Walmart permanently drops iPhone 4S price to $39, iPhone 5 to $129
While brief sales on iPhones are relatively common, it's rare to see permanent price drops outside of a hardware refresh cycle. Walmart is willing to give those cuts a shot, however. Visit the company's stores from this point onward and you can pick up the 16GB iPhone 4S in its AT&T, Sprint or Verizon forms at $39 on contract, instead of $90. The 16GB iPhone 5 for those same networks is dropping to $129 from its usual $190; sorry, T-Mobile fans, you're out of the loop for now. It's not hard to understand Walmart's sudden generosity -- when the iPhone range is nearing its annual upgrade, the lower prices should keep current units moving.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple, Verizon, Sprint, AT&T
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Via: Mashable
Source: Walmart (1), (2)
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Ask Engadget: best starter camera for an 11 year old?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Diego, who wants to give his son the gateway drug into photography. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
"I'm an amateur photographer, and my 10-year-old son has started to show an interest in what I do on weekends. I've shown him a thing or two on my DSLR and he wants to learn the basics, but I'd prefer it if he didn't do it on my $1,500 rig. His birthday's coming up, and I'd like to get him something that he can use for himself, that lets him customize ISO, white balance, aperture etc. Naturally, I was thinking of just a regular compact camera, but if you can suggest something else that won't break the bank, I'll gladly listen. Thanks!"
So, we turned this question over to one of our photo experts, who suggested that really, if you've got the budget for it, you might as well pick up a very old, very cheap DSLR. For instance, you can pick up an old Canon Rebel XT for around $200, and while it won't be shiny and new, will let them play with features and settings beyond the average compact camera. But what do we know, eh? This is the part of the weekend where we poll our community for their sage wisdom, so have at it, chums.
Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras
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Mobile Miscellany: week of June 17th, 2013
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week, Ting went rogue and all but confirmed the HTC Tiara, Boost Mobile did the obvious and announced a phone that's long been rumored in its pipeline and Wind welcomed a new, compact Samsung handset into the fold. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of June 17th, 2013.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
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Alt-week 6.22.13: The LRO's fourth moon-year, a 3D brain and alien telegrams (video)
The moon is far from old hat. In fact, after exactly four years on the job, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is just scratching its jagged surface. The dearth of info on our celestial neighbor isn't stopping us from trying to send personal space messages to a far-flung star system, though. Why? Blame it on our huge brains, which we've now mapped in detailed 3D. Yes, this is alt-week.
Filed under: Science
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Acer Aspire P3 review: a nice enough tablet, but wait for the refresh
Back when Windows 8 first launched, the Acer Iconia W700 quickly became one of our favorite laptop / tablet hybrids. There were two reasons for that, really: the price was right, and the battery lasted longer than pretty much any other Win 8 device we'd tested. The thing is, it was more of a business device than something we'd recommend to the average consumer. After all, it came with a heavy, desk-bound docking station, with the carrying case and included keyboard as standalone pieces. That's quite a lot to carry if you ever feel like taking it on the road.
That's where the Acer Aspire P3 comes in. Don't worry, the W700 is still alive and kicking, but for people who've been looking for something more portable, this could be the one you want. Like the W700, the P3 starts at a reasonable price ($800) and has the guts of an Ivy Bridge laptop, including a Core i5 processor, Intel HD 4000 graphics, 4GB of RAM and a 120GB SSD. The difference is that rather than a clunky cradle, it comes with a carrying case that doubles as a keyboard; just prop the tablet up into a ready-made slot when you feel like watching movies or answering email. Yep, kind of like the Surface Pro, except there's no built-in kickstand and the keyboard is actually included. So is it a good deal at that price? Let's find out.
Filed under: Tablets, Acer
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Google's Waze acquisition catches FTC's investigative eyes
Google officially acquired the crowd-sourced mapping and traffic app Waze earlier this month, but the $1.1 billion deal is hitting a last-minute jam. The search giant has confirmed with Reuters that the Federal Trade Commission recently opened an antitrust investigation into the purchase, even though Waze will mostly operate independently. According to the New York Post, Google didn't file a review with the FTC because Waze makes less than $70 million annually, which is below the bar for an "automatic review." Reuters notes that the FTC can put a magnifying glass to any closed deals at its discretion, namely to ensure there was no prior intent simply to stifle competition. These latest happenings might make for a temporary roadblock between the integration of certain data from Waze and Google, notes the Post -- assuming the deal indeed gets an okay from The Man. Either way, we'd imagine concessions will be made if needed, as Google's no stranger to these types of proceedings.
Filed under: GPS, Transportation, Software
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Source: Reuters, New York Post
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Google News in Germany asks publishers to opt-in for indexing, sidesteps copyright fees
Despite its "Defend Your Net" campaign last year, Google was unable to fully put the brakes on changes to German copyright law that may mean it has to pay up for news excerpts it indexes. As a result, the company announced that unlike the other 60 countries where Google News operates by relying on sources to opt out of inclusion by request, robots.txt file or meta tags, it's requiring German publishers to opt-in. According to Google, it's pushing six billion visits per month to publishers worldwide as a free service, not something it should have to pay for. As TechCrunch points out, the issue comes as a result of the new German law that allows search engines to continue to publish snippets of news without paying, but isn't clear about just how much information that can include.
Filed under: Internet, Google
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Via: TechCrunch (1), (2)
Source: Google Germany Product Blog
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Meet B, the flying car that'll make it even easier to terrorize local wildlife (video)
Sometimes, when a remote-control car and a remote-control helicopter love each other very much, they come together and produce something like the B. Well, okay, that's not exactly how this small flying car came about, but it's a nice story. Witold Mielniczek, a computational engineering Ph.D. candidate at the University of Southampton, is currently running a Kickstarter for the simply named B, a hybrid car-helicopter that can handle both challenging terrains and limited air travel. Equipped with a sleek polycarbonate chassis, four propeller driving units (a fancy way of saying wheels) and an HD 1,280 x 720 camera to record one's travels, B seems to be the little flying car that could. In the greater scheme of things, Mielniczek hopes that B will one day be able to operate on water in addition to land and air. While it's no Avengers helicarrier, we suppose every journey begins with a single step. To see B in action, check out the video after the break.
Filed under: Misc
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Source: Kickstarter
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Windows 8 Music update brings in-app searching, login-free trial streaming
Windows 8 has built-in search tools for apps, but a tweak in the June update to Xbox Music is making that feature more accessible. The media player now lets you search for songs on both your PC and Xbox Music through an in-app button. If you don't have any local tunes, you won't have to sign in to start listening -- Music now lets you stream 15 tracks through Xbox Music's ad-supported free tier without using an account. While other bug fixes and UI enhancements are minor in nature, what's here is enough to justify a trip to the Windows Store for the new version.
Filed under: Software, Microsoft
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Source: Windows Experience Blog
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Twitch.tv is down, users will need to reset their passwords when it's restored (update: it's back)
Videogame focused live video streaming platform (and new Xbox 360 / Xbox One partner) Twitch.tv is down at the moment, but even once it's restored users will have to reset their passwords and stream keys. That information comes directly from the site's official blog, which blames the issue on a caching problem with its web CDN partner. Some users are worried the site may have been hacked since prior to its shutdown, many suddenly found themselves viewing accounts that belonged to other people and now all the login information has been cleared. The company continues to state that isn't the case and belief to the contrary is related to an outdated outage message featuring a logo tied to its company hack week. It should be back up shortly, but apparently "10s of millions of accounts resets takes quite a bit of time."
Update: It's back!
Filed under: Gaming
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Source: Twitch.tv Blog, Twitch.tv
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EFF looks at rules controlling NSA surveillance, sees big risks for Americans
While The Guardian undoubtedly garnered attention when it posted court papers detailing data collection rules for the NSA, it also provided a lot of detail that isn't easy to digest. The Electronic Frontier Foundation is more than willing to break down those rules, however -- and it doesn't like what it sees. It's concerned that there are too many exceptions letting the NSA store and transmit private information, with little oversight preventing investigators from seeing more US data than they should. Allegedly, the rules could defy American rights to anonymous speech; they may also violate attorney-client privileges both inside and outside of the US. We have a hunch that the NSA might disagree with this interpretation of its authority, but you can see all the points of contention for yourself at the link below.
[Image credit: David Drexler, Flickr]
Filed under: Internet
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Source: EFF
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US government files criminal charges against Edward Snowden over PRISM leaks
The Washington Post reports tonight that, as expected, the US Government has filed criminal charges against Edward Snowden for leaking information about NSA surveillance programs to the Post and Guardian. The charges listed include Theft of Government Property, Unauthorized Communications on National Defense Information and "Willful Communication of Classified Information to an Unauthorized Person." The charges are filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, where the headquarters of Snowden's employer, Booz Allen Hamilton, are located. So what's next? According to the paper, the government has asked Hong Kong to detain Snowden on a provisional warrant, however if a fight over extradition or request for asylum could delay the process.
Filed under: Internet
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Source: Washington Post, Official Complaint
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Vine for Android adds Facebook sharing, searches for hashtags and users
Twitter isn't about to let Video on Instagram go completely unanswered -- it just posted an update to Vine for Android that could offer a few reasons to stay with the earlier service. Short-form movie makers on Android now have more of the features we've seen on iOS, including Facebook sharing as well as searches for hashtags and users. The release also smooths out the rough experience that has characterized the Android experience since launch, boosting both capture speeds and the final video quality. The app may still fall short of the newer Instagram release in a few areas, but those who prefer Vine's approach can grab its refresh at Google Play.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Facebook
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Via: Vine (Twitter)
Source: Google Play
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Engadget Podcast 349 - 06.21.13
"You don't have Facebook? Then how do you get on Farmville?," asks Brian as Peter explains his disdain for the world's largest social network. While Tim was relatively mum on that subject, it turns out he broke his Google Glass... somehow. So, while the aforementioned bearded wizard works on getting a replacement -- and 3D printing a better case -- feel free to hear about this week's biggest stories in consumer electronics by streaming our newest episode below.
Hosts: Tim Stevens, Peter Rojas, Brian Heater
Producer: Joe Pollicino
Hear the podcast:
Filed under: Podcasts
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The Daily Roundup for 06.21.2013
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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Watch Wimbledon tennis live on YouTube beginning Monday (video)
It may not be the NBA Finals or Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the world's oldest tennis tournament has a solid following as well, particularly abroad. A new Wimbledon partnership with YouTube
could help boost the competition's appeal stateside; for the first
time, you'll be able to access video feeds from the two-week London
event, live on Google's prized streaming site. Beginning this Monday,
you can catch all the action on Wimbledon's YouTube channel, with Rolex
footing the bill. You'll also find interviews, behind-the-scenes
segments and press conference streams on the video site, along with past
match highlights and other featured content. There's a teaser clip
waiting for you just past the break.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, GoogleComments
Source: YouTube
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TuneWiki social music player to shut down on June 28th
If you've been interested in social music listening, there's a good chance you've heard of TuneWiki's lyric syncing and discovery services. Unfortunately, you won't be hearing about them for much longer -- the company is shutting down on June 28th. The firm hasn't explained its decision, but we wouldn't count on any content working after the cutoff date. We've reached out for more details; for now, the only certainty is that lyric lovers will have to scramble for alternatives.
Filed under: Internet
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Via: The Next Web
Source: TuneWiki
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RadioShack bundling $100 Google Play store credit with HTC One purchases
Loyal Engadget readers know that we don't normally trouble ourselves with promotions, but this one is too wild to ignore. Until June 30th, RadioShack is offering the HTC One to AT&T and Sprint customers with an added bonus -- a $100 credit for the Google Play store. Should you elect to sign up with Sprint, you'll basically get away like a bandit since RadioShack has slashed the price of the handset to $79.99 for new activations -- on two-year contracts, of course. After all is said and done, you would basically leave $20 richer than when you started (sort of). So, if you've been lusting after the HTC One but have held off on buying it, the universe might be trying to tell you something.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC, Sprint, AT&T
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Via: Phone Arena
Source: Radio Shack
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Facebook security bug exposed 6 million users' personal information (update)
Today, Facebook announced a security bug that compromised the personal account information of six million users. In a post on the Facebook Security page, the site's White Hat team explained that some of the information the site uses to deliver friend recommendations was "inadvertently stored with people's contact information as part of their account on Facebook." When users downloaded an archive of their account via the DYI (download your information) tool, some were apparently given access to additional contact info for friends and even friends of friends. The post continues:
We've concluded that approximately 6 million Facebook users had email addresses or telephone numbers shared. There were other email addresses or telephone numbers included in the downloads, but they were not connected to any Facebook users or even names of individuals. For almost all of the email addresses or telephone numbers impacted, each individual email address or telephone number was only included in a download once or twice. This means, in almost all cases, an email address or telephone number was only exposed to one person. Additionally, no other types of personal or financial information were included and only people on Facebook - not developers or advertisers - have access to the DYI tool.
Facebook says it's temporarily disabled the DYI tool to fix the breach. We've reached out to the site for further comment; for now, read the official statement via the source link below.
Update: Facebook has responded to our inquiries and stated that while the bug was discovered earlier this month, "it had been live since last year." They immediately disabled the tool, fixed the bug and reenabled it within 24 hours of the bug's discovery. The bug was reported to them through a White Hat program for external security researchers.
Filed under: Internet, Facebook
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Via: TechCrunch
Source: Facebook
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Tobii and Synaptics team on eye-tracking Ultrabook concept
While Tobii has a peripheral that brings eye tracking to Windows PCs of all sorts, there's little doubt that an integrated approach would be more elegant. The company agrees: it's partnering with Synaptics on a concept Ultrabook (seen above) that combines both Gaze UI and Synaptics' pressure-sensitive ForcePad in a showcase of new input methods. The partners haven't said just what new tricks they'll demonstrate, if any, but it's clear that there won't be a size penalty when the concept is as slim as the laptops in stores today. Synaptics and Tobii plan to tour the PC throughout the industry during the summer and the fall, and they're no doubt hoping that a few vendors use the concept as inspiration.
Filed under: Laptops, Peripherals
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Source: Tobii
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Editor's Letter: Microsoft backtracks. Is the Xbox One better for it?
In each issue of Distro, editor-in-chief Tim Stevens publishes a wrap-up of the week in news.
It's not too often that we call a tech news story stunning, but that seems like an apt description for our reaction when Microsoft decided to pull an abrupt about-face and nix its controversial rights management for the Xbox One. We learned at the Seattle launch event that the system would have to call home once every 24 hours or every game installed from a disc would be disabled -- even if you had the disc in the drive -- and quickly the rumblings from the gamers started. They grew louder at E3 when Microsoft detailed the system's DRM, a stream of complaints that quickly reached deafening levels on online forums and the like.
Yet, through all that, Microsoft stayed true to the party line, that the advantages of this system (being able to digitally share games, being able to change games without having to swap discs, etc.) outweighed the overwhelmingly negative reaction brewing among online gamers. That corporate message seemed to get bitter at times, weary at others, but never showed a sign of changing. Until, suddenly, a complete about-face this week.
Filed under: Misc, Internet, Samsung, Microsoft
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AOL Reader launches into private beta, thanks Google for the opportunity
Google: "Eh, we're kind of over this Reader thing. Let's go launch some balloons."
AOL: "Why, thanks guys -- don't mind if we do!"
The above mentioned quotes are still unofficial, mind you, but it appears that AOL (disclaimer: that's Engadget's parent company) is joining Feedly and Digg in an effort to capture the audiences who will soon be forced to flee from Google's Reader product. AOL Reader launched today in beta form, promising to collect "all your favorite websites, in one place." It appears that the design language follows that introduced in the entity's Alto mail product, and if you've forgotten your AOL password, fret not -- those who request (and receive) an invite will be able to sign in via Facebook, Google or Twitter. Oh, and judging by the shot above, it's designed to work universally across screen sizes and devices, including your tablets, phones, desktops, laptops and space-age computational creations. Of note, it appears that the sign-up forms aren't entirely active just yet, as we're hearing that the bona fide launch won't occur until next week.
Update: We've confirmed that invites will be accepted starting on Monday, June 24th.
Filed under: Internet, Software
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Source: AOL Reader (1), (2)
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This week on gdgt: MOGA Pro, Xbox One, Xperia Tablet Z
Each week, our friends at gdgt go through the latest gadgets and score them to help you decide which ones to buy. Here are some of their most recent picks. Want more? Visit gdgt anytime to catch up on the latest, and subscribe to gdgt's newsletter to get a weekly roundup in your inbox.
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Google Mine service reportedly leaked, lets Google+ friends share real goods
Google is big on sharing all things virtual, but it hasn't done a lot to spread the wealth in the physical world. That could change soon: Google Operating System claims to have spotted an in-development Google Mine service that can simplify lending tangible goods. Users can list what they're sharing, offer items to their Google+ circles and keep track of who has what. The web version can reportedly show a collection in 3D through a WebGL viewer named Katamari, and there's also an Android app in tow.
The feature set sounds ideal for generous Google+ users; the real question is whether we'll get to use any of it. Mine is supposedly limited to internal testing for now, and only some of Google's initiatives ever leave its campus. Google hasn't confirmed the effort, but the company tells us that it's "always experimenting" with features and doesn't have anything to share "at this time." Connected borrowers will just have to be patient, then -- assuming the service launches at all.
Filed under: Internet, Google
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Via: TechCrunch
Source: Google Operating System
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Life after Kinect: PrimeSense's plans for a post-Microsoft future
When PrimeSense founder Aviad Maizels put a prototype of a 3D sensor on a chip in front of Microsoft in 2006, he had no idea it would lead to the biggest turning point in the Israeli startup's history. Four years later, its partnership with the Redmond giant resulted in Kinect, the motion-sensing camera that made headlines around the world. In 2013, however, Microsoft unveiled an all-new Kinect, the result of years of entirely in-house development -- without PrimeSense's assistance. As fate would have it, the company returned to its chip-making origins a year ago, creating a new product called Capri, a cheaper, lower-power and tinier version of its 3D system-on-a-chip; so tiny, in fact, that it's designed to be embedded inside tablets, laptops, thin displays and smartphones. With 3D use cases that go far beyond Dance Central, the Capri is the latest sign that PrimeSense is ready to break free from its video game roots.
Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Tablets, Wireless, Microsoft, ASUS, Nintendo
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Source: Wikipedia, Wikipedia, Openni, Wired UK, PrimeSense, Calcalist (Google Translate)
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