YouView software update adds surround-sound, faster boot times and grouped recording
Rocking a YouView box? You'll shortly be in line for a software bump that'll give you a few handy tweaks. The update will speed up the device's boot-from-standby time, let you group recordings by series so you can watch 'em box-set style and pump out surround-sound audio if you've got the right gear. It'll also provide a few useful UI tweaks, like offering the option to hide BBC red button prompts, letting you roll live TV backwards by 15 seconds or forwards by 60 seconds. It'll be available on Humax-branded boxes over the next few weeks, followed by the TalkTalk branded units shortly afterward.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
T-Mobile has already made an odd pair of decisions around its approach to the Nexus 4, namely its choices to ask $200 on contract and $500 up-front for a smartphone that costs $349 unlocked. It might be time to add a third quirk to the list, if a forgivable (and not entirely surprising) one. The carrier has confirmed to TmoNews that it won't be offering WiFi calling through its edition of Google's flagship; if cost or coverage makes cellular voice a scarce resource, VoIP might be the only viable backup. We weren't assuming that T-Mobile would suddenly layer the Nexus 4 in custom features when the very point is to run an unspoiled Android 4.2, but the strategy leaves us even less of an incentive to submit to long-term commitments when a virtually identical, unfettered Google Play model beckons. November 13th is looking better every day.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google, LG, T-Mobile
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Read More ...Screen Grabs: Microsoft Surface goes to work on NCIS: LAScreen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dot com.
Just in case its dance moves weren't enough to move buyers, Microsoft's new slate is popping up in TV shows themselves, like tonight's episode of NCIS: LA. As seen in the clip, character Eric Beale confidently flips his Windows RT-powered Surface out (and naturally, makes use of its kickstand and Touch Cover -- gotta hit all the check boxes) to figure out what's going on and even multitasks with some simulated videoconferencing. All in all it's more realistic than when the other Microsoft Surface made a cameo in CSI: Miami (also included after the break), and is probably worth the promo fee by showing a use case enabled those features -- of course, with no cell access built-in, it's not immediately clear how he got online, but this is TV. So who did it better, tablet-style: this one, the PlayBook on White Collar, Cisco's ill-fated Cius on NCIS: LA last year or the iPad in Entourage?
[Thanks, Mitchell]
Continue reading Screen Grabs: Microsoft Surface goes to work on NCIS: LA
Filed under: Misc, Microsoft
Stitcher is already a heavy hitter in the world of mobile apps, but users will now find their favorite radio shows and podcasts are accessible from the desktop. Today, the company announced an HTML5 version of its popular app that's optimized for all of the major browsers. Upon login, Stitcher users will discover their existing favorites for on-demand listening, playback controls at the bottom of the screen, along with Stitcher's discovery and sharing tools. While still in beta, the service is integrated between the desktop and mobile platforms, which lets users resume listening from wherever they left off, regardless of the device or platform. If you want to see more of what's in store, feel free to check the gallery below, or simply follow the source link to start listening for yourself.
Were you raring to go and buy a Wikipad instead of trick-or-treating? You might want to search around for some leftover chocolate bars and potato chips. The gaming tablet maker has postponed its shipments the very day they were meant to start after chances to both to improve the bundled content and make a "minor refinement" to the experience. We're interpreting that last mention as either a pleasant surprise or an unexpected hiccup. Any delay may be comparatively short when Wikipad says it's already in the last stage of firming up a new schedule, and it's vowing a gift in return for maintaining a pre-order -- still, the clock is ticking if the company wants to score some mobile gamers before the holidays are over. You can check the full statement for yourself after the break.
Continue reading Wikipad sees last-minute delay for new bundle and 'refinement'
Filed under: Gaming, Tablets
US Cellular announced on Wednesday that it will increase its LTE network coverage by 30 new markets on November 5th. The first territories to be be summarily blessed are: Iowa, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia. While this is great news for customers who call these states home, the carrier has yet to detail which cities will be making the jump to 4G. In the meantime, we'd advise keeping an eye on US Cellular's coverage map to see if your stomping grounds made the cut. For an encore, the carrier will light up Rockford, Illinois; Medford, Oregon; Yakima, Washington; and Knoxville, Tennessee at an undisclosed time. As for its LTE-ready smartphone roster, your current options are a trio of Samsung-made Android devices: Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note II and the Galaxy Metrix. Hopefully, as America's eighth largest wireless carrier's LTE footprint increases, so will its stable of suitable handsets. Until then, US Cellular 4G hopefuls, we hope you like the taste of TouchWiz.
Continue reading US Cellular bringing LTE to 30 additional markets on November 5th
Filed under: Cellphones, Networking, Mobile
With the official launch of Windows 8 comes the official support of premium cable content via one of the various CableCARD tuners originally designed for Windows 7 Media Center. Silicon Dust is at the front of the pack as Media Center on Windows 8 is already officially supported and the documentation is available for both the HDHomeRun Prime as well as the ATSC or QAM HDHomeRun. The only feature we noticed was not supported for now, is WMC Sync. Ceton is still working on the official driver for its InfiniTV 4, but reassures us that the Windows 7 driver "does work relatively well," although, is unsupported -- the real loss here is that there are no plans to bring the InfiniTV tuner sharing feature to Windows 8. Last up is Hauppauge, who doesn't have a single mention of support of Windows 8 for the WinTV-DCR-2650 on its site (we reached out to them, will update once we hear back). Of course, support by Media Center and Windows 8 is one thing, but we're really waiting for a mention that any "Windows Store Apps" that can play nicely with all this premium HD content.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Not much is going to make us excited about the BlackBerry world until RIM's latest devices actually ship, but today's announcement from Thorsten Heins is certainly good news in that regard. Today, he revealed that BlackBerry 10 units are now in the testing labs of more than 50 carriers, a necessary milestone that suggests the first BlackBerry 10 devices are still on track for a Q1 2013 debut. Naturally, it's a shame that the company is going to miss the holiday season, but if you have a BlackBerry fan in your life, we suppose there's always room for an IOU in their stocking. In the meantime, you'll find the full statement from RIM's CEO after the break.
Continue reading RIM's latest milestone: BlackBerry 10 now being tested by over 50 carriers
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, RIM
Gh-gh-ghosts? Sure, we didn't find any concrete evidence during our trek to central New York earlier this month, but we did have a pretty spooky run-in recently, when the Engadgetmobile broke down outside of a nondescript electronics store. Join Tim, Brian, their robotic dog Gadget and very special guests Free Energy and Jesse Thorn for an animated Halloween adventure after the break.
Continue reading Engadget gets animated in 'Gadget, Where Are You?' (video)
With Microsoft's latest operating system officially official now, we can certainly expect a massive wave of Windows 8-tailored peripherals to be ready to meet most consumer needs. Naturally, Korean electronics giant LG is expected to be one of many manufacturers leading the way, and thus it's no surprise the outfit has announced its Touch 10 ET83 monitor. According to the Optimus G maker, this 23-inch, touchscreen-enabled IPS panel will be a perfect choice for folks utilizing Windows 8, allowing them to take full advantage of Redmond's hefty implementation of gesture-based controls within the OS. The Touch 10's set to be available in Korea in November (mum's the word on pricing), while availability in other markets around the globe is expected to be sometime shortly thereafter.
Continue reading LG announces 23-inch Touch 10 monitor with Windows 8 optimization
Filed under: Displays, Misc, LG
If you were one of the many who funded OUYA and have been sitting on pins and needles waiting for tangible progress updates, you just received them in spades. The fledgling console builder is on track with its Engineering Verification Test phase (you're looking at a board sample here) and should not only deliver the initial developer kits in December, but include a pleasant surprise in the process -- the Android-based platform will be built around Jelly Bean rather than the originally promised Ice Cream Sandwich. Programmers who just have to start right away have likewise been given a head start on hardware expectations. They'll have free rein over as much as a 1080p screen for their free-to-play games, although they'll have to toss aside familiar Android tropes like back and menu keys, notifications and fallbacks for hardware keyboards. The distinctive trackpad is likewise just a single-touch affair. To us, though, knowing that the console is finally taking shape just might be enough to tide us over until the March launch.
Filed under: Gaming
Communication has been all too spotty across much of New York City and New Jersey since Hurricane Sandy struck the region, and those who can get through on their cellphones have found themselves on particularly crowded networks. AT&T and T-Mobile are providing some much-needed, if temporary, relief: the two have struck a deal to share their GSM and 3G networks in the area with no roaming fees or plan changes while the networks come back, with the best-functioning network taking precedence in any given connection. A return to the normal state of affairs hasn't been fixed in stone and will likely depend on many, many factors, but it's a much appreciated gesture for residents who might not have a choice to relocate for a vital phone call.
Continue reading AT&T and T-Mobile temporarily share networks in New York City and New Jersey, shoulder the post-hurricane load
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, AT&T, T-Mobile
In partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), Google announced on Wednesday that it has added AMBER Alerts to its Search and Maps services for desktop and mobile devices. AMBER Alert notifications will be displayed for your local area or locations based off of web search content. Alerts will be updated as information becomes available, but may include case details such as a description of the abducted child and the make and model of their alleged abductor's vehicle. While this service is only available in the US, Google is working with Missing Children Europe and the Canadian Centre for Child Protection in hopes of bringing similar services to more countries.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Google
Senior friendly feature phone maker GreatCall Wireless announced the availability of its first smartphone, the Jitterbug Touch, on Wednesday. Based off of Sprint's Kyocera Milano, this below entry-level device sports a full slide-out keyboard with large buttons, a 3-inch QVGA 240 x 320 display, 512MB of RAM, a 3.2-megapixel camera, 512MB of internal storage, a pre-loaded 2GB microSD card and a copy of Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) -- old by most standards, but pretty impressive for a phone aimed at the elderly. Regularly priced at $169 off contract, GreatCall is offering the Jitterbug Touch for a thrifty $149 for a limited time. While this handset's specs may not rival that quad-core beast that you've been eyeing, it may be ideal for someone looking to cut their teeth in the fast paced world of smartphones.
Continue reading GreatCall Wireless simplifies smartphones with the Jitterbug Touch for $169
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Google gave the broadest of targets when it said Google Play carrier billing would reach Verizon in the "coming weeks" -- those last two words are often hints from companies that we shouldn't hold our breath. Call us surprised, then, when Google quietly takes the option live two weeks later. At least one Droid-Life reader has discovered that it's now possible to load as many as $25 in purchases per month on an existing Big Red smartphone bill and pay through just the one channel. The move puts all four major US carriers on the same page, and gives Verizon subscribers an incentive to splurge on apps and movies for that new Droid RAZR HD... so long as they remember to deal with the financial fallout afterwards.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Google, Verizon
Many of us would already contend that the Galaxy Note II is more of a pocketable computer than a smartphone, so why not take the definition at face value? Samsung certainly is, as it just began selling a Smart Dock that transforms its phablet into a makeshift desktop. A trio of USB ports give the Note II options for a mouse, keyboard and even external storage -- and if the phone's 5.5-inch screen isn't already a large enough canvas, HDMI video (plus stereo audio out) should fill the gap. While there's no question that the Smart Dock's $100 price is relatively steep, it might be worthwhile for those still mourning the loss of Webtop.
Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Mobile, Samsung
Smartphone users are well immersed in a world of contact syncing, media sharing, VoIP and video calls. They're just not used to finding everything in one place, let alone guaranteeing that any carrier-level features will work with other phones and providers. MetroPCS is hoping to put itself ahead on that front by offering a potentially universal fix. It's the first carrier anywhere to launch the Rich Communication Services standard on LTE, which provides a perpetually synced contact list that serves as the launching pad for everything else. Early adopters of the Joyn-branded service can chat through text, share media (including during calls) and start up WiFi voice or video calls without needing yet another specialized service and the extra sign-in that goes with it. Right now, the very young state of RCS on LTE leaves it behaving more like the isolated services it's trying to replace -- on MetroPCS, only those with the Galaxy Attain 4G and an after-the-fact Joyn app download can get the experience as intended. As long as more devices and carriers come onboard, though, the technology might be the long-term key to pulling us away from fenced-off conversations in Google Talk or Skype.
Continue reading MetroPCS intros first Rich Communication Services on LTE, touts universal contacts and chat (video)
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Boxee has some fairly grand plans for its Boxee TV set-top box, and it's now set to get a sizeable boost from the biggest retailer around. According Bloomberg News, the device will be available at more than 3,000 Walmart stores in the US starting tomorrow, where the retailer is also said to be setting up displays to demonstrate the device and provide marketing materials. As Bloomberg notes, the deal comes at a fairly critical time for Boxee, which sold some 120,000 devices in the past year compared to 1.4 million Roku boxes and 5.3 million Apple TVs. It also comes on the heels of another attempt by Boxee to win over customers, with it announcing just a few days ago that that it'd be handing out free Boxee TVs to some early adopters.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
It happens all the time -- someone misspoke. During an address at Build yesterday, a Microsoft employee told a crowd that the company has taken to calling its apps "Windows 8 Store Applications." Turns out that's not quite right -- the proper terminology is the slightly more elegant "Windows Store apps," as per a note from a Redmond spokesperson. So there you go. No more Metro, no more "Windows 8 Store applications" -- just plain, old "Windows Store apps."
Filed under: Software, Microsoft
The rendezvous point is as nondescript as these things come -- a giant convenience store off the side of the freeway, a big cardboard box out front, filled to the brim with pumpkins in anticipation of the upcoming holiday. Stacey Jones approaches us timidly at first, calling my name in our direction, as two of the crew members puff on cigarettes in the unseasonably frigid air. She'd apparently mistaken some other folks for us a moment earlier, a group of college students in hoodies and baseball caps, and is clearly a little embarrassed by the whole experience. It's the first and last time words like "timid" and "embarrassed" can be accurately applied to a middle-aged mother of an adult son who hunts ghosts for a living in central New York State. Group identified, she announces, "We'd better get going. It'll take about an hour to get there." Disappointing news, after the five it took to get to this roadside rest stop. But we nod and smile and get back in our respective cars.
She's careful not to reveal the location until we arrive, for concerns of privacy. I've studied her a bit online. A self-described "ghost cop," YouTube is littered with videos of her leading camera crews through abandoned hospitals, in search of dead people apparently desperate to relate some bit of information to her. The location, however, isn't as classically horror movie as we'd imagined or hoped in the car ride up. It's quite idyllic, really -- a beautiful 100-year-old building off the side of the road, 200 yards from a truly stunning old church. Outside the front door, a small signboard advertises a monthly waffle breakfast.
Decidedly more ominous are the two graveyards that flank the buildings, with tombstones dating back to the early 19th century, generations of farmers under the ground that may well outnumber residents in this sparsely populated locale. The weather, too, is doing its part to set the scene -- strange, gray clouds hanging low in impossible shapes. "The light," says one of the crew members, as we park and begin the unpacking process. "It's...oversaturated." Sounds seem to travel remarkably well in the cold, crisp, pre-storm air. I step across the road with the show producer, to gather b-roll of 150-year-old headstones, still able to hear every word that Stacey says, as she describes her entry into this strange and oft-maligned world, how her son became possessed by demonic forces on an investigation in a graveyard as a teenager. It's a story she'd recount for the Discovery Channel five years ago, coupled with basic cable dramatizations, portrayed by actors bearing slightly resemblances to their real world counterparts, if you're willing to afford them the advantage of a good squint.
So, you're loving the new gallery and camera options we saw on Jelly Bean 4.2 and have no intention of waiting for that OS for your former flagship Galaxy Nexus? A certain dmmarck on Android Central's forums has sorted that, and you can now grab the camera app for your so-last-month 4.1.1 OS on that handset. Other than a Photo Sphere bug, it's apparently working like the factory version, but newbies beware -- the installation requires some Android hacking chops. You can grab it at the source.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Samsung, Google
Need ideas for a holiday present for that special someone? We know your significant other would be completely enamored at the sight of a beautiful white custom iPhone 5 case... adorned with Engadget's logo on it (the actual iPhone 5 won't hurt, of course). The phone and case was provided to us by CafePress, an e-tailer that not only specializes in custom cases but clothes, stationary, flair and plenty more. It's definitely worth a look-see, but not until after you enter to win this contest -- as well as the ones we started up Monday and Tuesday (they're still going)!
Continue reading Five iPhone 5s in five days: win a 16GB AT&T model with custom Engadget case, courtesy of Cafepress!
Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile, Apple
A spec bump in the middle of a product cycle? All the cool cats do it these days, even if they risk alienating customers who just bought what they thought was this year's flagship device. HTC has actually played this game for a while, first with the Sensation XE, which acted as a mid-term replacement for the original Sensation and now, with the One X+ which treads all over the One X's toes. However, with this latest handset, the manufacturer has some justification: the One X+ comes with 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, whereas the global One X maxed out at 32GB and the AT&T version was only 16GB. Since there's no microSD expansion on these phones, it's possible to argue that the One X+ is a sensible addition, which caters specifically to storage-hungry power users and audiophiles. (Note: We'll be reviewing the HSPA+ UK version of this handset here, and comparing it mainly to the HSPA+ One X. We'll test the US-destined LTE variant very soon.)
There are other improvements aside from the bigger storage option, of course. The NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor has had a speed bump to 1.7GHz -- perhaps in an effort to challenge the Galaxy S III's benchmarking might. There's a larger 2,100mAh battery to stay in step with that more power-hungry silicon; the front camera module has been replaced with a higher-res chip and better image processing; and, there's also some new audio circuitry to improve the speaker's sound quality. The One X+ also runs HTC's updated Sense 4+ skin, based on Jelly Bean, which will eventually arrive on older One-series phones as well. As for the rest of the spec sheet, all the good and not-so-good stuff from the One X has carried over -- the stunning 4.7-inch, 1,280 x 720 Super LCD2 display is still here, thank goodness, and so is the 8-megapixel f/2.0 rear camera. However, there's still only 1GB of RAM (LG and Samsung flagships boast double that). So, what's needed here is an upshot: if you haven't made the leap to a 2012 superphone just yet, how does the One X+ carry itself relative to its cheaper predecessor and the latest competition? Read on and we'll endeavor to find out.
By some accounts, Sony botched the NEX-F3. Positioned as the successor to the fantastic C3, it replaced that camera's slim profile with a bulkier build, but sacrificed basic display tilt functionality in favor of a front-facing model. Image quality was fine, but focusing speeds fell short. Fortunately, the company has redeemed itself with the $750 NEX-5R. The mirrorless camera you'll read about today represents everything a successful update should: performance has been improved all around, the touchscreen tilts in every which way and the design has changed only for the better.
It's also the first Sony mirrorless cam to feature WiFi, along with the company's new PlayMemories Camera Apps. Wireless connectivity is undoubtedly becoming a popular addition in higher-end models, but that doesn't mean it's a feature users are demanding. With Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Camera, connectivity -- 4G in particular -- makes perfect sense, but how does that web experience transfer to a tiny 3-inch touchscreen? And does it detract from usability overall? Join us past the break for a closer look at this very capable 16.1-megapixel interchangeable lens camera.
When we think about Kentucky, we're put in mind of dusky beverages, Harland Sanders' chicken and its legendary derby. That's why it's so nice to see regional carrier Bluegrass Cellular offering the iPhone 5 on its network. The handset arrives on November 2nd, with the 16GB variant setting you back $150 on any of its plans, the cheapest offering you 200 minutes, Unlimited texts and 3GB data for $65. We've got all of the plans laid out for you after the break, so grab your twelve-string and join in.
Continue reading Bluegrass Cellular offering homespun wisdom, iPhone 5 for $150 on November 2nd
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Apple
The FCC may have spoiled the surprise months ago, but Archos has taken to Facebook to officially reveal the new member of its Elements range -- the Archos 80 Cobalt. As you may have guessed from the familiar size codification, the WiFi-only slate sports an 8-inch capacitive screen filled with 1024 x 768 pixels, supporting 1080p video playback. The other specs you'll want to know include the dual-core processor running at 1.6GHz, 1GB of RAM and 8 gigs of on-board storage, expandable with a microSD card of up to 64GB. Modest 2-megapixel and 0.3-megapixel shooters occupy the back and front of the 0.48-inch (12mm) thick tablet, respectively, which weighs in at a solid one pound (470g). There's no word on a release date or pricing for this ICS device, but we'd imagine the answers are "soon" and "under $200." Any more than that, and we can't see people choosing it over, say, a Nexus 7, even if it does have an extra inch on the competition.
The two-headed beast that is Foxconn / Hon Hai has just released its latest financials, showing that the oft-troubledmanufacturer has seen profit margins jump around two percent. It brought in $24 billion (NT$ 711.0 billion) in net sales, generating a net profit of $1.3 billion (NT$ 30.2 billion). At the end of September, it had $1.4 billion stashed in the bank, and the company has said it is striving to enforce "social and environmental responsibility," as it should, really.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets
Carphone Warehouse is now taking pre-orders for the Nokia Lumia 820 handset, and there's good news for the cash bereft -- it's free on contract, and the reseller will toss in a £45 wireless charging plate to boot. You can commit £29 per month toO2, Vodafone or Orange to avoid paying up front, or grab an unencumbered handset at £380 for the 4.3-inch Windows Phone 8 device in black, red or white. For that, you'll get a 4G-capable smartphone with an 800 x 480 OLED screen, 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB of RAM and 8-megapixel camera. The free extra offer will expire when shipping starts, so if the WP8 launch has you all charged up, hit the source.
Continue reading Nokia Lumia 820 up for UK pre-order: free on contract or £380 sim-less, wireless charger thrown in
Filed under: Cellphones, Nokia
Now that Microsoft's officially flooded the world with good tidings of Windows Phone 8, it's the turn of OEMs and carriers to get the word out about their own Microsoft-flavored smartphones. We finally got a chance to play with Nokia's previously leaked and recently announced Lumia 822 for Verizon, a mid-range handset similar to the Lumia 820 on AT&T and the Lumia 810 for T-Mobile that will cost $99 with a two-year contract. Availability is slated for sometime in November -- it's been a long time since we've seen a Nokia device on Verizon (sorry, but those Pantech-built models don't count), so this is rather exciting news.
Spec-wise the Lumia 822 features a 4.3-inch WVGA ClearBlack AMOLED display, an eight-megapixel autofocus Carl Zeiss camera, a 1.2MP front-facing shooter, a Qualcomm dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB or RAM, 16GB of internal flash, microSD support for additional storage, and optional Qi-compatible wireless charging. Radios include CDMA and LTE for Verizon, GSM / GPRS / EDGE / UMTS / HSPA+ for global roaming, WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, A-GPS and NFC.
In terms of design, the Lumia 822 is much curvier than its siblings and the battery cover doesn't wrap around the sides. The camera pod and flash placement matches the longitudinal setup from the Lumia 920 and Lumia 810 instead of the transverse layout found on the Lumia 820. At 142g (5 ounces) it's quite a hefty device, but despite being 11.2mm (0.44 inches) thick, it feels very nice in hand. Build quality is solid, which is pretty much what you'd expect from Nokia. The phone will be available in three colors: black, white and our favorite, a stunning shade of grey. See for yourself in the gallery below, and peek after the break for our hands-on video.
As we pointed out, European gamers will be able to pew-pew or grapple on the go with the Neo Geo X alongside their US counterparts on December 6th, and now we know for how much and where: £175 in the UK and €199 elsewhere at Funstock. For that sum you'll get the handheld with a 4.3-inch screen, joystick, game card, AES-style charging dock with HDMI output and 20 pre-installed retro games -- with more arriving soon. So, if you're up for kicking it 1990s style that side of the pond, grab it at the source.
Filed under: Gaming
Building off of the web search capabilities of its research pane for Docs, Google is now giving users the ability to search for and insert their own personal content. For example, if you're working on a presentation in Drive and want to add a photo from your Picasa album, or a quote from a friend's Google+ profile, you'll now have the option of adding personal content from within the research pane without leaving your project. This new search feature pulls information from your personal Picasa albums, Drive and Google+ accounts, and users will also find that the research pane has been extended to Presentation and Drawings. Unfortunately, Google Apps customers will still be limited to web-only search results, as personal content search is intended for individual accounts. However, if you're a starving student heavily embedded in Google's ecosystem, this time saver just might shave a few minutes off of your weekend cram session and that's always a good thing.
Filed under: Software, Google
Julius Genachowski has revealed that Hurricane Sandy has knocked out a full quarter of cellphone towers and cable services in the 10 most affected states. The FCC chief believes that, as more towers expend their battery back-ups and the storm's continued presence, the situation's going to get worse before it gets better. He's also reiterated that users should avoid making non-essential calls and use e-mail or social media to avoid overloading the straining networks. One point of interest in the call, was that land line phone outages were much less widespread -- which might be something to remember if you've ever considered cutting the cord.
Filed under: Wireless, Internet
While it was pretty clear that ASUS' Google-partnered Nexus 7 contributed heavily to the Taiwanese maker's healthy Q3 results, there was no official confirmation on its exact sales figures so far. ASUS CFO David Chang has now come clean and told the WSJ that the 7-incher is close to touching the one million per month mark, just about double the rate of sales at its launch. While this number is a fraction of the iPad's sales (14 million in the last quarter alone), it could well go up due to the recent price drop and the addition of new 32GB models to the portfolio. On the flip side, the Nexus 7 is sure to face heat from close rivals, the Kindle Fire HD and the 7.9-inch Apple iPad mini, while the mega-spec Nexus 10 will also entice some buyers away from ASUS' reach.
Filed under: Tablets, ASUS, Google
So, heard about that Google Nexus 4 thingy from LG? O2 is the first UK carrier to announce it'll be carrying this year's winner of the "most-leaked Android phone" award, which was mercifully launched on Monday. So far, we've found the "phenomenal" quad-core, 4.7-inch, 1280 x 768 handset with virgin Jelly Bean 4.2 to be "better than the sum of its parts," and Google will be selling the phone sim-free for an enticing £239 at the Play store. That means you'll likely find the device free under contract, but your carrier choices may be limited to start, as O2's rumored to have a 30-day exclusive. There's no mention of price or availability, but Google's own sale date of November 13th seems a good bet.
Filed under: Cellphones, Google, LG
Toshiba has managed to pick itself up this quarter, recording $17.8 billion in sales, making for an operating profit of $722 million over the past three months. The "social infrastructure" segments recorded a healthy profit ($518 million), while income from digital products, home appliances and electronic devices fell due lower than expected demand. Forecasts for the year have been cut for the full year by approximately $500 million to $3.26 billion, as Toshiba expects lowers sales and operating profits due to the uncertain global economic situation. Individual segments are expected to continue their distinct trends, with the social infrastructure business pulling in more while its other arms bear the brunt of the economic slowdown.
[Image credit: Wikimedia Commons]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
The good news for Panasonic in its Q2 earnings release is that it managed to record a 48.8 billion yen ($613 million) operating profit, higher than last year. The bad news however is word of falling sales in its TV business, although we're not hearing any confirmation of changes in its plans for mobile phones. New CEO Kazuhiro Tsuga is working a new restructuring plan that should help return divisions like its one for TV to profitability, but there will be costs upfront. The company revised its operating profit prediction for the year to 140 billion yen ($1.76 billion) based on the slower sales, and still is looking at a net loss for the year of 765 billion yen ($9.6 billion) due to deferred tax assets. Hopefully any cost-cutting doesn't affect the quality of its Viera HDTV brand, but Panasonic will have to figure out some way to turn those stellar reviews into overall profits, even as the market continues to shrink. Our suggestion? Get some of those 8K Super Hi-Vision plasmas to market, ASAP.
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile
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Read More ...ZTE launches Nubia range of high-end devices, announces Z5 quad-core smartphone
ZTE's plan to reinvent itself as a high-end smartphone was missing one, crucial ingredient -- a European-sounding name that ended in "...ia" to brand its new range of top-level devices. That's why the company has just announced Nubia, which apparently means "cloudy" in Latin. It's also teased details of the first handset to arrive under this new cloud (geddit?), the Z5. This new 5-inch smartphone will have quad-core internals, a 13-megapixel camera and "Italian" design -- which makes us hope above hope that they hired Pininfarina and it'll come in Ferrari Red.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
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Read More ...Samsung gets official with the Galaxy Premier: 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED, 8MP camera, GS III styling
If Samsung took a wrong turn with its brand-diluting Galaxy S III Mini, then the much-leaked Galaxy Premier is where it gets back on track. The phone keeps the outward visage of the Galaxy S III and makes only modest sacrifices in order to reach a wider audience. These include a slightly shrunken 4.65-inch screen, which still blazes away with a full 720 x 1,280 Super AMOLED panel, an acceptable dual-core 1.5 GHz TI OMAP 4470 processor, 1GB of RAM and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The cameras haven't been messed with -- we're still looking at an 8-megapixel rear and a 1.9-megapixel front-facer -- while connectivity includes Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC. So far, the phone has only been made official in the Ukraine, where it's been pegged for a November release and priced at 5,555 Ukrainian hryvnias -- an exotic-sounding figure that very roughly translates to $680.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
If a copy of Nintendo Land, 32GB of internal memory and a black paint job weren't enough for you to drop an extra $50 for the Wii U Deluxe Set, Nintendo's hoping fresh details on its Deluxe Digital Promotion will further sweeten the pot. When deluxe console owners buy a game through the firm's eShop or purchase a download code at a brick-and-mortar store, they'll receive roughly 10 percent of the price in points. For example, gamers will net 599 points for a title with a $59.99 price tag. For every 500 points, users can snag a code redeemable for $5 in eShop credit useable on the Wii U or 3DS digital storefronts. The house that Mario built will keeping track of points between the system's launch day and December 31st, 2014, but won't issue credits until the promotion's website launches sometime in December. Look out below for more details in the press release.
Continue reading Wii U Deluxe Digital Promotion will give gamers a $5 credit for every $50 spent on downloads
Filed under: Gaming, Nintendo
YouView software update adds surround-sound, faster boot times and grouped recording
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Hurricane Sandy (and a flood of news courtesy of Google, Microsoft and Apple) pushed our podcast back to a Halloween edition, but for some the scariest thing is news that Disney will take over Lucasfilm and its franchises like Star Wars and Indiana Jones. We'll tell you why we're actually encouraged by the development (hint: Pixar), and dive into the latest news about Xbox 360 and SmartGlass, Media center on Windows 8 and Google's connection to your HDTV with Android 4.2. Of course other standbys like Netflix, Roku and TiVo have news for us to discuss and Ben's new laptop means we can record as long as we want. Distribute the credit / blame for this week's XXL-sized edition as necessary, and press play below.
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Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)
Producer: Trent Wolbe
00:21:43 - Disney acquires Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion, plans more Star Wars movies
00:29:13 - Xbox SmartGlass now available in Google Play, brings console integration to Android
00:34:29 - Microsoft offering free Media Center upgrade to Windows 8 Pro users until January 31st 2013
00:50:58 - Google bumps Android to 4.2, keeps Jelly Bean moniker
00:53:54 - TiVo Premiere fall update starts rolling out with more HD menu screens and a few other tweaks
00:58:49 - Tim Cook: 1.3 million Apple TVs sold in Q4, 5 million for 2012 fiscal year
01:02:50 - BBC iPlayer comes to Sky+, Hell reports incoming frost
01:04:43 - ITV Player revamp brings ad-free TV rentals, keeps the free catch-ups
01:05:25 - Roku update adds cross-provider search over Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, HBO, Vudu and Crackle
01:09:40 - Boxee hands out free Boxee TVs to its most eager cloud DVR fans
01:10:38 - Netflix Q3 2012 earnings: 2 million more streaming subscribers worldwide, $8 million net income
01:12:00 - Open webOS-powered HDTVs said to be on the way from... LG?
01:13:30 - Samsung 2012 Smart TVs get Amazon Instant Video streaming app, synchronicity with your Kindle Fire
01:22:40 - Barnes & Noble bolstering Nook Video catalogue, bringing UltraViolet to the HD and HD+
01:24:45 - LG's 84-inch 4K TV goes on sale in the US for $19,999, home mortgage optional
01:26:42 - Warner, Redbox agree to 28 day delay on disc rentals, UltraViolet support for Redbox Instant
01:29:10 - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to receive the Dolby Atmos treatment
01:30:40 - Must See HDTV (October 29th - November 4th)
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Filed under: Podcasts, HD
ZTE's plan to reinvent itself as a high-end smartphone was missing one, crucial ingredient -- a European-sounding name that ended in "...ia" to brand its new range of top-level devices. That's why the company has just announced Nubia, which apparently means "cloudy" in Latin. It's also teased details of the first handset to arrive under this new cloud (geddit?), the Z5. This new 5-inch smartphone will have quad-core internals, a 13-megapixel camera and "Italian" design -- which makes us hope above hope that they hired Pininfarina and it'll come in Ferrari Red.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
If Samsung took a wrong turn with its brand-diluting Galaxy S III Mini, then the much-leaked Galaxy Premier is where it gets back on track. The phone keeps the outward visage of the Galaxy S III and makes only modest sacrifices in order to reach a wider audience. These include a slightly shrunken 4.65-inch screen, which still blazes away with a full 720 x 1,280 Super AMOLED panel, an acceptable dual-core 1.5 GHz TI OMAP 4470 processor, 1GB of RAM and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The cameras haven't been messed with -- we're still looking at an 8-megapixel rear and a 1.9-megapixel front-facer -- while connectivity includes Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC. So far, the phone has only been made official in the Ukraine, where it's been pegged for a November release and priced at 5,555 Ukrainian hryvnias -- an exotic-sounding figure that very roughly translates to $680.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
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