Google teams up with edX to create the YouTube for online education
Google's big list of open source projects just grew by one -- the company has introduced a new online learning platform called MOOC.org. Despite the name, it's not a website about cows -- MOOC stands for "massive open online courses," and it's a product of the marriage between Mountain View and edX, an educational website by MIT and Harvard. However, while edX only features free courses from affiliated universities, MOOC.org will accept material submitted by other institutions, governments, businesses and even individuals. In short, just about anyone can pitch in -- edX's president even revealed that they want the site to eventually become the "YouTube for MOOCs." The companies have yet to reveal how they'll screen submitted courses for quality and how contributors can earn money, but we'll likely find out when the site launches in mid-2014. Self-motivated folks eager to learn will have to hang out around libraries, campuses and TED talks until then.
[Image credit: University of Salford, Flickr]
Filed under: Misc, Google
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Via: Slate, WSJ
Source: mooc.org, Google Research
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Apple quietly terminates its Cards app on iOS, suggests using iPhoto on a Mac
Apple
had two phones and the final iteration of its mobile OS to show off, so
it'd be forgiven for letting smaller news slip through the cracks --
especially when it's the termination of an older service. It looks like
not many people were in need of Cupertino's Cards app, which launched
alongside the iPhone 4S back in October 2011.
In case you forgot, iPhone (or iPad) users could send an ole-fashioned
greeting card through the app interface which would then be sent via
snail mail. Apple's official support page confirms
that the service is being shuttered, but reminds us that it still has a
Hallmark alternative and that we can make "beautiful letterpress cards
customized with your photos and text using iPhoto on your Mac." At $2.99
per greeting in the US (or $4.99 to send it globally) the service
wasn't cheap, so perhaps you'd already resorted to sending your photos
and greetings digitally (and for free) on iMessage -- Apple publicly
launched its messenger app at the very same event.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, AppleComments
Via: 9to5Mac
Source: Apple
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Google Street View gives you a tour of where Moto X's are born
Ever wonder how Motorola's stateside assembly of the Moto X compares to giants such as Foxconn? Well, now you can go on a digital tour of the facility via Google Street View -- that is if our extensive gallery of up-close-and-personal photos doesn't do it for you. Google and Motorola have introduced the new virtual destination to celebrate the Fort Worth factory's official launch, so anyone with internet connection can check out where the company assembles the 100,000 phones it ships each week. And if you're tired of looking at sterile white factory walls, you can always use Street View to coo at animals, climb lofty buildings and conquer mountains instead.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google
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Source: Motorola
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AT&T agrees to LTE interoperability with smaller US carriers
Numerous regional US carriers have called for AT&T to support their 700MHz bands, which would give them the LTE devices and roaming coverage they need to compete with national rivals. These networks may soon get their wish: as part of an FCC-led deal, AT&T has agreed to support LTE on the 700MHz A Block frequencies held by smaller providers. While AT&T is short on details, it's already modifying its network to support the additional bands. Compatible devices will arrive in a "reasonable time frame," the telecom giant says. The commitment doesn't address LTE interoperability problems with Verizon and other major US networks, but it should help at least a few tiny carriers stand a fighting chance in the 4G era.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, AT&T
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Via: GigaOM
Source: FCC, AT&T Public Policy Blog
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Exynos 5 Octa demos 8 cores working at once and other feats of CPU strength (video)
Just in case yesterday's news that Samsung is ready to enable new features on its Exynos 5 Octa chips wasn't clear, ARM has published a few demo videos to show what it can do. All three are embedded after the break, and the first one highlights how the Exynos 5 Octa 5420 can activate some or all of its 8 cores to maximize responsiveness while launching and using Quickoffice. As you can see above in the screenshot, all eight cores are activated while launching the app, then unused ones switch off for more efficiency. Another video shows how it runs Angry Birds Rio on just the four Cortex-A7 "LITTLE" side of the CPU, rarely activating any of their more power-hungry A15 friends. The last demo video shows how its Mali-T628 GPU activates to process images faster and more efficiently than the CPU alone can.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Samsung
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Surprise! ASUS to launch 'the new PadFone Infinity' next Tuesday
Given the recent leaks, it's no surprise that ASUS is now readying the launch of its aptly named "the new PadFone Infinity." According to an invitation we just received, CEO Jerry Shen will be hosting an event for said device in Taipei next Tuesday, so we'll be there to get our hands dirty. For now, all we know is that this phone + tablet combo will look pretty much identical to the current model, except it'll likely get a more powerful Snapdragon 800 SoC inside, as well as a microSD slot and an all-white color option. Stay tuned for our coverage!
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, ASUS
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Netflix launches in The Netherlands, available for €7.99 per month
Netflix promised its next European expansion would occur in The Netherlands, and today it's switching on service for the first time. Priced at €7.99 per month (with a one month free trial available), it brings the usual package of assorted Hollywood movies and TV shows, Netflix Originals and local selections like De Heineken Ontvoering, Alles is Liefde, Spiksplinter and Kikkerdril to Dutch viewers -- we recommend Orange is the New Black. Check the press release after the break for more content details, as well as which hardware in the country is compatible with it at launch.
Filed under: Internet, HD
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Source: Netflix.nl
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3D systems buys sugar printing firm for future breakthroughs in tooth decay
3D Systems has been on a bit of a shopping spree lately, snatching up companies left and right for its portfolio of print offerings. This latest deal is a bit sweeter than most, however. The company has picked up Sugar Lab, an LA-based startup that prints edible 3D objects in sugar. This isn't quite the breakthrough in 3D-printed food we've been waiting for, but it certainly suggests that the company is taking a much more serious look at the space, as CEO Avi Reichental suggested during our interview at Expand back in March.
We reached out to the exec for comment on this latest acquisition, and he told us: "We are all foodies at heart, and for as long as we could remember, food provided a great canvass for our creativity. Adding third dimension to food creation is one of the most exciting initiatives I am involved with." At the very least, it takes us a step closer to the Star Trek cake we've wanted since we were 10.
Filed under: Peripherals
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Motorola's US factory now shipping 100,000 Moto X phones a week
If you're anything like us, you're wondering just how well Motorola's Fort Worth factory is coping with demand for Moto X smartphones. The answer? Well enough, thank you: CEO Dennis Woodside just told Reuters in an interview that the US-based plant is shipping about 100,000 Moto X units each week. While that's nowhere near the millions of units that Apple or Samsung would ship in a similar space of time, Woodside notes that the factory is still ramping up. Current numbers also don't reflect sales, since only some devices already have buyers. We'd add that Motorola is targeting just a handful of countries versus the global scale of its rivals. It's doubtful that the company's Fort Worth production will ever come close to that of manufacturing hubs like Shenzhen, but there's early signs that the American factory is here to stay.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google
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Source: Reuters
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Poll: are you buying the new iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c?
For the first time in the history of the iPhone product line, Apple today unveiled two entirely new products: the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. Naturally, they're pretty well differentiated, which may make the decision to pick one up (or not) that much more challenging. So, we leave it to you, dear reader: are you planning to equip yourself with one of Apple's newest phones here in just a few weeks? If so, which one? If not, why? Of course, those who've found little to love about iOS have some fairly fantastic options coming their way this holiday season as well. Leave your vote and note below, won't you? And, please, keep it civil -- internet comments are forever, after all.
View Poll
Follow our liveblog for all of the iPhone news as it happened.
Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 2013 event hub!
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
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Google denied dismissal of wiretapping claims in Street View data snooping suit
Google's already vowed to pony up $7 million and destroy passwords, emails and other data collected from unsecured WiFi networks through its Street View cars, but the damage won't stop there. The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has denied the company's attempt to dismiss wiretapping claims in a class action suit over the debacle. Page and Co. argued their actions could pass under a wiretap exemption since data transmitted over WiFi is an electronic communication that's easily accessible to the public. However, the panel of judges didn't buy the search giant's argument. "Wi-Fi transmissions are not 'readily accessible' to the 'general public' because most of the general public lacks the expertise to intercept and decode payload data transmitted over a Wi-Fi network," Judge Jay Bybee explained. Secondly, the court ruled that the data transmitted over WiFi can't be classified as mostly audio, so it falls "outside of the definition of a 'radio communication.'"
"We are disappointed in the Ninth Circuit's decision and are considering our next steps," a Google spokesperson told Bloomberg. Now that Mountain View isn't getting off this hook, expect it to dish out more compensation soon.
Filed under: Google
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Via: AllThingsD
Source: US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (PDF)
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DisplayLink's adaptor streams 4K content over USB 2.0 and 3.0 (eyes-on)
DisplayLink's been wringing all kinds of connectivity out of our computer's USB ports for years, turning one connection into many. It should come as no surprise, then, that the company's using its considerable compression expertise to send high-resolution 4K video through that very same pipe. Ideally, the system shoots video over USB 3.0, while still giving users the full connectivity options of any compatible DisplayLink device -- but it can also function using USB 2.0, though the dynamically compensating data compression at work may cause some frames to drop.
We chatted with Displaylink's Director of Marketing, Andy Davis, about the feature and he informed us that the new 4K capability comes courtesy of a chip design first revealed back at CES that, while upping the max resolution of transmitted video, has no trouble driving multiple displays. In theory,the number of 4K screens the chip can drive is only limited by the graphics drivers and video decoding capabilities of the computer it's connected to. And, the new architecture also enables wireless streaming of 4K video using 802.11ad and can stream 1080p video over 802.11ac (4K over 802.11ac is in the works). We got to see a brief demo of the technology in action, and the video played back flawlessly over USB 3.0 for the few minutes we saw it work. Using 2.0, we noticed a slight flicker once or twice during playback, but the feed was still quite watchable. All in all, its a nice addition to the DisplayLink feature set. Now if they'd just let us know when we'll actually see it implemented in something we can buy.
Filed under: Displays, Misc, HD
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Join the Engadget HD Podcast live on Ustream at 8:15PM ET
It's Tuesday, the new regular day for the Engadget HD Podcast. We hope you'll appreciate us clearing up Monday for football and join us live when the Engadget HD podcast starts recording at 8:15PM. 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
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Daily Roundup: Apple's iPhone 5s and 5c hands-on, Touch ID fingerprint scanner, Moto X factory, and more!
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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Apple's iPhone 5c isn't the low-cost phone you've been waiting for
The iPhone 5s was expected. The iPhone 5c, on the other hand, was merely rumored. Now that Apple has taken the wraps off of two new iPhone products, it's the newest range that strikes us as the most curious. For months, pundits have wondered if and when Apple would attack two obvious markets: the large-screen market -- which Samsung is lapping up in supreme fashion at the moment -- and developing markets. The iPhone 5c addresses neither of those, which begs the question: who exactly is Apple targeting?
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Apple
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Hands-on with Apple's new iPhone cases
The iPhone 5s and 5c announcements were the big stories at today's Apple event, but let's not lose sight of the things that really matter -- like the iPhone's accompanying cases, of course. Jesting aside, both smartphones received a full lineup of colorful cases that not only add a degree of protection to the phones but also throw in another element of personalization that's become so prevalent in the mobile industry lately.
While the case designed for the 5s seems to be your standard leather enclosure (with five total hues offered), the design for Apple's iPhone 5c case is much more interesting. It's a mesh-style plastic that's a little less rigid than the 5s option (though still reasonably sturdy), but the more important part of the accessory is its back, which initially reminded us more of a game of Connect Four than an actual case. It involves a series of 35 circles arranged in a 7x5 grid. This design offers a two-toned color scheme, with the 5c body providing one hue and the case providing the other. As you can see, Apple's putting a very heavy emphasis on the importance of color, and the company is trying to back up its focus with some vibrant oomph. We played with a few different color combinations after today's event, so check out our gallery of images below to see what you think.
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Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Apple
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NSA violated privacy protections from 2006 to 2009, pins blame on confusion
By now, it's no secret that the NSA has courted privacy violations, but new documents divulge just how long such incidents have occurred. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper released approximately 1,800 pages of declassified files, which reveal that the NSA's phone record program violations happened between 2006 (when it first came under court supervision) and 2009, when the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court ordered changes to the operation. During that period, a total of 17,835 phone numbers were listed for checking against Uncle Sam's database, and only about 1,800 were based on the standard of reasonable suspicion. According to Clapper, congress received the papers we're seeing now at the time of the incidents, and corrective measures have been put in place. Among the preventative actions are a complete "end-to-end" review of telephony metadata handling, the creation of the Director of Compliance position and a fourfold increase of the compliance department's personnel.
As it turns out, the missteps are (again) said to have been accidents. "There was nobody at the NSA who had a full understanding of how the program worked," an intelligence official claims. Sure, the increased transparency is certainly welcome, but a recently-leaked NSA audit from May of 2012 suggests that collection of protected data is still occurring from a combination of human error and technical limits. To pore through the National Security Agency's fresh load of documents, hit the second source link below.
Filed under: Internet
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Via: Wall Street Journal
Source: Office of the Director of National Intelligence
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Apple iPhone 5s vs. iPhone 5c: which is for you?
We use the term loosely, but the iPhone is no longer a "one size fits all" smartphone. Today's Apple event marked the introduction of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, and beyond price, the two devices are separated by several unique features. Considering your own desires for gaming, photography, security, style -- and yes, your budget -- it's likely that one phone is a better fit for your needs. So join us after the break as we explore the finer points of Apple's latest smartphones.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
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Hulu offers a few fall premieres from Fox, ABC and NBC online before they air
It's pumpkin spice latte season, and that can only mean one thing: fall TV premieres are right around the corner. Thankfully, Hulu (like several other providers, if you have cable or satellite just take a look at your video on-demand menu) is once again letting you get the jump on your water cooler gossip by offering an early look at a few new and returning shows from ABC, NBC and Fox in advance of their television air dates. So, if you've been suffering from severe withdrawal from The Mindy Project (now with 100% more James Franco) or been intrigued by the overripe nostalgia of The Goldbergs, you're in luck. Also available on Hulu right now are new episodes of Back in the Game, Trophy Wife, Ironside and Welcome to the Family. To get into the spirit of premiere season, follow the source link below.
Filed under: Internet, HD
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Source: Hulu
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Apple iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c FCC documents appear, reveal little
Right on time, as Apple's launch event finishes the FCC publishes test documents for its latest hardware. After pawing through the stack we didn't spot any surprises for the iPhone 5c or iPhone 5s -- with their wide LTE compatibility and Bluetooth 4.0 LE covered there's little missing other than 802.11ac WiFi -- or internal photos exposing the new 64-bit A7 chip. Still, there are external pics (a few are included after the break) showing some of the frequency and exposure testing endured by each phone, and enough band information for those interested to stay busy until they actually go on sale.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
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Source: iPhone 5s A1453 / A1533 (FCC), iPhone 5c A1456 / A1532 (FCC)
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Apple's September 10th event roundup: iPhone 5s, 5c and iOS 7
Expected Apple to officially kill the the 30-pin connector today? Not so fast -- the company left the 4s clinging to life as a freebie. The big reveals today, however, were the all new iPhone 5s and lower-cost (and brighter-hued) 5c. You won't be able to get your hands on the latest iDevices until September 20th, so catch up on all of the news from today's event in our roundup after the break.
Check out our liveblog of Apple's event to get the latest news as it happens!
Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 2013 event hub!
Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Misc, Laptops, Peripherals, Portable Audio/Video, Mobile, Apple
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AT&T finalizes $1.9 billion spectrum purchase from Verizon, deal will improve LTE service in 18 states
It's taken almost eight months, but AT&T has at last finalized its deal to purchase $1.9 billion worth of spectrum from Verizon. The agreement, first announced back in January, allows Verizon to unload a good chunk of its 700MHz spectrum, which AT&T will in turn use to improve its LTE service for 42 million customers across 18 different states. And that's all she wrote, folks. If you're curious to see whether your state is covered, all 18 of them are listed in the press release below. Be warned, though: you'll also need to watch AT&T do a victory lap over how fast its network is.
Filed under: Wireless, Mobile, Verizon, AT&T
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Nike+ Move for iPhone 5s is a gateway to activity apps, won't replace a FuelBand
While Apple was explaining the iPhone 5s' new M7 motion coprocessor, it mentioned a Nike+ Move tracking app that left us wondering about the FuelBand's fate -- is it redundant? In a word, no. Nike tells us that Move is simply an "introductory experience" that generates a Nike Fuel score based on day-to-day movements. Those serious about activity tracking will want to continue using a FuelBand or the Nike+ Running app, the company says. While that news may prove disappointing for some fitness gurus, we wouldn't be too worried at this stage -- there are likely to be at least a few apps that combine M7 support with advanced features.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
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iPhone 5s fingerprint reader authentication isn't open to developers for time being
So, you know fancy new fingerprint reading home button Apple showed off for the iPhone 5s at today's event? The company demonstrated functionality for unlocking and buying stuff through iTunes. Cool, but what about third-party apps? We can imagine all sorts of neat uses not limited to buying stuff. For the time being, however, the authentication functionality is off-limits. Apple exec Phil Schiller told All Things D that the hardware won't be opened to developers initially. As to whether that functionality will be arriving in the future, Apple's not ready to say just yet.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
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Source: All Things
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Apple's iPhone 5s and 5c event video is now available for your viewing pleasure
If you're looking to relive all that went down in Cupertino earlier today, the full-length event video is now online for you to do just that. From a stable of new iPhones to a shiny new mobile OS, Apple packed in the announcements and a viewing sessions affords you the chance to rehash the event in its entirety. Just check the source link below -- and make sure you've got Quicktime installed, of course.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Apple
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Source: Apple
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