Friday, August 17, 2012

IT News Head Lines (Engadget) 17/08/2012





DOJ, FCC clear Verizon buyout of cable companies' spectrum, require giving up some airwaves
Verizon logoVerizon has been fighting hard to get its acquisition of cable companies' wireless frequencies past legal hurdles, and it just surged over the most important of the bunch: both the Department of Justice and the FCC have signed off on the agreement. To get the $3.9 billion deal through the door, Big Red will have to offload some of its spectrum to other companies. The DOJ, meanwhile, is more concerned that Verizon is getting a little too cozy with Bright House, Comcast, Cox and Time Warner Cable in terms of marketing and reselling bundles that include cellular and cable access. Closing the deal also requires setting up a new joint venture in technology research. We're still working to learn the full details of the deal, but the spectrum handover will likely give a swift kick to Verizon's 4G capacity -- and anger a few rivals who wouldn't have wanted any handover to go through.
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Google teases hackers with $2 million in prizes, announces Pwnium 2 exploit competition
Google teases hackers with $2 million in prizes, announces Pwnium 2 exploit competitionThe folks in Mountain View are starting to make a habit of getting hacked -- intentionally, that is. Earlier this year, Google hosted an event at the CanSecWest security conference called Pwnium, a competition that challenged aspiring hackers to poke holes in its Chrome browser. El Goog apparently learned so much from the event that it's doing it again -- hosting Pwnium 2 at the Hack in the Box 10th anniversary conference in Malaysia and offering up to $2 million in rewards. Bugging out the browser by exploiting its own code wins the largest award, a cool $60,000. Enlisting the help of a WebKit or Windows kernel bug makes you eligible for a $50,000 reward, and non-Chrome exploits that rely on a bug in Flash or a driver are worth $40,000. Not confident you can break Chrome? Don't let that stop you -- Google plans to reward incomplete exploits as well, noting that it has plenty to learn from unreliable or incomplete attacks. Check out the Chromium Blog at the source link below for the full details.
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IBM buys Texas Memory Systems to bring on speedy storage
IBM buys Texas Memory Systems to bring on speedy storage
IBM is becoming serious about enterprise-grade computing in more ways than one. It just struck a deal to acquire Texas Memory Systems, best known these days for its extra-quick RamSan SSD cards. As you'd anticipate, that fast yet lean storage is the focus -- IBM wants servers that aren't limited by their drives, or which just use less power than old-fashioned spinning hard disks and tape machines. Neither side is talking about how much the deal is worth, but TMS' product roster should stay on the market even as it's folded into IBM's Smarter Storage initiative. Expect that database at work to suddenly get faster sometime after the acquisition closes later this year.
Continue reading IBM buys Texas Memory Systems to bring on speedy storage
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IBM buys Texas Memory Systems to bring on speedy storage originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 10:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Oculus Rift's latest VR headset prototype gets a showing at Gamescom 2012 (hands-on)
Oculus Rift's latest prototype gets a showing at Gamescom 2012 handson
"This is the latest prototype," the Oculus guys tell us. That's great, now strap us in. The team decided to make a sudden stop in Germany ahead of appearances back in the US over the next few weeks -- and we're glad, because it meant we got to call in on them and grab some time with the Oculus Rift. If you didn't know, the Rift is a Kickstarter-funded VR gaming headset (stay with us) that's caught the attention of several games developers -- most notably John Carmack. He liked it so much, in fact, that he developed a special Rift-ready version of Doom 3 for the headset and Doom 4 will also be heading to the VR peripheral too. We got to play with the earlier game and while there's a video after the break, we reckon you'll really need to try this in person to fully grasp how the Oculus Rift plays. Check out our impressions after the break.
Gallery: Oculus Rift prototype hands-on
Continue reading Oculus Rift's latest VR headset prototype gets a showing at Gamescom 2012 (hands-on)
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X-51A WaveRider hypersonic mission doomed by bum missile fin
DNP X51A Waverider hypersonic test fails with snapped fin before scramjet deployed
The latest attempt to go past Mach 5 with the X51A has finished badly again, as a broken fin caused the missile to lose control before its air-breathing "scramjet'" motor could even kick in. It happened just after the booster rocket phase, which accelerates the craft to at least Mach 4, a high enough velocity for the hypersonic scramjet to work. The craft ended up in the Pacific shortly afterwards instead, and this latest affair may end up dunking the entire $300 million program. The Air Force initiative is already short on funding, and the previous two tries were equally dismal failures -- meaning a fourth missile, already built, may end up a museum piece.
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X-51A WaveRider hypersonic mission doomed by bum missile fin originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 10:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Huawei Ascend D Quad XL hits the FCC with North America-friendly 3G, 12MP camera mention
Huawei Ascend D Quad hits the FCC with North Americafriendly 3G, 12MP camera mention
We'd been hoping that Huawei's flagship Ascend D Quad would roll by the FCC, hinting that the long-in-waiting hardware was soon to become a reality. It's here, and it looks to be the XL version we were promised back in Barcelona, with no mention of the LTE that some US carriers love so well. Like the Ascend D1, though, it's carrying pentaband HSPA+ that would let its 3G fly at full speed on any North American GSM carrier. There's a slight surprise in the camera. Schematics mention a 12-megapixel sensor as a possibility alongside the officially announced 8-megapixel shooter -- that said, whether it's a quiet upgrade, a regional variant or just a discarded dream isn't made obvious here. More certain references can confirm video out through HDMI and MHL as well as the increasingly de rigueur NFC. We don't need the FCC to confirm launches that start late this month in China and October in Europe, but the approval guarantees that there won't be rude surprises for the release or for any imports, whether they're unofficial or through a carrier deal.
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Stream TV strikes deal with Hisense, outlines plans for real glasses-free 3D display
Stream TV strikes deal with Hisense, outlines plans for real glasses-free 3D display
Stream TV has been touting its Ultra-D glasses-free 3D tech for quite some time now, but we've still yet to see anything resembling a marketable product. The company's already snagged one manufacturing deal, but in the latest announcement of a partnership with Hisense it's revealed the specs of an actual device -- a 42-inch 1080p display. If you think the details end there... well, you'd be right, although the numbers do suggest something tangible is indeed in the pipeline. We might find out more at IFA 2012 where Stream TV will be showing off its latest gear, so here's to hoping. And, if you'd like more info on the Stream TV / Hisense agreement, the full PR is available after the break.
Continue reading Stream TV strikes deal with Hisense, outlines plans for real glasses-free 3D display
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Black and Decker screwdriver senses your hand movement to adjust speed, direction (video)
DNP Black & Decker
Were you feeling the need for new tech to replace the switches that control direction and speed on your cordless screwdriver? Us neither, but we're not the braintrust at Black & Decker, which just launched the Gyro 4V Max, the "world's first motion-activated screwdriver." The company put an InvenSense MEMS gyroscope in the new model, so all you have to do to change the direction or speed is rotate your drilling hand one way or the other in varying amounts. After you've polished off that Ikea shelf, it should be ready the next time you haul it out of the toolbox, with a Lithium-ion battery that stays juiced for as long as 18 months. Judging by the video below the break, it actually looks pretty clever, and at $40, why not start dragging your tools out of the stone age?
Continue reading Black and Decker screwdriver senses your hand movement to adjust speed, direction (video)
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NVIDIA announces $299 GeForce GTX 660 Ti, lets Kepler walk among the people
NVIDIA announces $299 GeForce GTX 660 Ti, lets Kepler walk among the people
It's taken NVIDIA a mighty long time to squeeze its Kepler GPU into something more affordable than the GTX 670, but it's finally happened -- the mid-range GTX 660 Ti is out and available to purchase for $299 on boards from EVGA, Gigabyte, ASUS and the usual suspects. Some buyers may complain that's $50 more than the 560 Ti, while others will no doubt be reeling off their CVV codes already. For its part, NVIDIA claims the 660 Ti is the "best card per watt ever made" and that it beats even AMD's higher-priced Radeon HD 7950 at 1920 x 1080. Check out the slide deck below for official stats, as well as for examples of what the card can do with its support for DirectX 11 tessellation, PhysX (particularly on Borderlands 2, which you may well find bundled free) and NVIDIA's TXAA anti-aliasing.
We'll wait for independent benchmarks in our review round-up before making any judgment, but in the meantime it's fair to say that this 150-watt card comes fully featured. For a start, it has just as many 28nm CUDA cores as the GTX 670, the same base and GPU Boost clock speeds, the same 2GB of GDDR5 and indeed the same connectivity. The only sacrifice is memory bandwidth: all that computational performance is limited by a 192-bit memory bus, compared to the 256-bit width of the 670. Judging from those specs, we'd expect it to be almost 670-like in performance, and that's going to be pretty impressive.
Gallery: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti official slides
Continue reading NVIDIA announces $299 GeForce GTX 660 Ti, lets Kepler walk among the people
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NVIDIA announces $299 GeForce GTX 660 Ti, lets Kepler walk among the people originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sony Reader gets a new design, Evernote integration and a free Harry Potter book for $129
DNP Sony reader
In the market for a new e-reader? One could certainly do worse than Sony's Reader line. The company's been packing features onto its devices, and the already leaked latest entry is no different, with upgrades over its predecessor, packed into a newly redesigned body with bigger, better looking buttons. Sony's promised more intuitive touch with the Reader PRS-T2, smoother zooming and improved page turning, this time out. On the sharing side of things, Evernote functionality joins the fray here, letting users save their favorite passages to the service. Users can also post passages from books, along with corresponding covers and other identifying information to Facebook, if you're the sort who loves to share such literary info. On the store side of things, Sony's offering up browser-based account access now, so when users buy books on their desktop, they'll get pushed to the reader.
The PRS-T2 offers up 2GB of storage, two English and four translation dictionaries (though, contrary to its name, doesn't do so in an Austrian accent), two months of battery life (WiFi off) and the customary six-inch Pearl E-Ink display for $129. Oh, and Song's also throwing in a free copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, for good measure. The PRS-T2 starts shipping today. More information on the subject can be found after the break.
Continue reading Sony Reader gets a new design, Evernote integration and a free Harry Potter book for $129
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Humble Bundle returns with five pay-what-you-want games for Android, Mac, Windows and Linux
Humble Bundle returns with five paywhatyouwant games for Android, Mac, Windows and Linux
So let us get this right. You can pay what you want, and get another stack of games for your Android -- or, indeed Mac, Windows or Linux machine? And help charity? And this is actually proving very popular? Yes, Fieldrunners, Bit.Trip Beat, Uplink and SpaceChem, are the latest games to get the Humble Bundle treatment on the aforementioned platforms (the latter two are tablet-only when buying for Android). Oh, and if you're generous enough to pay above the average, you'll unlock the Spirits platform-puzzler, too. We're finding it pretty hard to argue with, especially as you get to decide the distribution of cash (between charity, the hardworking devs, or the platform-providing Humble). Judging by the real-time stats on the site, people aren't holding back on the cash, either. Still not convinced? Hop on the free-for-life video after the break to see the games in action.
Continue reading Humble Bundle returns with five pay-what-you-want games for Android, Mac, Windows and Linux
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AT&T developing tech to help parents keep teenagers from texting and driving, hopes to save lives
AT&T developing tech to help parents keep teenagers from textinganddriving, hopes to saves lives
By now, you're likely aware of some of the repercussions that come with shooting an innocent text to a friend while being behind the wheel. Well, in an effort to keep these unfortunate accidents from ever occurring, the AT&T Foundry's been hard at work, hoping to come up with solutions to help with this serious matter. Most recently, the Rethink Possible outfit showed off an application that's currently in the works; one that allows parents to track their teenage drivers' every move, as well as remotely turn off calls and disable all messaging features -- which the carrier says will be a great compliment to its DriveMode app. It's worth noting the unnamed application was being showcased on one of Cupertino's slates, but AT&T's said it's willing to work with "device makers, car makers and developers," as the ultimate goal is to ultimately "encourage more solutions." There's a video past the break for your viewing pleasure, and we think it's worth all of its 197 seconds of airtime.
Continue reading AT&T developing tech to help parents keep teenagers from texting and driving, hopes to save lives
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TiVo Premiere 4 is official, brings four tuners and 500GB of storage for $250
TiVo Premiere 4 is official, brings four tuners and 500GB of storage for $250
The TiVo Premiere 4 DVR that broke cover a few days ago has been officially confirmed by the company, with exactly the specs indicated. In case you're not familiar, it's a quad tuner DVR that ships with a 500GB hard drive and standard TiVo remote, slotting in below its big brother at retail -- the 2TB and THX-endowed Premiere XL4. The smaller hard drive is something that Doug Bieter, director of retail sales, says solves the Sunday night log jam of shows, even if its less of a multi-season archive, and with MoCA and Ethernet still coming along for the ride makes it particularly ideal for multiroom setups with that extender that's still due to arrive soon. The Premiere 4 will start shipping right away and will cost owners $249 along with a one year commitment to service at $14.99 or lifetime service for $499, check TiVo.com, custom installers and Best Buy Magnolia stores near you to snag one.
Continue reading TiVo Premiere 4 is official, brings four tuners and 500GB of storage for $250
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TiVo Premiere 4 is official, brings four tuners and 500GB of storage for $250 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Google Maps updates streetview for New Orleans, reminds us the jazz plays on
Google Maps updates street view for New Orleans, shows us the jazz plays on
In many ways, Google's Streetview is a document. A snapshot in time. Usually, this amounts to pictures of a sunny clear day in downtown Localsville, but it can also be a reminder of times less bright. Since Hurricane Katrina, the city has been working hard to rebuild neighborhoods and communities, and better prepare itself for the future. Today -- via Google's Lat Lon Blog -- Mayor Mitch Landrieu proudly announced that Streetview has been updated to reflect those efforts, and show New Orleans in that familiar, sunny way. Whether it's Congo Square ("the birthplace of jazz"), the city's parks, or more recent features and attractions, Landrieu proudly extends an invite to all of us to come take a look, enjoy the virtual tour, and "whet our appetite." We say put the Gumbo on.
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Google Maps updates streetview for New Orleans, reminds us the jazz plays on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 07:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Creative reveals Sound Blaster ZxR, Zx, and Z PCI-Express sound cards, pumps up the volume
Creative reveals Sound Blaster ZxR, Zx, and Z PCIExpress sound cards, pumps up the volume
Along with your first day at school, and (for the boys at least) growing your first peach fuzz mustache, many of you might also never forget your first Sound Blaster soundcard. In the present day (unless you're blessed with youth) only the Sound Blaster can be enjoyed again, and today Creative introduces its new Z-series. The latest PCI-Express cards use the firm's Core3D quad-core sound and voice processor and come in three variants: the Sound Blaster ZxR, the Zx and the Z. As you might have guessed, the more letters, the higher up the food chain it is. The flagship ZxR ($249.99) boasts a 127dB SNR, sockets for swappable Op-Amps, 80mW into 600 ohm headphone pre-amp, plus RCA / optical connectivity (via additional daughter board) and an external "ACM" control module for less fiddling around the back of your machine. You can save yourself $100 with the Zx model, if you don't want the ZxR's "DBpro" daughter board, and the Z edition saves a further $50 at the expense of the external controller. Want to dive into the full specifications? Plug in to the PR after the break.
Continue reading Creative reveals Sound Blaster ZxR, Zx, and Z PCI-Express sound cards, pumps up the volume
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Lenovo's Q1 shows 'record high' market share, profits up 30 percent to $141 million
DNP Lenovo Q3 results
After delivering an overachieving laptop, Lenovo has delivered financial results that also exceeded expectations, producing $8 billion in revenue and $141 million net profit. Those figures are up 35 and 30 percent respectively over last year, which the company has chalked up to a higher than ever market share of 15 percent. That growth came in part from a 59 percent sales bump in emerging markets like India and Brazil, on top of a 9 percent spurt in its home market -- lifting the company 24 percent in world-wide PC shipments for the quarter. Lenovo has also become the second largest player in China's smartphone market, after Samsung, now up to a 13 percent market share. CEO Yang Yuanqing also proclaimed that, unlike other Redmond partners, he wasn't stressed about Microsoft's Surface tablet -- and that his company had "much better hardware" than the software giant.
Continue reading Lenovo's Q1 shows 'record high' market share, profits up 30 percent to $141 million
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ESPN launches ESPNFC site and apps, updates ESPN Goals with match previews, highlights
ESPN launches ESPNFC site and apps, updates ESPN Goals with match previews, highlights
Some football leagues around the globe have already kicked off the 2012-2013 season, but there's still some time before the ball officially starts rolling in other parts of the world -- unless, of course, you take into consideration this past Sunday's Community Shield. In any case, ESPN appears to have prepared itself pretty well for the upcoming footie spell, announcing an all-new ESPNFC landing page and a full set of applications to accompany the fresh site -- which will essentially be replacing what we used to know as ESPNsoccernet. Furthermore, The Worldwide Leader in Sports updated its ESPN Goals app on iOS, Android and Windows Phone, bringing game previews and highlights, analyst ramblings from folks like Tommy Smith, as well as the ability to easily share these videos with friends on Twitter or Facebook. If you asked us, we'd say this isn't a half bad way to keep yourself updated on the latest global soccer happenings, and could, perhaps, even help in your quest to become fantasy league champion.
Continue reading ESPN launches ESPNFC site and apps, updates ESPN Goals with match previews, highlights
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Xiaomi Phone 2 now official: 4.3-inch 720p IPS, quad core and Jelly Bean for just $310
Xiaomi Phone 2 now official 43inch 720p IPS, quad core and Jelly Bean
At last, no more secrets. Announced in Beijing just now is the Xiaomi Phone 2, and with the exception of the appearance, most of the specs match the many leaks we've come across: 4.3-inch 720p IPS display by Sharp, Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 quad-core chip, 2GB RAM and 16GB memory. To power this beast, Xiaomi's throwing in a 2,000mAh cell, but you can also purchase a 3,000mAh version if you don't mind the extra 2mm thickness on the phone. As for photography, you get a 28mm two-megapixel imager at the front along with a 27mm F2.0 eight-megapixel BSI camera on the back -- we saw some stunning untouched shots from the latter at the launch event.
The good news doesn't stop there. On the software front Xiaomi's decided to jump straight to Android Jelly Bean for the phone's MIUI ROM, which itself packs several new features as well. Just to name a few: enhanced security, phone finder, Chinese voice assistant (apparently with 85 percent comprehension accuracy), more interactive themes and 5GB of cloud storage service with online client.
As you can already see, all of this will cost just ¥1,999 (about $310) -- the same as the original Xiaomi Phone announced this time last year -- when it launches in October, and local carriers China Unicom plus China Telecom will also be offering the DC-HSPA+ handset at subsidized prices. Interestingly, Xiaomi co-founder Lei Jun even admitted on the stage that the phone's raw cost is ¥2,350 ($370) per unit, so hopefully it'll go down sooner than later for his sake. But if ¥1,999 is still too much, there's also the ¥1,499 ($235) Xiaomi Phone 1S which, as we've already seen, is very much just the original Xiaomi but bumped up from 1.5GHz to 1.7GHz, along with a front-facing camera.
Until we get hold of the phones to play with, here are some photos from the event.
Update: Now we have some photos from our very brief hands-on -- each person was only given 90 seconds with the beta units! That said, the Xiaomi Phone 2s already felt pretty solid and the UI animation was slick, so we look forward to the more refined engineering samples next month.
Update 2: Forgot to mention that both devices support WCDMA 850、1900 and 2100MHz. So yes, it'll work just fine on AT&T!
Gallery: Xiaomi Phone 2 now official: 4.3-inch 720p IPS, quad core and Jelly Bean for just $310
Gallery: Xiaomi Phone 2 hands-on
Gallery: Xiaomi Phone 1S hands-on
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TVSync API unveiled, helps devs build second-screen and smart TV apps
TVSync API unveiled, helps devs build second-screen and smart TV apps
Second screen apps seem to be all the rage as of late, and Vobile's freshly announced TVSync API platform can help developers ride that wave of popularity. Compatible with iOS and Android devices, PCs and some smart TVs, the API can be leveraged to supplement what's on the silver screen with relevant content ranging from polls to products. Apps developed with the interface can trigger what's displayed on the companion screen at just the right moment by analyzing audio, video, or both. For instance, a recipe featured on a celebrity chef's program could be pushed to your slate as soon as it's first mentioned. Yearning to code an app of your own with the tech? Visit the source to request beta access to TVSync or look below for the full press release.
Continue reading TVSync API unveiled, helps devs build second-screen and smart TV apps
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TVSync API unveiled, helps devs build second-screen and smart TV apps originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 05:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Acer Liquid Gallant Solo makes brief cameo, Android 4.0 smartphone lives up to its name
Acer Liquid Gallant Solo makes brief cameo, Android 40 smartphone lives up to its name
Just last month, Acer's Liquid Gallant Duo teased itself for preorder on the Expansys website, which promised to be an affordable Android 4.0 smartphone for those in need of dual-SIM capabilities. Now, a slightly less capable handset -- the Liquid Gallant Solo -- has reared its head, and as you might expect, it's a single SIM affair. Other than this omission, however, the Solo offers much of the same specs as before, which includes a single-core 1GHz MediaTek MT6575 SoC, a 4.3-inch qHD display, a 5-megapixel camera and a 1,500mAh battery. Similarly, the phone also features 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage and a microSD expansion slot. In terms of connectivity, users can expect quadband GSM and 3G support on 2100 / 900MHz networks. Like the Liquid Gallant Duo, the Solo's public presence was short-lived, as the user manual (linked below) has since been pulled from Acer's website. Its price also remains a bit of a mystery, but given the dual-SIM exclusion, it seems a safe bet that the Solo will retail for less than the £149 ($230) price of the more capable Duo. Hopefully we're not far off from a more official debut.
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RIM confirms BB10 standard screen resolutions for touch and keyboard devices
DNP RIM details screen resolution standards for touch and keyboard devices
RIM took some time out from its worldwide tour to confirm that it's standardizing screen resolutions for BB10. Tim Neil took to the company's developer blog to say that forthcoming full-touch devices will ship with 1,280 x 720 displays, while keyboard-style phones would pack 720 x 720 screens. The only handset that won't play by these rules is the first (presumably flagship) BB10 handset, since it's too late to change its 1,280 x 768 screen. The company's urging developers to get tweaking to ensure apps run properly on the new gear -- or add letterboxing to offer a Sergio Leone feel to your mobile gaming.
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RIM confirms BB10 standard screen resolutions for touch and keyboard devices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 04:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Dish Network's nationwide satellite broadband service could be ready to launch soon
Dish Network's nationwide satellite brodband service could be ready to launch soon
While the various strands of Dish Network's "Seinfeld strategy" have yet to come together officially, Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal are reporting it could be ready launch satellite-based high speed data services nationally as soon as September or October. This would be separate from the service based on ViaSat's Exede that's available in some areas, and Bloomberg's sources say it could accommodate up to 2 million customers right away through a satellite Echostar launched in June, although more satellites may be needed to add more customers. Other than hooking up data connections for customers in rural areas, it would let Dish compete directly with data / TV bundles offered by wired pay-TV providers. Of course, this is all dependent on a favorable ruling by the FCC on its technology -- you can just ask LightSquared what happens if that doesn't work out.
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Kobo app for iOS goes international with support for Dutch, French, German, Italian and Spanish
Kobo app for iOS goes international with support for French, German, Italian, Spanish and more
Kobo's Android app recently enjoyed a brief stint of global superiority, but that playing field has been leveled with the company's latest update for iOS. Like the Android version, Kobo for iOS now includes support for Dutch, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Additionally, users will also find support for e-books encumbered with Adobe DRM. Lastly, Kobo for iOS now lets users choose which books to store locally on their device, and it also fixes a bug that'd prevented e-books from being opened -- nice to get that one squared away.
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Fujitsu's Stylistic M532 quad-core tablet ships to the US with toughened body, dash of security
Fujitsu's Stylistic M532 quadcore tablet ships to the US with toughened body, dash of security
Fujitsu's Stylistic M532 has had a protracted development process that saw it appear on our radar as early as January; imagine our surprise after it ships to the US with barely more than a knock on the door. Now that it's here, it looks to be on the sunnier side of average for an Android 4.0 slate. A quad 1.4GHz Tegra 3, a 1,280 x 800 display and 32GB of built-in space won't rock our world in mid-2012, but the rough-and-ready among us will likely appreciate the military-spec abuse tolerances and support for optional Absolute CompuTrace theft tracking, just in case it's pilfered from an open bag. Fujitsu's obstacles? Apart from not having much of a cachet in the tablet arena, the company also has to convince buyers that the extra safeguards are worth a $549 price -- for those who treat their tablets more delicately, there are a few tempting alternatives.
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Acer CloudMobile now available for pre-order in the UK, expected to be released on September 5th
Acer CloudMobile now available for preorder in the UK, expected to be released on September 5th
Acer took the gadget world by surprise with its award-winning CloudMobile handset, and now it looks like the company's finally ready to let consumers get their eager palms on that 4.3-inch, 720p slab. Per online retailer Expansys, Acer's CloudMobile will be released in the United Kingdom on September 5th, with the site already taking pre-orders for the SIM-free smartphone at £285 -- or about $447 in Yankee currency. Speaking of which, Expansys' also taking early orders for the unlocked device on its US site, though it's not listing a specific release date or even pricing info on that front. At any rate, parties interested can check out our hands-on, and see if it's enough to get you to shell out some cash.
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Updated Google Play app reveals gift card support, wish list coming soon?
Updated Google Play app reveals gift card support, wish list coming soon
If the images and link settings Android Police has dug up from the most recent (v3.8.15) Google Play APK that's rolling out are correct, we could see a coupe more features coming to the Android app and media store soon. First up are very fleshed out menus for the redemption of Play Store gift cards, perfect for users that aren't enthused about putting their credit card info out there and would rather purchase a few bucks prepaid and then spend them as they will. Also contained within the APK but not activated or accessible by default is some sort of wish list functionality. Hit the source link for all the images and screens that have been found so far, well have to wait and see when these pop up in a future updated or get activated later on.

[Thanks, Cullen]
Updated Google Play app reveals gift card support, wish list coming soon? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 01:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceAndroid Police  | Email this | Comments

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Kno textbooks arrive on Android with the Galaxy Note 10.1, take on a social side
Kno textbooks arrive on Android with the Galaxy Note 101, take on a social side
Kno's post-hardware textbook platform has called the iPad its only tablet home for more than a year; it's about to spread its wings. Starting with a bundled presence on the Galaxy Note 10.1, Kno is an option for K-12 and college students who'd rather go the Android route. While all the 3D, note-taking and navigation features remain the same, there's an obvious selling point in supporting the S Pen (and hopefully other pens) to more directly put thoughts to virtual paper -- or, let's admit it, doodle in the margins. All of us, Android and otherwise, get a new Social Sharing component that lets us crib each other's notes before the big exam. We're still waiting on Kno for other Android devices as well as the already-promised Windows 7 support, but it's hard not to appreciate at least a little more variety in our digital learning.
Continue reading Kno textbooks arrive on Android with the Galaxy Note 10.1, take on a social side
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Kno textbooks arrive on Android with the Galaxy Note 10.1, take on a social side originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 00:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceKno, App Store  | Email this | Comments

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Ford underscores its love of electric cars, spends $135 million to make them happen
Ford underscores its love of electric cars, spends $135 million to make them happen
Ford really, really wants you to know that it's big on electric cars. Really. To that end, it's putting $135 million where its mouth is as part of the design and production for the electrified vehicles rolling out to dealer lots this year, such as the Focus Electric. A new research building in Dearborn is also being renamed as the Advanced Electrification Center to emphasize the uniform dedication to EVs and hybrids among the 1,000 researchers that call the Center their home away from home. We already know that the company plans to triple its manufacturing capacity to make 100,000 of the cars a year by 2013, but many of the supporting aspects are getting their own lift, Ford adds: it's hiring more engineers and doubling its battery testing capacity. The checklist of improvements you'll find after the break reflects some braggadocio on Ford's part, especially while it tries to stretch its jobs claims, but it's good news all the same. If the expansion keeps the likes of GM and Tesla on their toes, drivers hopefully win as a whole.
Continue reading Ford underscores its love of electric cars, spends $135 million to make them happen
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HBO and Fox cut a deal to keep the movies flowing through 2022, HBO Nordic launches soon
Just in case you only thought Amazon, Netflix and Redbox were working the studio deals, HBO announced today it's worked out an extension of its agreement with 20th Century Fox. Already the "premium network home" of Fox flicks for more than 30 years, this deal is long enough to keep it going into the next decade. The LA Times reports from its sources the the original deal would have expired in 2015, while the extension pushes it out to 2022 at a price of over $200 million per year. One key adjustment that's been made for the digital age gives Fox the ability to continue to sell its movies over digital stores even while they're airing on HBO unlike the previous deal, although we're told this provision does not extend to rentals during that time. That's on top of a previous tweak negotiated months ago that let Fox and other HBO partners provide digital copies of their movies on services like iTunes from the Cloud and Ultraviolet during the HBO pay window. One other note is that on the same day Netflix revealed its service is coming to several Scandinavian locales, HBO announced it's doing the same, launching HBO Nordic in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark.
Continue reading HBO and Fox cut a deal to keep the movies flowing through 2022, HBO Nordic launches soon
Permalink   |  sourceLA Times, Time Warner  | Email this | Comments

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Sony unveils in-car receivers with App Remote, taps into your smartphone music from October
Sony unveils incar receivers with App Remote, taps into your smartphone music from October
Sony has been big on smartphone integration for car audio lately, having already launched its MirrorLink receivers earlier in the year for the more well-heeled drivers among us. The company is bringing that mobile tie-in down to Earth through a new quartet of in-car CD receivers. The MEX-GS600BT, MEX-BT4100P, MEX-BT3100P and CDX-GS500R all bring in App Remote, which lets the faceplate buttons steer local music or Pandora streaming radio coming from Android, BlackBerry, iOS and Walkman devices paired through a Bluetooth wireless link. The old-fashioned USB connection is still on offer for these and the HD Radio-toting CDX-GT710HD, while the whole collection can graft on the optional SXV200V1 tuner to carry the full Sirius XM satellite radio lineup. Differences across the line aren't completely clear from Sony's wording, although both the MEX-GS600BT and CDX-GS500R carry two USB ports as well as 5-volt RCA preamp outputs. You'll be waiting awhile to slip any of these receivers into a DIN slot, regardless of which one you pick: the GS500R ships in October for $199, and the rest hit the shops in November for between $149 to $249.
Gallery: Sony App Remote receivers
Continue reading Sony unveils in-car receivers with App Remote, taps into your smartphone music from October
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Google Maps notches one million public transit stops worldwide, celebrates with an update
Google Maps notches one million public transit stops worldwide, celebrates with an update
It's no secret how useful Google Maps can be when traveling in an unfamiliar locale -- especially in regards to public transportation. The folks in Mountain View have tallied over one million stops for bus, train, subway and tram systems in about 500 cities around the globe with the software. To celebrate the achievement, Google has released an update to its Maps for Android app. Version 6.10 adds some tweaks to the Transit Lines layer in order to display just one individual method of transport and updated the station pages to display needed information like departure time and lines of service in a more accessible fashion. Also among the new additions are modifications to region highlighting, My Places and Location History. Now, when you enter a city name or zip code, the boundaries of that particular region will be marked for visual reference. For a full rundown of the latest version, hit the first source link below or sprint on to the second to grab the update.
Update: Oh look, Mountain View's even tweaked the icon, which we've added after the break.
Continue reading Google Maps notches one million public transit stops worldwide, celebrates with an update
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Samsung Galaxy S III bootloader for Verizon can now be unlocked: take that, Big Red (update: video)
Samsung Galaxy S III bootloader for Verizon can now be unlocked: take that, Big Red
If you're hot and bothered by the Galaxy S III on Verizon and have a burning desire to get your grubby little mitts on some custom ROMs and kernels, then rejoice, because you'll no longer have to plunk down $600 on the Developer Edition to partake in the fun. That's right, the encrypted bootloader of Big Red's Galaxy S III has now been unlocked. If you're wanting to partake in the fun, you'll find the requisite utility and a complete list of instructions over at xda-developers. As is, you'll need either Linux or OS X to carry out the dirty work, though workarounds for Windows users are possible. Be sure to do a bit of soul-searching before pulling the trigger, however, as any future updates pose the risk of bricking your device. That said, if you dive straight into the world of custom ROMs, it'll be much less of an issue.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Update: Hit the break for a video that shows the process of unlocking the bootloader on Verizon's Galaxy S III.
[Special thanks to Adam Outler and François Simond]
Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S III bootloader for Verizon can now be unlocked: take that, Big Red (update: video)
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MPEG drafts twice-as-efficient H.265 video standard, sees use in phones as soon as 2013
MPEG drafts twiceasefficient H265 video standard, sees use in phones as soon as 2013
All of that squabbling over H.264 may be rendered moot in the near future. The Motion Picture Experts Group (better known as MPEG) has just let us know that it was quietly drafting a new video standard while everyone was on summer vacation last month: H.265, also called High Efficiency Video Coding, promises to squeeze video sizes with double the efficiency of H.264. As you might imagine, this could lead either to a much smaller video footprint for bandwidth-starved mobile users or a hike to image quality with the same size as before. Imagine fast-loading HD streaming on 4G, or cable TV without all the excess compression, and you've got the idea. Ericsson Research visual technology lead Per Fröjdh anticipates H.265 coming as soon as 2013, when our smartphones and tablets are most likely to play it first. TV and other areas might have to wait, although Fröjdh is offering a consolation prize -- he's teasing a separate MPEG project that could give us glasses-free, compressed 3D video as a standard by 2014.
Continue reading MPEG drafts twice-as-efficient H.265 video standard, sees use in phones as soon as 2013
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Permalink   |  source9to5 Mac  | Email this | Comments

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Caption Contest: GoPro gone wrong
Caption Contest Go Pro gone wrong
We've been known to strap on a few GoPro cameras in our day, but our efforts are merely amateur in comparison to this guy, who we can only presume is about to perform a stunt so extreme that no less than seven GoPro cams (and a DSLR) are required to capture it.
Don: "GoPro Hero."
Darren: "Amateurs gonna hate."
Billy: "I see your 3D and raise you another 5D. 8D is where it's at."
Jon: "I'm so liveblogging this. And Instagramming this. And..."
Brian: "Someone take a picture of my weird helmet thing! What do you mean you don't have a camera?"
Brad: "Hey bullies! I'm now twice the four-eyes you thought I was in high school. What have you done with your life?"
Edgar: "From now on, you shall call me GoProusa."
Tim: "Anybody have an SD card I can borrow?"
Mat: *BATTERY LOW*
Jamie: "Patent pending..."
Christopher: "A&E Presents Helmet Hoarders: The GoPro Edition"
Sharif: "HQ, are you seeing this?!"
Myriam: "Go-Go-Gadget GoPro!"
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Caption Contest: GoPro gone wrong originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 21:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Sascha Pallenberg (Google+)  |   | Email this | Comments

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WSJ: Apple's TV focus changes to putting cable TV in its set-top box
Just in case you thought the often discussed / as yet unseen Apple HDTV rumor mill was dead, you were wrong. The Wall Street Journal is reigniting things this evening, with sources claiming that instead of competing with cable providers by starting up its own IPTV offering, Apple has switched to sweet talking pay-TV providers into offering their content through its box. If you're still looking for a Cupertino-embued display you may be in luck, since the anonymous parties also indicate the set-top box tech it's working on could be integrated with HDTVs. That is still an less than certain path at the moment however, given pay-TV operators current preference to control every element of the experience and relationship with consumers, as well as the split of profits.
According to the Journal report, Steve Jobs was "dismissive" of attempts to build a cable box since cable operators each only have limited regional exposure and don't own the content they license from studios. Since then however we have seen a few offerings of cable and satellite TV beyond the box as Microsoft offers Verizon and Comcast apps on its Xbox 360, Samsung has brought providers directly to its smart HDTVs and many providers offer streaming access via iPad or other mobile devices. Still, since the rumor doesn't indicate a deal is inked or even on the way, we wouldn't hold our breath for any or all of the listed possibilities to come true any time soon.
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WSJ: Apple's TV focus changes to putting cable TV in its set-top box originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 20:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceWall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments

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Official Jelly Bean for Samsung Galaxy S III spotted in the wild, blends old with new (video)
Official Jelly Bean for Samsung Galaxy S III spotted in the wild, blends old with new video
Getting Jelly Bean to run on a Galaxy S III has so far required a strictly unofficial build that strips away much of Samsung's handiwork. If you prefer the official software to the point where thoughts of TouchWiz keep you comfortable at night, you'll be glad to hear that a beta of a more official Android 4.1 upgrade has reportedly landed in the hands of AndroidMX.net. An extensive video look in Spanish (after the break) almost completely mirrors what you'd expect: clear advantages like the expanded notifications and Google Now make the cut, while Samsung's Nature UX vibe remains intact. Only a few minor surprises have snuck their way in, such a brightness slider in the notification bar that we'd previously seen in some firmware for the Galaxy Note. We're skeptical of claims that Jelly Bean for the Galaxy S III is just days away -- Samsung isn't exactly known for speedy Android updates. As long as the update we've seen here isn't just a clever hack, however, it's close enough to completion that it might tame the pessimists.
Continue reading Official Jelly Bean for Samsung Galaxy S III spotted in the wild, blends old with new (video)
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Permalink Droid-Life  |  sourceAndroidMX.net (Twitter)  | Email this | Comments

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Korean carbon-coated lithium-ion battery could cut recharge times down to minutes
Korean, carboncoated lithiumion battery could cut recharge times down to minutes
Anyone who's had to recharge an EV -- or, for that matter, any mobile device with a very big battery -- knows the pain of waiting for hours while a lithium-ion pack tops up. South Korea's Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology has developed a conduction technique that could cut that charging time down to less than a minute. By dousing the nanoparticle materials of the battery in a graphite solution that's then carbonized, the researchers make a web of conductors that all start charging at once; current batteries have to charge towards the center slowly, like a not-very-edible Tootsie Pop. The immediate goal is to develop a secondary battery for an EV that could provide extra mileage in a matter of seconds. Here's hoping that the Ulsan team's fast-charging battery is more viable than others and spreads to just about everything -- we'd love to have EVs and laptops alike that power up in as much time as it takes to fill a traditional car at the pump.
[Image credit: iFixit]
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Korean carbon-coated lithium-ion battery could cut recharge times down to minutes originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 19:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink The Register  |  sourceYonhap News Agency  | Email this | Comments

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Samsung HM5100 Bluetooth S Pen makes a surprise debut in our Note 10.1 'press kit,' we pencil in a chat (hands-on)

Samsung HM5100 Bluetooth S Pen makes a surprise debut in our Note 101 'press kit,' we pencil in a chat handson
Hidden among the higher-profile items at Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1 launch today was a device that at first seemed familiar, but turned out to be far more than your everyday S Pen. That's right, Samsung's already capable stylus just got a major boost -- meet the BT S Pen. The device, which received no formal introduction during its host device's launch event, first appeared in the "press kit" bag that attendees received on the way out the door. It's similar in size and shape to the company's Galaxy S Pen Holder Kit, which serves as a sleeve for the standard-issue Note S Pen, but Bluetooth functionality, along with a microphone and tiny speaker, enable the lightweight plastic contraption to double as a wireless headset -- sure to come in handy with the SIM slot-equipped international Note 10.1 flavor.
We caught our first hint of the pen's functionality upon discovering a bundled AC adapter -- that seemed mighty odd. The box also included an unusually beefy user manual and no fewer than five replacement "nibs" (read: stylus tips). Pairing took but a few seconds, and then we were on our way answering calls with a single tap of the talk button. There's also a built-in vibration mechanism, which serves to alert you to incoming calls. Sound quality was solid, but speaking into a pen admittedly felt a bit odd -- you may not draw as many stares as you would if speaking directly into a 10.1, but the seemingly unusual action may still turn a few heads. Otherwise, the S pen functioned as expected.
The packaging is all we have to go off of at this point -- Samsung reps we spoke to didn't know to expect the device today, so there's no pricing or availability info to share. We do know that it's rated for three hours of talk time and 130 hours of standby, it weighs 21 grams, offers Bluetooth 3.0 compatibility and will work with Galaxy Note devices -- you could use it as a headset with other gadgets, though there wouldn't be much appeal. It also includes a micro-USB charging cable, with the port accessible just above the shirt clip. That's all she wrote for now -- apparently this accessory was available exclusively at today's event, and may not make its way to the US, if it's released at all. You can see it in action now though, in our hands-on video after the break.
Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Note BT S Pen hands-on
Continue reading Samsung HM5100 Bluetooth S Pen makes a surprise debut in our Note 10.1 'press kit,' we pencil in a chat (hands-on)
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Leaked photo allegedly shows iPad mini's dock connector flex cable with headphone jack on bottom
Leaked photo allegedly shows iPad Mini's dock connector flex cable with headphone jack on bottom
Granted, the existence of a 7-inch iPad mini is far from confirmed, but the latest "evidence" to fan those rumor flames is a photo of what appears to be a dock connector flex cable that connects the smaller dock connector, headphone jack and home button connector. The photo appeared on the site Nowhereelse.fr, which also recently published photos that purportedly show the next-gen iPhone's tiny docking connector. Other reports have indicated that the iPad mini's headphone jack will be located on the top of the device (as it is on the current version of the tablet) as opposed to on the bottom, which would contradict this latest leaked photo, but this new layout corresponds to rumors about the iPhone 5. The one semblance of certainty in all this? iFixit's Kyle Wiens weighed in to say that the component "is consistent" with Apple parts.
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Permalink BGR  |  sourceNowhereelse.fr  | Email this | Comments

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This is the Modem World: whatchoo got under the hood?
Each week Joshua Fruhlinger contributes This is the Modem World, a column dedicated to exploring the culture of consumer technology.
DNP This is the Modem World whatchoo got under the hood
I just bought a new car. I chose an automatic transmission. I know, I know. In order to really appreciate driving, one must have three pedals and be in complete control of his torque curve.
But I do love driving and can hold my own in a conversation about horsepower, suspensions and cold-air intakes. As for working on cars, I could change my oil, but nothing more. In my teens, I drove a manual 1980 VW Rabbit that I took from Orange County to LA and back again almost every weekend. I loved the car, but after years of stop-and-go, my clutch leg grew giant-sized, like a crab. I promised myself to never sit in traffic in a manual transmission again.
Continue reading This is the Modem World: whatchoo got under the hood?
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This is the Modem World: whatchoo got under the hood? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 18:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Available Tags:Google , IBM , TV , 3D , NVIDIA , GeForce , GTX , Sony , Windows , Linux , Sound Blaster , Market Share , profits , Acer , Android , smartphone , keyboard , iOS , tablet , security , Galaxy , Ford , Samsung , Galaxy , Samsung , Galaxy , Samsung , iPad ,
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