / or Echo extender relatively soon, since there are beta tests coming soon for both. While the app beta is planned to start May 25th on all of the previously listed platforms, the Echo extender will be a paid beta where users can keep the hardware once its over. More details on the latter should be available soon, for now interested users should hit the link below to get on the list or check out an... interesting promo video embedded after the break.
Continue reading Ceton's Media Center mobile apps are for all, app and Echo extender beta signups open now
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Peter Jackson unfazed by 'Hobbit' footage pushback, but will stick to 24 fps for trailers
Calm down, cinema-goers. It just takes time to "settle in" to the strange new ultra-realistic world of high frame-rates, according to Peter Jackson, who's been responding to audience's rather
strong panning of 48fps rough cuts from his upcoming 3D epic,
Hobbit. Viewers' main beefs were the surprising appearance of the higher cadence footage, which almost looked like it was shot on video, as well as blemishes on actors and sets which were all-too-visible without the crutch of motion blur. But Jackson insists that the footage lacked special effects and color correction, and that the showing was perhaps too short to judge the
frame-rate -- which is why he also says there'll be no 48 fps trailer. He even adds that he's now "very aware of the strobing, the flicker and the artifacts" when he's watching regular 24fps cinema -- so the real struggle for audiences might not be
adjusting to the new way, but going back to the old.
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LG launches LG Cloud, blows raspberries at S-Cloud
Four days before the
purported launch of
Samsung's cloud service, Korea's
other technology giant has unveiled LG Cloud. The eponymous service offers
5GB free space as standard, while owners of LG's
Smart TVs or
smartphones will get 50GB free for six months. It'll push content between your devices, appropriately compressed for the medium, so high definition images on your TV will be slimmed down to save your phone's data cap. The free beta begins in South Korea and the US from May 1st, with a global rollout pencilled in for next year -- but don't worry, the company made it clear you'll be able to use it on your holidays, if you can
find a signal.
Continue reading LG launches LG Cloud, blows raspberries at S-Cloud
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15-inch Samsung Series 7 laptops follow big brother across Intel's Ivy Bridge
Intel's bridge is a popular one and, while we don't know just what the toll to cross is, today the gatekeeper has a little extra change jingling in his pocket. Samsung is announcing that its 15-inch Series 7 Chronos laptops now offer
Ivy Bridge processors, joining the 17-inch models that have already have
made their way across. Thanks to a Samsung Canada leak
last week, we knew the slightly more portable flavor wouldn't be far behind. NVIDIA graphics are onboard, joining the Core i7 processors and 1TB hard drives plus other pleasantries like backlit keyboards. No word on when these machines and their "uncompromised performance" will arrive at retail, but we hear getting over that bridge is the tricky part, so it shouldn't be long now.
Permalink Sammy Hub |
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Microsoft invests $300 million in new Barnes & Noble 'strategic partnership'
Well, that's an interesting end to all those
legal tussles. Microsoft and bookseller Barnes and Noble have decided to buddy-up in the face of competitors like Amazon and Apple. The strategic partnership -- Microsoft
loves 'em -- would come in the form of a new Barnes and Noble subsidiary that deals with all things Nook, in addition to its education business. The bookseller would hold onto the lion's share at 82.4 percent, with the remaining 17.6 percent in Microsoft's control. The first benefit posited would be a Nook app for the incoming Windows 8. Barnes and Noble's Nook Study software would also benefit from a friendly boost on all that Windows hardware. Maybe all those other legal matches will resolve in similar warm-and-fuzzy business hook-ups -- but
we doubt it.
Continue reading Microsoft invests $300 million in new Barnes & Noble 'strategic partnership'
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LightSquared founder Philip Falcone to step down 'eventually', attempts to dodge the bankruptcy bullet
In an effort keep the troubled
LightSquared from the brink of defaulting on its debt, its founder will step down from the company. While it doesn't look immediate, (people "familiar with the negotiations" are using the word "eventually") it's
Philip Falcone's latest attempt to extend a debt-term violation that expires this morning. According to the same sources, if the initial extension is okayed, Falcone and LightSquared's lenders are aiming for a greater period of around 18 months to repay $1.6 billion in loans and pass the
FCC's requirements for its network. The company's board is still deliberating on whether to accept the deal, which would stop the company filing for bankruptcy protection. Unfortunately, it looks like those new 4G network dreams just got hazier.
Permalink Electronista |
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Amazon to collect sales tax, create 2,500 jobs in Texas
If Amazon's been your internet safe haven from the ravages of
sales tax, you may want to sit down. As part of a settlement with the great state of Texas, Bezos' baby will start collecting the state's requisite 6.25-percent sales tax on July 1st. The settlement resolves the online retailer's ongoing dispute with the
Lone Star state, which claimed that Amazon owed $269 million in back taxes. In addition to taking up collection, Amazon has agreed to create at least 2,500 jobs and invest a minimum of $200 million in capital investments, though it admits no fault, and believes "the assessment was without merit," according to its latest SEC filing. Grouped in with Kansas, Kentucky, New York, North Dakota and Washington, this agreement makes Texas the sixth state to collect sales tax from Amazon -- and California, Nevada and Arizona will join the collection club in due time. Check out the source links below for the Texas Comptroller's official statement and more reading on Amazon's tax agreements across the nation.
Permalink The Verge, GeekWire |
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Huawei throws R&D dollars at gesture control, cloud storage, being more 'disruptive'
Undeterred by the fact that even humans struggle to interpret certain gestures, Huawei says it's allocating a chunk of its
growing R&D budget to new motion-sensing technology for smartphones and tablets. The company's
North American research chief, John Roese, told
Computerworld that he wants to allow "three-dimensional interaction" with devices using stereo front-facing cameras and a powerful GPU to make sense of the dual video feed. Separately, the Chinese telecoms company is also putting development cash into a cloud computing project that promises to "change the economics of storage by an order of magnitude." Roese provided scant few details on this particular ambition, but did mention that Huawei has teamed up with
CERN to conduct research and has somehow accumulated over 15 petabytes of experimental physics data in the process. Whatever it's up to, Huawei had better get a move on -- others are snapping up
gesture recognition and
cloud patents faster than you can say
fa te ne una bicicletta with your hands.
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Foursquare adds NFC to its BlackBerry app, hopes you'll touch base
Hot on the heels of a recent update for its Twitter app, BlackBerry users can now grab a refreshed version of everyone's favorite check-in network. While there's no news of the beleaguered phone manufacturer offering up
free Butterfingers (yet), the geographical social app has cranked up the app's load speeds and also transplants its notifications to your BlackBerry inbox. It's all looking to be a pretty tasty
NFC carrot to dangle in front of BlackBerry World attendees later this week in Orlando. If you're Florida-bound (and even if you're not), you can grab the update from the source below.
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BBC's Planet Earth returns as a live simulcast next week -- but not in the US (video) (Update)
For fans of HD and / or nature documentaries, the BBC
Planet Earth series is the unquestioned champion, and to provide a proper followup the Brits are improving it the only way they know how: doing it live. What the broadcaster calls its "most ambitions global wildlife series ever" will air simultaneously in 140 countries (more on that bit later) starting Sunday May 6th, then every Thursday and Sunday for three weeks. The plan is to track animals in seven different locations around the world in real time as they struggle for survival and broadcast it all in HD. One segment features
Top Gear's Richard Hammond following a pride of lions across southern Kenya, while another will track black bears in Minnesota. The bad news? If you're in the US or Canada you're not on that 140 country list and won't be seeing any of this live. We're not sure if there's time to make this a campaign issue in the 2012 presidential election but we figure that, or at least bugging BBC America (while we're on the subject -- where's our
global iPlayer?) is worth a try. Check after the break for a press release with all the details on where and when it is airing, as well as a trailer.
Update: While we won't be getting the live simulcast, BBC's Paul Deane dropped in a comment below noting it will air the next day on National Geographic Wild retitled as
24/7 Wild. We haven't located a program description yet, but there are already listings in the schedule starting May 7th -- schedule your DVRs accordingly.
Continue reading BBC's Planet Earth returns as a live simulcast next week -- but not in the US (video) (Update)
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Nokia could sell luxury Vertu brand to VC firm for $265 million
As much as it'd be interesting to see Windows Phone running on a $21,000 gold-plated
cigar lighter, that's probably never going to happen. According to the UK's
Financial Times, Nokia has been trying to
hive off its luxury Vertu brand for months already, and has finally found a suitor with the right cash / sense ratio. Although still far from a done deal, we're told that venture capitalist firm Permira is willing to contribute up to $265 million to Nokia's needy coffers -- which might sound like a lot, but is mere costume jewelry to a manufacturer that just lost
$1.7 billion.
Permalink Reuters, The Verge |
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Microsoft Research wants to automate your house, introduces HomeOS
Ever wondered if you could control your house's climate, security, and appliances -- along with your PCs and peripherals -- using Microsoft software? That day may soon dawn, as its
Research arm has started testing its
home automation software, called HomeOS, in twelve domiciles over the past few months. The budding system views smartphones, printers and air conditioners as network peripherals, controlled by a dedicated gateway computer. The project even has a handful of apps in play, which perform functions like energy monitoring, remote surveillance and
face-recognition. This growing list of applications, available through a portal called "HomeStore", will allow users to easily expand their system's capabilities. So how does it all work out in the real world? Head past the break, and let Redmond's research team give you the skinny.
Continue reading Microsoft Research wants to automate your house, introduces HomeOS
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Apple spits out Android option from Chomp app navigator
It's taken a bit longer than we expected, but following
Apple's acquisition of app search engine Chomp, the Android option has now been cut out from its homepage. We're now left with the choice between iPhone and iPad categories, alongside existing shortcuts for popular freebies and apps on sale, in a few efforts to cut through Cupertino's
600,000-strong app selection. Hit up the source to give it a run for yourself.
Permalink TUAW |
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How would you change the LG Nitro HD?
AT&T's
LG Nitro HD is one of those rare devices your writer has actually used. We carried it as our daily driver during this year's
CES and were won over by that gorgeous screen, speedy LTE and its thin and light design. Unfortunately our experience matched those in the
review: herky-jerky performance and battery life that meant we were always on the lookout for a power point. Of course, you can't have amazing battery life without doubling its thickness, but would you have taken that compromise? We're asking you: how would you change it?
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Refresh Roundup: week of April 23rd, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. 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 we could find during 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!
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Inhabitat's Week in Green: biophotovoltaic table, giant rubber ducky and cushions of shredded cash
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.
Buon giorno!
Milan Design Week 2012 is in the rear-view mirror now, but we're still sifting through the incredible furniture, lighting and technology that was showcased all throughout the city this year. Inhabitat sent a couple of correspondents to report on everything that was on display, and they didn't disappoint. We featured
a nifty biophotovoltaic table that uses moss to generate electricity through photosynthesis. We also caught wind of
a digital camera that IKEA unveiled in Milan that's made of cardboard. And given our love for terrariums, we were pretty excited to find this
pendant lamp that doubles as a vegetable garden at this year's fair. But the star of the Milan show this year had to be British designer Tom Dixon, who rolled out countless innovative lamp designs, including
the gorgeous Etch Light, which casts geometric shadows all over the room -- and he even invited visitors to
design their own flat-pack lamps!
Continue reading Inhabitat's Week in Green: biophotovoltaic table, giant rubber ducky and cushions of shredded cash
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Switched On: Big kicks, not all for starters
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.
The end of last week's Switched On left doubt for the future of dedicated devices that tread on the turf of smartphones. After all, funding is key to every major new product initiative and, despite the vast fortunes of many Silicon Valley engineers that have been accumulated via IPOs and acquisitions, few wish to take on the risk of fronting a new consumer device themselves.(In 2007, the handheld
FlipStart PC was hatched from FlipStart Labs, funded by Vulcan Ventures, the investment arm of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.)
Most venture capitalists abhor the device business; it is a rare device that makes it to the spotlight of startup debutante balls such as DEMO, TechCrunch Disrupt, or Launch. Even most of the 94 companies at CES'
Eureka Park were not developing end-user devices Where, then, can a device entrepreneur go for funding and pick up some publicity in the process?
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Mozilla dispatches Firefox 3.6, fills its chair with version 13 beta
If you've been defiantly clinging onto
Firefox 3.6 by your fingertips, bad news. Mozilla is officially putting it to sleep -- whether you like it or not -- by auto-updating users to version 12. You've still got a few days to bid your emotional farewells, with the switchover being pegged as early May. But, the browser's creators stop short of setting a date for you to get the flowers delivered by. Official support for the 2010 release finished this week, and the final bout of security fixes was back in January. At the other end of the spectrum, Firefox 13 wobbled up onto its beta legs yesterday, bringing a new homepage, Google's new
SPDY protocol and tab extra features with it. If you're making the leap, don't panic if you find some
old friends missing.
Permalink Electronista, Computer World |
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Acer releases app to hurry the ICS-ification of Iconia slates (video)
Patience, they say, is a virtue. Try telling that to a tech-savvy tablet owner, whose friend already got an ICS update.
Acer started pushing out an Android 4 update to lucky Iconia 500 owners
earlier in the week, but for those who've yet to receive it, all is not lost. The tablet maker has taken the unusual step of releasing an app dedicated to getting you the upgrade asap. Can't wait a moment longer? Point your slate at the Play store and search for "Acer" and then simply look for the free Iconia Tab Update Enhancement app. Virtues are overrated anyway.
Continue reading Acer releases app to hurry the ICS-ification of Iconia slates (video)
Permalink Droid Life |
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Maingear reveals more heat-dissipating desktops, keeps those new Ivy Bridge internals cool
Maingear gave us a
quick nudge to say
something was coming. Now it can reveal that -- alongside Intel's third-generation processors inside all of its desktops and laptops -- it's further updated two of its tower models. The F131 ($1,049), the middleweight option, now houses the same vertical heat-dissipating design found on Maingear's
Shift model, alongside hot-swappable storage. It's followed by the Potenza ($899), the company's "mini-ITX gaming solution." It's 45 percent smaller than the F131 with the same heat dissipation design, but still capable of squeezing in NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 680 and support for a liquid cooling setup on the side. Phew. So pick your size, pick your processor and hit up the source for all the custom desktop options.
Continue reading Maingear reveals more heat-dissipating desktops, keeps those new Ivy Bridge internals cool
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Animated video shows Orion spacecraft in orbit
NASA may have
pushed back the Orion spacecraft's test flight to 2014, but you can get an early glimpse of the capsule in orbit thanks to this animated video from Full Werks studio. You'll see the capsule circle the planet before touching down in the Pacific -- all with a much better view than you can expect when that actual launch date rolls around. The animation features audio clips from the original Apollo and, as any NASA-related video worth its salt should, includes a vintage voiceover from space sage Carl Sagan.
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Digital Storm locks and loads Ivy Bridge into its new recruits
Digital Storm has announced that its
premium-priced (and
not so premium-priced) gaming PCs will soon be touting Ivy Bridge processors. This means, going forward, all machines will come with the Intel's third generation Core architecture, with the PC maker already claiming it's managed overclocks at 4.8GHz. Like its machines, Digital Storm is keeping cool on when the systems will find their way from workshop to LAN, or what effect (if any) there'll be on pricing. Keep the cross hairs focused on the source link for more info.
Continue reading Digital Storm locks and loads Ivy Bridge into its new recruits
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MIT develops fog resistant, glare-free glass, it's clearly amazing (video)
It sounds like it's not just us that spend half our sweet time with lint-free cloth in hand. Researchers at
MIT have developed a new type of glass that "virtually eliminates" reflections, and is also water-repellent. By using techniques from the semiconductor industry, conical nano-textures etched into the layered surface that give the wonder-glass its fog, glare and self-cleaning properties. The hope is that the technology will find its way into our many daily screens and even windows. It's not all about gadget vanity though;
solar panels lose efficiency over time through residual surface build up, and using the new glass could go some way to eliminate that issue. If they can just remember where they put the ultra-clear test sample that is.
Continue reading MIT develops fog resistant, glare-free glass, it's clearly amazing (video)
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