Synrgic Uno debuts as one of the last TI OMAP-powered Android phones
Taiwan
might have an HTC One and an HTC First, but starting today, Singapore
has a Synrgic Uno to join the banter (get it?). The name Synrgic might
not immediately ring a bell, but if you dig a little deeper, you'll see a
mention
of its earlier phone plus three tablets from a while back. Alas, said
phone was eventually canned as the quality didn't meet expectations, so
consider this Uno a new attempt by the same Singaporean startup.
Announced in its home city just now, this device is positioned as a
mid-tier Android phone with some modest specs, namely a 4.7-inch, 720p
IPS display with Gorilla Glass and, more interestingly, a dual-core
1.5GHz Texas Instruments OMAP 4470 SoC (with 1GB DDR2 RAM and SGX 544
graphics chip). With the upcoming TI
OMAP 5 series
shifting towards automotive systems, chances are the Uno will be one of the last OMAP-powered smartphones before TI
waves goodbye to the mobile world.
This
9.5mm-thick, 133g-heavy phone also packs 16GB of built-in storage along
with up to 32GB of microSD expansion, which should give plenty of space
for the 8-megapixel main camera (with 1080p video capture) plus
2-megapixel front imager. And in case you're wondering, yes, the
2,300mAh battery is removable. As for radios, the Uno comes with
quad-band HSPA 3G (up to 21Mbps) as well as the usual package:
802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, GPS, FM and NFC. The
software? Just vanilla Android 4.0.4 (with 4.2 update coming in this
quarter) with Google services included, as the 26-year-old Chairman and
CEO Cheo Suan Jin isn't too keen on bloatware; and he also promises to
release the source code in about two weeks so that the enthusiasts can
tinker with other ROMs. The Singapore-designed, South Korea-made Uno is
available today for $320 (excluding tax) on Synrgic's website, and free
shipping plus "1 for 1" exchange warranty will be provided to select
countries in South East Asia.
Filed under:
Cellphones,
Mobile
Comments
Source: Synrgic
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Skype for Outlook.com preview launches in the UK, coming to the US soon
Outlook.com's
60 million-plus users will have another feature to take advantage of
soon, as Skype is previewing built-in web access to its service.
Currently available in the UK (headed to the US and Germany in "coming
weeks," -- worldwide this summer) it lets users make calls directly from
their inbox via a browser plugin available for Internet Explorer,
Chrome and Firefox. Users with existing Skype accounts will also need to
link their account to to the website which will allow their contacts to
be merged, with the idea of having more choices of how to reach out to
close contacts. Gmail's added
easy access to hangouts and even Facebook has
integrated Skype-connected video into its messaging
so we suppose it's necessary for feature parity, with the added bonus
of Skype's large install base. There's a video preview embedded after
the break, or you can head to Skype's blog for more details.
Filed under:
Internet,
Microsoft
Comments
Source: Skype Blog
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Tweets sent from 'Twitter for Glass' appear, suggest official app in testing
Google has
opened its Mirror API for devs while passing out Glass headsets to early adopters --
including our own Tim Stevens -- and now there's evidence Twitter is already working up an official app. As
TechCrunch
points out, developer Jonathan Gottfried noticed images popping up from
a "Twitter for Glass" client sporting the same #throughglass hashtag
he'd been using on his own TweetGlass project and that Google puts on G+
images shared from the device. The original tweet he pointed out has
been deleted, but as he informed
AllThingsD, there are several others still live. Most notably, they originate from Googlers working on the Glass project, and
ATD
astutely mentioned Twitter's rules prohibit third-party apps from using
the company's name, suggesting this is something developed in-house.
Filed under:
Wearables,
Google
Comments
Source: TechCrunch,
AllThingsD,
Jonathan Gottfried (Twitter)
Read More ...
Eyes-on: MIT Media Lab's Smarter Objects can map a user interface onto... anything (video)
While patrolling the halls of the CHI 2013 Human Factors in Computing conference in Paris, we spied a research project from
MIT's Media Lab called "Smarter Objects" that turns
Minority Report
tech on its head. The researchers figured out a way to map software
functionality onto tangible objects like a radio, light switch or door
lock through an iPad interface and a simple processor / WiFi transceiver
in the object. Researcher Valentin Huen explains that "graphical user
interfaces are perfect for modifying systems," but operating them on a
day-to-day basis is much easier using tangible objects.
To that end, the team developed an iPad app that uses
motion tracking
technology to "map" a user interface onto different parts of an object.
The example we saw was a simple radio with a a pair of dials and a
speaker, and when the iPad's camera was pointed at it, a circular
interface along with a menu system popped up that cannily tracked the
radio. From there, Huen mapped various songs onto different positions of
the knob, allowing him to control his playlist by moving it -- a
simple, manual interface for selecting music. He was even able to
activate a second speaker by drawing a line to it, then "cutting" the
line to shut it off. We're not sure when, or if, this kind of tech will
ever make it into your house, but the demo we saw (see the pair of
videos after the break) seemed impressively ready to go.
Filed under:
Tablets,
Science
Comments
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Verizon Cloud backup service rolling out for Android, comes soon to iOS
Smartphone owners have no shortage of cloud-based safety nets, whether it's Google's services,
iCloud or any number of
file sync providers.
Few of these come from the carrier, however, and Verizon is gambling
that its now-deploying Verizon Cloud service will serve as a crutch for
anyone replacing a phone on its network. The currently Android- and
web-only release offers daily backups of the usual media libraries as
well as call logs, contacts and messages. While that isn't special in
itself, Verizon is also promising cross-platform safeguards: both an iOS
app (available "soon") and future OS support should let customers fetch
some of their data if they switch platforms. Just don't count on
Verizon Cloud as an alternative to established rivals unless you're both
loyal to Verizon and willing to spend. Users get a thin 500MB of space
for free, and meaningful storage ranges from $3 per month for 25GB
through to $10 for 125GB. Should there be little danger of leaving Big
Red, though, Verizon's service and a matching Android app update are
available today.
Filed under:
Cellphones,
Tablets,
Internet,
Mobile,
Verizon
Comments
Via: Verizon
Source: Verizon Cloud,
Google Play
Read More ...
Wikimedia Android and iOS app exits beta, aims for easy Wikipedia photo gathering
Wikimedia Commons, which acts as
Wikipedia's media repository, has pushed its Android and iOS app out of the beta phase, giving photo collecting for the digital
encyclopedia
a workflow that isn't chained to a browser. By registering an account
online and wielding the software, users can upload photographs taken
with the application -- or within their device's library -- straight to
the organization's database, and endow them with titles and
descriptions. With the Android flavor, multiple photos can be uploaded
at once, images can be assigned categories and those torn between
snapping pictures for the
open source book of knowledge
and their social circles can share their contributions through the
likes of Facebook, Twitter and other services. Ready to start pitching
in? Hit the source links below to grab the apps.
Filed under:
Software,
Mobile
Comments
Via: The Verge,
The Next Web
Source: Wikimedia Commons (iTunes),
Wikimedia Commons (Google Play),
Wikimedia Blog
Read More ...
Visualized: Space hurricane! NASA's Cassini records super cyclone on Saturn (video)
If the crashing sound of
lightning striking Saturn
wasn't enough to excite your inner-meteorologist, then perhaps footage
of a raging extraterrestrial hurricane will win you over. After orbiting
the ringed planet for nine years, NASA's
Cassini
probe has managed to snag video of a super storm on the celestial
body's north pole. Cloaked by the darkness of winter, the hurricane's
eye became visible as Saturn's northern hemisphere transitioned into
spring. Unlike the tropical cyclones of Earth (see: Hurricane Katrina,
Sandy and Irene), this furious typhoon has been spinning for several
years and has winds that flow at speeds exceeding 300MPH. Further
differentiating itself from our world's whirlwinds, this alien cyclone
is locked to its planet's north pole and is fueled by small amounts of
water vapor instead of an actual ocean. Completely in a
category
of its own, the hurricane's eye measures about 1,250 miles wide and is
surrounded by fluffy white clouds the size of Texas. To see this
Saturnian fury in all its glory, check out the video after the break and
feel free to leave your gratuitous hurricane names in the comments
below.
Filed under:
Science,
Alt
Comments
Source: NASA
Read More ...
Join the Engadget HD Podcast live on Ustream at 8:30PM ET
It's
Monday, and you know what that means; another Engadget HD Podcast. We
hope you will join us live when the Engadget HD podcast starts recording
at 8:30
PM. If you'll be joining us, be sure to go ahead and get
ready by reviewing the list of topics after the break, then you'll be
ready to participate in the live chat.
Filed under:
HD
Comments
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The Daily Roundup for 04.29.2013
You
might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news.
Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is
the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines
for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site.
Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Comments
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Must See HDTV (April 29th - May 5th)
This
week the NHL joins the NBA in celebrating its postseason, with plenty
of games on the schedule for each. There are a number of premieres and
finales this week, as well as the debut of individual seasons of
Friends
on Blu-ray. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the
break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and
videogames.
Star Trek: TNG S3 / The Best of Both Worlds The third season of
Star Trek The Next Generation
comes home this week remastered in HD, and it should be a good for
fans. If you can't live with its cliffhanger ending until the fourth
season arrives, The Best of Both Worlds Part 1 & 2 are also
being released, edited together as a single episode. either way you get
it, judging by the first two seasons, the adjustments should be
well-received.
(
$59.99 and
$14.99 on Amazon)
The Americans
FX's cold war spy drama closes out its first season this week. While it
hasn't grabbed the mindshare of other popular cable series yet, the
quality of the writing and acting is still there.
(May 1st, FX, 10PM)
Parks & Recreation
It appears that NBC's best remaining comedy will be renewed after this
season, so this week's season finale will represent only the start of a
vacation for the residents of Pawnee, IN.
The Office finally getting yanked from the stage,
30 Rock calling it a series recently and
Community... well. Let's just hope we have more PnR to look forward to this fall.
(May 2nd, NBC, 9:30PM)
Filed under:
Home Entertainment,
HD
Comments
Read More ...
NEC Terrain for AT&T spied in leaked press photos, packs a QWERTY keyboard
Memory of a time where an NEC phone graced US shores escapes us, but the prolific -- and often accurate --
@evleaks has tweeted a press shot that signals a handset from the Japanese firm might soon arrive stateside. Emblazoned with AT&T's logo and reportedly dubbed the NEC Terrain, the Android-toting smartphone shares its front real estate with a screen, a camera
and a QWERTY keyboard. No other details were spilled with the image, but with a name like Terrain and what looks like a
rubberized border, we wouldn't be surprised if it could withstand a fair amount of
rough and tumble.
Filed under:
Cellphones,
Mobile,
AT&T
Comments
Source: @evleaks (Twitter)
Read More ...
Kodak offloads its film and scanner businesses to its UK pension group
Kodak may have offered to sell key parts of its document imaging unit
to Brother for $210 million, but even that amount is just a small step on the company's long road
out of bankruptcy.
The company has been looking for a sweeter deal -- and it just found
one by settling with its very own UK Kodak Pension Plan. The agreement
offloads control of both the document and personal imaging units (read:
scanners and film) in return for eliminating a hefty $2.8 billion in
claims and receiving $650 million in 'considerations' that include cash.
Kodak has already received approval from the UK's Pension Regulator and
expects to submit its plans to a US bankruptcy court on Tuesday. We've
also confirmed with Kodak that this will supercede the Brother deal as
long as it's approved, so there shouldn't be any legal entanglements
from changing suitors. As such, Kodak is well on its way to a healthier
(if
much smaller) company.
[Image credit: Pittaya Sroilong,
Flickr]
Filed under:
Cameras,
Peripherals
Comments
Via: The Guardian,
Wall Street Journal
Source: Kodak
Read More ...
Specialized Turbo e-bike reaches the US, offers a speed boost for $5,900
When Specialized's
Turbo e-bike
launched last year, it was almost too fast for its own good when it
couldn't legally be sold in Europe and the US. The American riders, at
least, won't be held back now that the Turbo is on sale in their
country. The US version costs an eye-watering $5,900, but it can reach
the same 27.9MPH peak speed through its combination of pedal power and
the 250W of typical output from the electric motor. With that kind of
performance, it could almost pay for itself -- who wouldn't want to blow
past rush hour traffic in the bike lane?
Filed under:
Transportation
Comments
Source: Specialized
Read More ...
Adafruit explains how to build your very own HAL 9000 for less than $100
It may be 2013, but
2001 will forever hold a special place in our hearts, in no small part due to the that lovable, red-eyed supercomputer known as
HAL 9000. ThinkGeek has given us a couple ways to
purchase HAL for
our homes, but for folks who'd rather build their own,
Adafruit's
got you covered. User Phillip Burgess has posted the full instructions
on how to craft one, provided you've got access to a laser cutter and
the requisite soldering, spray painting and sanding chops to complete
the task. Adafruit's version will have you making HAL out of an
oversized arcade button and a sheet of acrylic -- and if you want your
HAL to talk (and really, why wouldn't you), you'll need to build a voice
box from an Arduino Uno board and an Adafruit Wave Shield. Total cost:
just shy of $100. Check out the video of it in action after the break,
and head on down to the source link for the full how-to. Oh, and feel
free to whistle
Sprach Zarathustra while you work.
Filed under:
Misc,
Alt
Comments
Source: Adafruit
Read More ...
The iTunes influence, part one: How Apple changed the face of the music marketplace
"iTunes is a stepping stone along the way."
-- Jim Griffin, OneHouse LLC
On April 28th, the iTunes Store basked in a
milestone 10th birthday.
Two years before its 2003 launch (as the iTunes Music Store), Apple
introduced the iTunes client as a desktop music management program and
implemented it as the device manager for the first iPod later in 2001.
In those two years, Apple laid the groundwork for what can reasonably be
called the iTunes era of music.
Apple did not invent digital
music, even though for many iTunes embodies 21st century music buying.
However, during the past 10 years, it has become the US' top music
retailer, with customers currently downloading 15,000 songs per minute
from the app's library of 26 million songs, according to an Apple
spokesperson. Since its launch, it has evolved into the hub of a
powerhouse media / tech ecosystem that turned Apple into the world's
most valuable company in 2012.
As a symbolic milestone, the
iTunes anniversary encourages reflection on the past, a survey of the
present and predictions of the future. Digital music continues to
evolve, for businesses, consumers and musicians.
Filed under:
Software,
Apple
Comments
Read More ...
PSA: T-Mobile's Samsung Galaxy S 4 available online today
Samsung's latest flagship,
the GS4, landed on
Sprint and AT&T a couple of days ago, and now it's
T-Mobile's turn to join the party -- at least by way of its virtual stores. Taking advantage of the carrier's
recently unveiled pricing scheme,
the Galaxy S 4 will be available starting at $149.99 up front for the
16GB model (plus the $20 extra per month for the next two years, of
course). Now, if you're looking to physically pick one up instead,
you'll have to wait a little longer, as it won't be available at
brick-and-mortar shops until May 1st.
Filed under:
Cellphones,
Mobile,
Samsung,
T-Mobile
Comments
Source: T-Mobile
Read More ...
Sony Xperia SP on sale now in the UK at T-Mobile, Orange and EE
Sony's mash-up Xperia, the
SP,
is taking its transparent element light show to the UK today, giving
budget-minded Brits one stylish and feature-packed mobile alternative.
The 4.6-inch 720p handset, which is basically a
Best of...
edition of the Xperia S and P with an aluminum unibody, is shipping now
at T-Mobile UK for £250 outright (about $387 USD), whereas Orange and EE
are offering up the device for free with qualifying plans. If you want
LTE, however, you only have one carrier option and that's EE -- a choice
that'll have you shackled for a two-year period. As for O2 and Three,
those carriers still have the SP listed as "coming soon," but it's safe
to say you won't find a better bargain than *free.
*Nothing in life is free.
Filed under:
Cellphones,
Wireless,
Mobile,
Sony
Comments
Via: Xperia Blog
Source: T-Mobile Uk,
Orange,
EE
Read More ...
Google Now for iOS hands-on
Google Now
is, perhaps, one of the more compelling reasons to opt for an Android
device over iOS. But, Mountain View is smart enough to realize that its
big push to deliver information pre-emptively would be severely hampered
if it was
isolated to one platform. So, here we are, almost a year after Now debuted with the launch of
Jelly Bean,
and the (mis)labeled Siri competitor has finally landed on Apple's
mobile OS. Obviously, to truly come to grips with a product like this,
you'd need days or weeks to truly judge it, but we're familiar enough
with the Android version to feel comfortable passing along our initial
impressions. So head on after the break to see whether or not Google was
able to replicate its virtual assistant magic on iOS.
Filed under:
Software,
Mobile,
Apple,
Google
Comments
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HTC 608t spied, brings dual speakers to a One SV-like design
HTC might be gearing up for a wider audio assault. Just days after
the 606w
made a pass through China's TENAA with stereo sound, a 608t cousin has
made the agency rounds carrying its own pair of front speakers. If the
608t looks familiar, it should -- it's effectively a spin on the
One SV
body (or rather, the somewhat similar One ST from China) with both the
reworked audio as well as the same navigation layout that first appeared
on
the One.
While we can't verify rumors that the 608t will step up to Jelly Bean, a
quad-core chip and an 8-megapixel rear camera, the TENAA report does
show that it will include TD-SCDMA for
China Mobile
as well as GSM and WiFi. However subtle an upgrade the phone will be,
about all that's left is for HTC to orchestrate a formal launch.
Filed under:
Cellphones,
Mobile,
HTC
Comments
Via: Blog of Mobile (translated)
Source: TENAA (translated)
Read More ...
Olympia Circuits' Arno Shield lets Arduino newcomers bring their own board
While there have certainly been attempts at easing the Arduino learning curve, many of these still demand a
new board or simplify just
one aspect
of a much larger universe. Olympia Circuits' new Arno Shield could help
strike a better balance between starting fresh and diving into the deep
end. It includes all the buttons, lights and sensors needed for 40-plus
educational projects, but grafts on to existing boards such as the
company's LeOlympia or an
Arduino Uno.
Owners don't have to add parts or wires; they just remove the shield
once they've learned enough to create their own masterworks. The shield
kit won't be cheap when it arrives on May 2nd for $60, but it may prove
the real bargain for tinkerers who want a full-fledged Arduino board as
soon as the training wheels come off.
Filed under:
Misc
Comments
Source: Olympia Circuits
Read More ...
YouTube now offers more MLB highlights and full archived games
YouTube just keeps adding quality content. Last week it was
comedy, and this week it's bulking up on its sporting chops with a Major League Baseball partnership. Always among the most
tech-savvy
of major sports leagues, MLB has beefed up the offerings on its YouTube
channel to include highlights from every game of 2013 (two days after
they've occurred), and a vast archive of full games from as far back as
1952. Plus, should you reside outside the US, Canada, South Korea,
Taiwan and Japan, you'll get to watch two live games every day during
the regular season
for free. So, seamheads, head on over to the MLB.com YouTube channel -- your digital field of dreams awaits.
Filed under:
Internet,
HD,
Google
Comments
Source: YouTube (Google+),
MLB.com (YouTube)
Read More ...
Virgin Galactic's commercial space plane makes first successful test flight
Attention, amateur space cadets! If you've ever wanted to swing on a star or see one up close, consider this proof positive
Virgin Galactic's that much closer to making your dreams come true.
SpaceShipTwo, its
inventively
named commercial vehicle designed to take well-moneyed civilians into
outerspace, has just completed its first rocket-powered test flight. The
craft, partially owned by Virgin group overlord Sir Richard Branson and
the Abu Dhabi-based investment group PJC, took off earlier today from
its berth at Mojave Air and Space Port in California, where
carrier-craft WhiteKnightTwo ferried it to a 47,000 ft altitude after
which its own rockets kicked in for a supersonic flight. In all, the
solo run lasted just slightly over ten minutes, during which the SS2
notched an altitude of 55,000 feet before returning safely back to its
desert port.
For its first outing, the SS2 scored high marks by
Virgin Galactic chief George Whitesides' estimation, performing just as
expected with "expected burn duration, good engine performance and
solid... handling qualities throughout." It's encouraging news for the
nascent commercial space industry, although it's worth noting this
flight carried reduced risk considering it was bound to our own
atmosphere. The team anticipates that "full space flight" testing will
begin sometime before year's end. As for when you'll be able to actually
book a real deal luxury space flight? Virgin Galactic's set a tentative
2015 date for that, giving you, the every(wo)man, plenty of time to
save up or mortgage your life for the opportunity to tour the cosmos.
Filed under:
Science
Comments
Source: Virgin Galactic
Read More ...
IRL: Skullcandy Crusher headphones and ASUS' G74SX gaming laptop
Welcome to IRL,
an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're
using in real life and take a second look at products that already got
the formal review treatment.
It's
true; most Engadget editors would prefer some sort of Ultrabook-type
laptop for attending pressers and schlepping around trade shows. But at
least one of us has chosen a nine-pound gaming laptop for hitting posts.
(It even says "Republic of Gamers" on it.) Speaking of schlepping,
Michael has taken back (almost) everything he's ever said about
over-the-ear headphones after swapping in the Skullcandy Crushers on his
long commute. Hit the break to find out what he thinks of them.
Filed under:
Misc,
ASUS
Comments
Read More ...
Nest 3.5 update adjusts for humidity and sunlight, fine-tunes fan control
Nest Labs isn't counting solely on the allure of
discounts from power companies to reel us in this spring. It's pushing out a 3.5 update to all versions of the
Nest Learning Thermostat
that should be make it smarter about saving money -- even if it means
spending a little up front. Along with the utility tie-ins from last
week, the upgrade adds a Cool to Dry mode that invokes air conditioning
when it's too humid, raising the energy bill slightly to avoid a
costlier mold outbreak. The thermostat also won't be easily duped by the
sun: a new Sunblock setting prevents unnecessary cooling whenever
direct sunlight affects the temperature reading. Homeowners who just
want more precision, meanwhile, may be happy with both refined fan
scheduling (shown above) as well as mobile app updates that introduce
alert messages and a more thermostat-like interface. Those with Nest
units connected to WiFi should see version 3.5, and hopefully its
intended savings, by 9PM Eastern tonight.
Filed under:
Household
Comments
Source: Nest,
App Store,
Google Play
Read More ...
SRI EV1 brings all-electric racing to the Mexican 1000 rally (video)
We've seen electric off-roaders
tackle the Dakar Rally,
but racing on the Baja peninsula has proven elusive -- until this
weekend. After driving in smaller races, SRI's EV1 has joined the big
leagues by starting in NORRA's Mexican 1000 rally. The 535HP, 400kW
open-wheeler has participated in at least the first trio of special
stages, and it will ideally join a handful of further stages that fit
within the vehicle's 100-mile range. While the EV1 is far from the front
of the Evolution class, at 36th place as of this writing, winning isn't
the point -- SRI wants to drum up enough funding to hot-swap batteries
and complete every stage in future races. Its project should at least be
proof that smaller EVs can thrive in some of the world's harshest
racing conditions.
Filed under:
Transportation
Comments
Via: Autoblog
Source: SRD (Facebook),
SRI,
NORRA
Read More ...
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