China UnionPay and Intel join forces for secure mobile payment
At
IDF's second-day keynote in Beijing today, Intel announced its collaboration with bank card giant
China UnionPay for secure mobile payment, with the latter utilizing Intel's Identity Protection Technology and also its distribution of the Hadoop software framework for datacenters. With UnionPay being China's top bank card organization boasting a total of 3.5 billion cards to date, this is obviously a big deal for Intel both locally and around the world -- at least in the 141 countries and regions where UnionPay is accepted, according to Executive Vice President Chai Hongfeng.
Chai also used his stage time to show off UnionPay Quick Pass, China's very own NFC payment service with over 1.1 million local POS terminals as of December 2012. The exec used none other than Intel's developer device to buy its Corporate Vice President Doug Fisher a can of "Mountain Doug" (we would've preferred "Chai Tea" instead), but of course, HTC beat Intel to it with the
joint launch of mobile Quick Pass back in August 2011. Anyhow, there's a press release after the break.
Filed under:
Cellphones,
Wireless,
Mobile,
Intel
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WSJ: Microsoft's next generation of Surface tablets include a 7-inch version
Wonder what a Nexus 7 / Kindle Fire / iPad Mini fighter from Microsoft would look like? You may find out soon, as the
Wall Street Journal has just posted a "breaking news" alert that it's heard Microsoft is developing a new lineup of
Surface tablets (which it's confirmed
before) including a 7-inch version, which it expects to take into mass production later this year. We've seen hints of smaller tablets already, with
recent Windows 8 policy changes allowing devices featuring lower-res screens. It's filled out a few other details now, crediting the info to unnamed sources familiar with its product plans who claim Microsoft realized it needed something to compete with the smaller competition (shocker). The report ends with a footnote on the rumored
Microsoft-branded phone, which is said to still be in testing but component suppliers are not sure if it will actually come to market. While we wait for further updates, consider this your opportunity to make suggestions on what should change in Redmond's second assault on slates.
Filed under:
Tablets,
Microsoft
Comments
Source: Wall Street Journal (Twitter),
Wall Street Journal
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LG Optimus G Pro update features detailed: Smart Video, Dual Camera, recording (video)
While the biggest question concerning LG's 5.5-inch
Optimus G Pro -- when will it ship in the US -- remains officially TBA, the company has posted a video preview (embedded after the break) of the software update it's
sending Korean early adopters this month. There's also no launch date for the "Value Pack" upgrade listed, but the video does give a clear demonstration of things like Smart Video that recognizes when the viewer looks away using eye tracking technology, Dual Camera using the front and back cameras at the same time, and Pause & Resume recording that brings Vine-style seamless video cuts. Check out the video to experience it for yourself, we'll see if LG's phablet can beat the Galaxy S4 -- and, presumably, the next Galaxy Note -- to market in the US with these features.
Filed under:
Cellphones,
Mobile,
LG
Comments
Source: LGMobileHQ (YouTube)
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Beamz teams up with Virtual DJ on interactive music system, we go lasers-on (video)
Beamz has been
firing lasers in the name of limb-flailing performance for
a few years. Today, it's announced it's working with popular music-mixing software
Virtual DJ to provide the aural filling in its laser sandwich. The controller is the same four-beamed multi-button affair we've seen before, but now with a custom version of the aforementioned DJ application to call its own, and make the set-up a cinch. On screen you'll see two representations of the Beamz controller (instead of decks) with instant visual feedback to let you know which beam is mapped to what. You can configure four different triggers at one time, controlling cue points, looping and so on. To add functionality, you can then use the large buttons at the base of the device to rotate through different mappings. The emphasis, of course, is on performance here with nary a rotary nor fader in sight (we imagine you'd be using your
other controller for that, right?). The software and hardware combo are being bundled together as a deal, and if you want in, you can do so right away for $200. Not sure if it'll fit in your workflow? Perhaps head past the break, and see if that video doesn't change your mind.
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Misc,
Peripherals
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US budget has NASA planning to capture an asteroid, USAF reviving DSCOVR (video)
Many have lamented the
seeming decline of the US space program. While we're not expecting an immediate return to the halcyon days, the President's proposed federal budget for fiscal 2014 could see some renewed ambition. NASA's slice of the pie includes a plan that would improve detection of near-Earth asteroids, send a solar-powered robot ship (like the NASA concept above) to capture one of the space rocks and tow it back to a stable orbit near Earth, where researchers could study it up close. The agency would have humans setting foot on the asteroid by 2025, or even as soon as 2021. It's a grand goal to say the least, but we'd potentially learn more about
solar propulsion and defenses against asteroid collisions.
If NASA's plans mostly involve the future, the US Air Force budget is looking into the past. It's setting aside $35 million for a long-discussed resurrection of the Deep Space Climate Observatory satellite, also known as DSCOVR -- a vehicle that was scuppered in 2001 due to cost overruns, among other factors. Run by
NOAA once aloft, the modernized satellite would focus on warning the Earth about incoming solar winds. That's just one of the satellite's original missions, but the November 2014 launch target is relatively realistic -- and we'll need it when the satellite currently fulfilling the role is overdue for a replacement.
Filed under:
Robots,
Science
Comments
Via: Space.com
Source: NASA,
AP (Yahoo)
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Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat learns habits, matches your neon decor (video)
Honeywell has had
WiFi-capable thermostats on the market for some time, but few of them would be a great match for home interiors that have escaped 1980s beige chic. The company's new Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat is going a long way toward bringing that design fully into the present century. Owners can color match the touchscreen interface with the paint on their walls, down to very exact shades. Of course, the thermostat wouldn't be much of a competitor in the
Nest era if it didn't have some of that namesake intelligence underneath. As with
its main rival, the Honeywell system has (already existing) Android and iOS apps, and can tell how long it takes to change the temperature; it's also aware of when filters need a change based on furnace behavior. If you're on the cusp of a home renovation and don't want anything so gauche as a differently-colored screen, home improvement shops should have the Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat this May for $249.
Filed under:
Household
Comments
Source: Honeywell
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The Daily Roundup for 04.10.2013
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.
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This is the Modem World: When tech can't save us from road rage
Each week Joshua Fruhlinger contributes This is the Modem World, a column dedicated to exploring the culture of consumer technology.
So I'm driving home the other night after a decent day of work, looking forward to a little run, some dinner and maybe a movie. Taking my normal north-south route along Crescent Heights, I listen to Tame Impala to calm the nerves and enter another mental state.
I'm at one of those intersections in which two lanes become one because of a parked car in the right lane ahead. I, being in the right lane, gun it a bit at the start in order to get some distance from the guy on my left.
He's having none of this, apparently.
Turns out my car is faster, though, and I edge him out. I see him wave his arms frantically, shaking them and then applauding.
Filed under:
Transportation
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NAB 2013 wrap-up: Sony 4K TVs, Red, Blackmagic, Thunderbolt and more!
The
National Association of Broadcasters' annual event in Vegas may not offer the same blitz of high-profile gadgets as CES, but this show is hardly a quiet one. In fact, the excitement kicked off before the floor even opened, with Sony
announcing pricing for its 55- and 65-inch 4K TVs. When 25 grand is the norm for these high-end sets, MSRPs of $5,000 and $7,000 seem downright budget-friendly. Blackmagic's $995
Pocket Cinema Camera also made headlines for its value proposition, with a Super-16 Cinema sensor, 13 stops of dynamic range and a Micro Four Thirds lens mount rounding out a very solid spec list.
Our favorite booth, however, belonged to Red. The company was performing its Dragon upgrade on-site, giving showgoers a fascinating look at the process of boosting the sensor to 6K -- we were even able to snag an
exclusive look inside the sacred space. Finally, Intel
announced the next generation of its Thunderbolt interface, promising double the throughput and expanded 4K support. But those are just the highlights; check out our complete coverage after the break for the full rehash.
Filed under:
Announcements,
Cameras
Comments
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Google forms the Glass Collective to invest in eye technology entrepreneurs
Google believes that it's naive to build a wearable technology like
Google Glass and expect successful businesses to simply materialize from thin air; those firms will need a financial nudge, too. Accordingly, Google is forming the Glass Collective to invest in projects centering on its eyewear. The partnership will see
Google Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz and
Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers unite on seed funding for those US-based startups which show promise in areas like communication and navigation. The group hasn't named any targets for its cash, but it's obviously very early days for both Glass and the Collective -- Google needs more
developers in the field before it can shower companies with support.
Update: According to
TechCrunch, Google mentioned during the event that it hopes to get Glass hardware into developers hands "in the next month." Since it started preregistering folks at last year's I/O event, we'd also hope they will arrive in time for this year's Google I/O and inevitable skydive-to-stage live stream.
Filed under:
Wearables,
Google
Comments
Via: Google Official Blog
Source: Glass Collective,
TechCrunch
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Facebook now lets you share your consumerism with linked pages
If
emoticons weren't enough to spice up your status updates on Facebook, the social network has added the ability to convey what users are watching, reading, listening to or just merely consuming via a link to the artist, show or product page. Simply type in "watching Jurassic Park" for example, and the movie's icon and page link will automatically show up in the post, and will be added to your timeline's Movie section as well. We're sure it's all just one small piece in Zuckerberg's plan to rule the media landscape -- right after he takes over the
mobile one, of course.
Filed under:
Internet,
Facebook
Comments
Source: Facebook
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IDC: PC shipments in Q1 faced their steepest known drop to date
If
Windows 8 is the ticket to a bounce-back in PC sales, it's going to be a long, slow recovery. At least, as long as you ask
IDC. It estimates that worldwide computer shipments in the first quarter of 2013 fell 13.9 percent to 76.3 million, which is the steepest quarterly drop the research firm has recorded since it started tracking PCs back in 1994. While the exact factors at work aren't clear, IDC blames it on a mix of customers spooked by Windows 8's unfamiliar interface, the continued
rise of mobile devices, and the
decline of the netbook. This isn't helped by the higher typical prices of touchscreen PCs, or by restructuring efforts at computing giants
like Dell and HP.
Who's reigning in this apparently declining PC empire, then? Worldwide, it's a different picture than it was a
few months ago: HP is back on top at 15.7 percent, followed by Lenovo, Dell, Acer and ASUS. The American climate is somewhat more familiar, with HP in front at 25.1 percent while being chased by Dell, Apple, Toshiba and Lenovo. With the exception of Lenovo, however, virtually all of the manufacturers involved saw at least some decline in their PC shipments. To IDC, that's a sign that vendors and Microsoft need to find an antidote to the crazes for smartphones and tablets -- and find it quickly.
Filed under:
Desktops,
Laptops,
Tablets,
Apple,
ASUS,
HP,
Dell,
Acer,
Lenovo
Comments
Source: IDC
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LG adds PayPal to its smart TV platform for faster app purchases
Looking to jumpstart interest in its in-house ecosystem, LG is adding PayPal as a software purchasing option for its latest line of smart TVs, making it the first manufacturer to natively use the service. Available now in the US, Canada and UK, this new addition will let you use either a traditional or
Magic remote to navigate an onscreen keyboard when buying apps, games or
$50 worth of 3D Disney movie rentals. The real potential time saver here is the addition of an optional "remember me" feature which lets users store their PayPal account information for faster purchases. Look for the service to expand to Australia, France, Germany and Italy sometime this month, with other markets set to follow later.
Filed under:
Home Entertainment,
HD,
LG
Comments
Source: PayPal
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Slickdeals' best in tech for April 10th: Canon PIXMA PRO-100 and 65-inch Samsung HDTV
Looking to save some coin on your tech purchases? Of course you are! In this round-up, we'll run down a list of the freshest frugal buys, hand-picked with the help of the folks at Slickdeals. You'll want to act fast, though, as many of these offerings won't stick around long.
If you're looking to make physical copies of those recent snapshots, today's smattering of links may have an attractively priced option for you. A Canon photo
ink jet printer makes the list (with printing duties up to 13 x 19 inches) and a 65-inch
Samsung HDTV stand out, but some other items are selected as well. Skip down past the break to see 'em all, and be sure to keep an eye on those requisite coupon codes and rebate forms.
Filed under:
Misc,
Home Entertainment,
Laptops,
Peripherals
Comments
Source: Slickdeals
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Dropbox for Teams becomes Dropbox for Business, adds single sign-on for good measure
As often as
Dropbox has been courting serious cloud storage users with
Dropbox for Teams, it doesn't feel that the name reflects the company's loftier ambitions -- so it's giving the service a rebranding. Now called Dropbox for Business, it's pitched more directly at the suit-and-tie set. There's more than just talk involved in the new strategy, though. The shift also sees Dropbox build in identity management from five providers so that Dropbox users don't have to sign into the service if they're already logged in elsewhere: they can hop on to the corporate
Active Directory service, for example and have Dropbox ready for action soon after. We doubt that the new moves by themselves will sway IT managers, but they may help would-be users who've been on the fence.
Filed under:
Storage,
Internet
Comments
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Dropbox (1),
(2)
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Samsung Galaxy S4 undressed on camera, found to be easily repairable
If you damage the microUSB connector, SIM slot or camera module on Samsung's new
Galaxy S4, you may not need to spend a lot of time or cash swapping in replacements. Of course, you'll need to get the
flagship smartphone in hand before you're able to damage it, but if you do, repairs shouldn't be a tremendous undertaking, if today's teardown video is any indication. According to
TechnoBuffalo, which published the clip (available at the source link), the Gorilla Glass screen could be a bit more costly to replace, but overall, the device appears to be quite repairable. US carriers are expected to begin selling the Jelly Bean smartphone
later this month, so even though this first undressing isn't terribly detailed, we should have but days to wait before taking a much closer look.
Filed under:
Cellphones,
Samsung
Comments
Source: TechnoBuffalo
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Chrome Beta for Android adds fullscreen for phones, tab history on tablets
Chrome Beta for Android just hit version 27 today, delivering with it a few nice enhancements to what is already arguably the best mobile browser on the market. The two biggest tweaks are the ability to view your tab history on the tablet version by holding down the browser back button and the addition of a fullscreen mode on the phone. Scrolling down to make the address bar disappear on a handset is a
extremely welcome change. A lack of fullscreen browsing was one of the few
quirks of Chrome that occasionally had us contemplating a return to the stock Android browser. There are a couple of other, less notable, tweaks such as support for client side certificates. The Omnibar will also now continue to display any search terms you enter, instead of the URL for the results. You can see the full change log at the source and download Chrome Beta for Android at the more coverage link.
Filed under:
Internet,
Software,
Mobile,
Google
Comments
Source: Chrome Releases
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Monster Watts WiQiQi puts wireless charging in Samsung Galaxy phones without new cases
Samsung already has
wireless charging options for phones like the
Galaxy S4, but they require a separate cover that adds a slight amount of bulk. For Monster Watts, that's still too much. The company's upcoming WiQiQi charging receiver is thin enough to slip under the existing cases of both the S4 as well as the
Galaxy S III and
Galaxy Note II, giving them the same
Qi-based wireless power as official kits without disrupting the design or wrecking compatibility with accessories. Kits for the two phones already on the market should be available as soon as the middle of this month, with discounted early pricing for a receiver-and-charger bundle starting at $45 (normally $78) for the GS3; a WiQiQi for the GS4 won't show until around early June at a regular $88 price, although it should also start at $45 for advance buyers. Monster Watts' wire-free solution isn't seamless, but it may be one of the more elegant in an era when
wireless charging is only occasionally built-in.
Filed under:
Cellphones,
Peripherals,
Mobile,
Samsung
Comments
Source: Monster Watts,
Indiegogo
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Foursquare 6.0 for iOS shifts the focus to exploration with a new home screen
Those who've had the redesigned
Foursquare for Android are familiar with the app's greater priority on exploring local haunts; it's the iOS' users' turn now that Foursquare 6.0 is here. The update puts the Explore search box and map right on the main page, helping socialites quickly find out what's going on nearby. The remake also splits up activity, emphasizing closer check-ins and
what's hot in one space while keeping recommendations and more distant goings-on in another section. Foursquare's refresh isn't a complete revolution, but it puts the app's two main platforms on the same page -- and shows how check-ins have become just one part of a larger whole.
Filed under:
Cellphones,
Mobile,
Apple
Comments
Via: Foursquare Blog
Source: App Store
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Want to work at Engadget? We're hiring news writers and review editors!
We know you're out there, dear future Engadget writer, but we need you
here with us -- where we can touch you, teach you and pay you to write about all those gadgets you love so much. Professional writing experience is necessary, and preference will be given to those with experience in the technology space. If you're familiar with what we do, you'll know that we also require an ability to write about gadgets with wit, concision, accuracy and authority. And being obsessed with Engadget is good, too. Here's what we're after:
- Late-night freelance news writers: This position will require availability between 5PM ET and 3AM ET. Applicants can be located anywhere in the world (time zone converter here), but these hours will not change. To clarify, this is an Engadget US position, but location matters not. Primary tasks will include writing multiple news stories per day and assisting our staff in managing news.
- NYC-based freelance reviews editor: This position will require daily availability at our headquarters in Manhattan. The ideal candidate will work alongside our NYC-based reviews team, and will be expected to deliver in-depth, insightful and thorough reviews of smartphones, software, laptops, tablets and the occasional arcade dock. Experience writing consumer technology reviews is a must.
Want to apply? Read on!
Filed under:
Announcements
Comments
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vi-RABT improves ankle rehabilitation with virtual reality and robotics
We obviously love our gadgets around here. But, as worked up as we get for things with octa-core processors and 4K displays, what really excites us about technology is its ability to improve people's lives. And while having an endless repository of information at your fingertips 24/7 certainly qualifies, we're more interested in the people working to solve
real problems. In the basement of the
Egan Research Center at
Northeastern University, a group of students are toiling away under the watchful eye and guidance of professor Constantinos Mavroidis to build a rather unique device called the Virtually-Interfaced Robotic Ankle and Balance Trainer -- or vi-RABT. For the better part of a year the team has been working on what started life as a
Capstone project. The concept began when Dr. Maureen Holden, from the school's physical therapy department, came to the laboratory with a problem: how can we improve the speed and quality of recovery for
stroke patients who have lost strength in their ankles and struggle to stay balanced?
Filed under:
Misc,
Robots
Comments
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Mozilla CEO Gary Kovacs announces plans to step down
It's been less than three years since
Gary Kovacs came on as CEO of Mozilla and the former Adobe exec is already planning his next venture, which he says will be more commercial in nature. Later this year Kovacs will officially step down as CEO, though he will remain on the board of directors. Under his tenure, Firefox has held its own in a rapidly changing browser market while making strong moves in the mobile space: first, launching a
mobile browser, then a whole
mobile OS all its own. Now the company is working closely with Samsung to build a rendering engine designed from the ground up for mobile and ARM, called
Servo. The search is now on for a replacement for Kovacs who will continue in the chief executive role until later this year. Whoever steps into those shoes still has a lot of work to do. While Kovacs may have helped guide the company through some rough waters to remain relevant, there are still stiff challenges ahead. Skip on past the break to read the announcement sent to employees this morning.
Comments
Source: AllThingsD
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Next Xbox rumors point to HDMI passthrough and cable TV integration
While the world waits to find out the facts about Microsoft's next videogame console, new rumors have popped up suggesting what its plans to go all-in on the Xbox-as-media center concept entail. According to
The Verge, multiple unnamed sources suggest the plan is to include an HDMI passthrough and guide overlay, similar to the method used by Google TV. There's no word on any possible
IR blaster (or IR
GamePad, Wii U-style) integration, but thanks to Microsoft's
partnerships with cable TV providers, it's trying to provide integration that goes a "step further" than what we've seen so far. That includes Kinect control, with next generation hardware that can recognize when viewers have turned their heads away and pause video automatically, with additional features rolling out after launch. There's no confirmation of controversial always-on requirements for gaming, but it will apparently need to be logged on for streaming (of course) and controlling incoming TV signals.
A collection of rumors posted on
Kotaku includes references to an "XTV", and a LinkedIn post that connects tagging of video to the project, similar to Shazam or IntoNow's features. Also dug up on various job profiles are mentions of a "cloud-driven, voice-optimized experience" and the next generation of
SmartGlass.
Microsoft had great success with an evolving
media approach to its console business with the Xbox 360 -- apps and
original content are in, with
Mediaroom and Media Center pushed to the side -- and even if these rumors are true, we wouldn't be surprised if what exists in a few years ends up changing just as much. Still, given the (lack of) response to Google's overlays and gesture control integrated by Samsung, LG and others, it will be interesting to see if a similar approach attached to an Xbox finds different results.
Filed under:
Gaming,
Home Entertainment,
HD,
Microsoft
Comments
Source: The Verge,
Kotaku
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Apple said to be ditching Samsung in favor of TSMC for A7 CPU
The fact that Apple relies upon Samsung, its
arch-rival, for a healthy amount of its components, is one of the biggest paradoxes in the tech industry. Still, if
The Korea Times is to be believed, the unhappy marriage between the two could rapidly be heading towards a divorce. While Apple has previously
splashed out several billion per year on Samsung components, the newspaper is suggesting that Cupertino will turn to TSMC to produce its next generation of
mobile CPUs -- a rumor that's been making the rounds recently. It's source, and executive at one of Samsung's partners, claims the manufacturer has been cut out of development of the A7 CPU, adding a little bit more credence to those claims. What's more, the same source reports that TSMC is gearing up its
20-nanometer production line to crank out the hardware ready for 2014.
Comments
Via: The Next Web
Source: Korea Times
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Novation announces Launchpad S with better MIDI support, we go hands-on (video)
A couple of years is a pretty good run in MIDI controller-land.
It was 2009 when
Novation's Launchpad turned the
Ableton world onto its simplistic charms. It appears, however, the firm's decided it was long overdue a refresh, so that's exactly what it's done. Say hello to the Launchpad S. What does the S stand for? We're not entirely sure, but it could be for speedy, as Novation has ramped up the refresh rate to give a snappier response when you switch between modes.
It could also be for superior lights, as the brightness has been dialled up in response to user feedback. It's also worth noting these pads are entirely USB-powered, making it trickier than simply sucking down more juice. One other superficial change -- perhaps more to give it its own sense of identity than anything else -- is a change of color. It's out with the original's black, and in with an almost metallic gray. So far so good, but we're really thinking that S stands for "software." Why? Because thanks to standards compliant MIDI implementation, the Launchpad S is now plug-and-play with a whole host more applications, not least core-MIDI iOS apps such as the popular
FL Studio Mobile. We took a few minutes to get to know the Launchpad S a little better, which you can see in our video past the break.
Filed under:
Misc,
Peripherals
Comments
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