IT News HeadLines (Engadget) 06/03/2010

Steve Ballmer emphasizes importance of the cloud, Google pretty much does likewise
Microsoft has had its run-ins with the cloud before, but if CEO Steve Ballmer is being serious (and we're guessing he is), the company is about to get even more connected. Speaking with computer science students this week at the University of Washington, Ballmer was quoted as saying that "a year from now... 90 percent [of Microsoft employees would be working in the cloud]." He went on to say that the cloud base "is the bet, if you will, for our company," and he noted that it'll "create opportunities for all the folks in [the] room to do important research and build important projects." It's not like any of this is an epiphany, though; we've already seen a shift to Google Documents given the ability to access it from any web-connected computer, and with the proliferation of broadband on the up and up, it's only a matter of time before it's more convenient to open a web app than to wait for your taskbar to stop bouncing. In related news, Google Europe boss John Herlihy has essentially mirrored those thoughts, calling the desktop an item that will be "irrelevant" in three years. Why? Largely because most everything you'll need a tower for will be available via a mobile or the web, but we all know that sect of hardcore gamers will keep the beige boxes rolling for at least another score.

Steve Ballmer emphasizes importance of the cloud, Google pretty much does likewise originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leak: Microsoft Pink phones coming to Verizon, on shelves April 20th?

Details on Microsoft's Pink phones seem to be leaking all over the place this week, and we just got a huge piece of the puzzle: an extremely reliable source just told us the two Sharp-made devices will launch exclusively on Verizon, with a possible street date of April 20th. We've also got two more photos of the Pure and Turtle -- which are legit, as far as we can tell -- and some info on the Pink ad campaign, which will indeed be targeted at teens and twentysomethings and centered around that "truly madly deeply" line Microsoft employees have been tossing around lately. (Sort of explains that 4/20 launch date, right?) Whether any of this is good enough to overcome the fact that Pink seems to be a limited featurephone platform launching into a world of cheap smartphones remains to be seen, but this thing is definitely happening. New pic of the Turtle after the break.

Update: We've just heard that Pink will be coming to Vodafone internationally as well -- which explains why we've heard of both CDMA and GSM variants of the two devices.

Continue reading Leak: Microsoft Pink phones coming to Verizon, on shelves April 20th?

Leak: Microsoft Pink phones coming to Verizon, on shelves April 20th? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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M3 robots used to research human development, melt hearts (video)

Let's face it: anything that a human can do a robot can do better. Whether it's teaching our youngsters, giving physical therapy to our oldsters, or reading bedtime stories, robots are coming out on top. Researchers at Osaka University have developed two new devices recently called M3-neony and M3-synchy ("M3″ stands for "man-made man," while "neony" refers to the word neonate, and "synchy" to synchronized communication). The former is essentially a baby simulator that will be used to test machine learning software designed to shed some light on fine motor skill development. It is equipped with a pair of CMOS cameras for sight and microphones for hearing, gyro and accelerometer sensors, and tactile sensors. And it can crawl! The latter robot was developed to study communication through use with object recognition, speech recognition, and speech synthesis software. On the hardware end, this guy sports a head-mounted CCD camera, two microphones, a speaker, and fifteen LEDs (for making the robot blush). Needless to say, these are both very adorable -- so much so, in fact, that we might not even notice if they weaponize themselves. Let's just say the future just got a little cuter. And a little deadlier. Video after the break.

Continue reading M3 robots used to research human development, melt hearts (video)

M3 robots used to research human development, melt hearts (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Plastic Pals | Japan Science and Technology Report | Email this | Comments
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Microsoft's Courier 'digital journal': exclusive pictures and details

We've been dying to know more about Microsoft's Courier tablet / e-book device ever since we first caught wind of it last September, and while our entreaties to Mr. Ballmer went unanswered, we just learned some very interesting information from an extremely trusted source. We're told Courier will function as a "digital journal," and it's designed to be seriously portable: it's under an inch thick, weighs a little over a pound, and isn't much bigger than a 5x7 photo when closed. That's a lot smaller than we expected -- this new picture really puts it into perspective -- and the internals apparently reflect that emphasis on mobility: rather than Windows 7, we're told the Courier is built on Tegra 2 and runs on the same OS as the Zune HD, Pink, and Windows Mobile 7 Series, which we're taking to mean Windows CE 6.

As we've heard, the interface appears to be pen-based and centered around drawing and writing, with built-in handwriting recognition and a corresponding web site that allows access to everything entered into the device in a blog-like format complete with comments. We're also hearing that there will be a built-in camera, and there's a headphone jack for media playback. Most interestingly, it looks like the Courier will also serve as Microsoft's e-book device, with a dedicated ecosystem centered around reading. It all sounds spectacular, but all we have for a launch date is "Q3 / Q4", and we have no idea how much it's going to cost, so we're trying to maintain a healthy skepticism until any of this gets official -- call us any time, Microsoft. One more pic showing the interface after the break.

Update: We've added a gallery of user interface shots -- some of which we've seen and some of which are new.

Gallery: Courier user interface

Continue reading Microsoft's Courier 'digital journal': exclusive pictures and details

Microsoft's Courier 'digital journal': exclusive pictures and details originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony VAIO Z with Quad SSD stripped down and explained by its project leader

For the average geek like us, there's nothing more satisfying than watching a gadget skillfully torn apart by its creator. That's why we're slightly envious of Engadget Chinese, who saw Sony VAIO Z Series project leader, Takamitsu Kasai, explaining the differences between the old and new VAIO Z literally part by part. Hightlights include Sony's proprietary Quad SSD (so not user-upgradable, sadly), a redesigned heatsink to accommodate the new chips' higher TDP (thermal design power), and various features of the "one-piece milled aluminum" and "hybrid carbon" chassis. Of course, all we really care about are photos of the naked VAIO Z, so go ahead and gorge yourselves after the jump.

Sony VAIO Z with Quad SSD stripped down and explained by its project leader originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox Live termination ends in a consolation goodie bag for Halo 2 owners

As Microsoft prepares to pull the plug on online gaming for the original Xbox, it's decided to act benevolently toward the undoubtedly grief-stricken Halo 2 loyalists and has rewarded them all with some consolation prizes. A free three-month Xbox Live membership awaits, accompanied by 400 MS points and a place on the Halo: Reach beta, should you wish to accept it. For a console that's nearly a decade old, it's understandable that online gaming support would've had to end at some point, so you might as well just transfer all your energies into being a good guinea pig / tester for Microsoft's latest cash cow. Steve would just love it if you did.

Xbox Live termination ends in a consolation goodie bag for Halo 2 owners originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rambus and NVIDIA patent dispute gets a little closer to a resolution
We're just a few tech-related legal cases away from changing our name to Enpatent, and the latest to push us that little bit closer is yet another ruling in the long and drawn-out battle between Rambus and NVIDIA. If you need a refresher, way back in 2008 Rambus accused NVIDIA of illicitly using five of its patents, and most recently a judge ruled that only three of those five had been violated. Now two more patents have fallen off the legal wagon, with the US Patent and Trademark Office indicating that only one of the three remaining was a true violation, a second was rejected, and a third got a mixed ruling. So, from a start of five Rambus is down to basically one and a half, but NVIDIA is saying it isn't done yet, planning yet another appeal. Maybe we should call ourselves Enappeal instead...

Rambus and NVIDIA patent dispute gets a little closer to a resolution originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sexist computers: male voices are apparently harder to recognize than female ones

Researchers up at the University of Edinburgh have determined that the male voice is harder for voice recognition software to pick up and understand than its female counterpart. This conclusion was reached after telephone conversation recordings were run through a battery of tests, which revealed that men seem to say "umm" and "err" more often, while also identifying that the greatest difficulties arise with words that sound similar and can arise in the same context, such as "him" and "them." Equally troubling is the first word in a sentence, as it comes without context and therefore doesn't benefit from any predictive assistance. Done in partnership with Stanford, the study was aimed at identifying and overcoming the major hurdles to producing usable and reliable voice recognition -- something Google's universal voice translator phone is also aiming to achieve. Let's hope somebody figures out how to get around all our hemming and hawing, eh?

Sexist computers: male voices are apparently harder to recognize than female ones originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPad launches on April 3rd, pre-orders begin March 12th

Word from Apple is out -- so get your credit cards ready. The iPad will be launching on Saturday April 3rd (and on the shelves, er... display tables at Apple retail stores), but you'll be able to plunk down cold, hard cash for it in just a week. Pre-orders will begin on March 12th for the US version (non-3G) for that April street date, with the 3G version coming in late April along with iPads for eager buyers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. Says our man Steve Jobs: "We're excited for customers to get their hands on this magical and revolutionary product and connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before." Remember, it's magic. US pricing will be as follows (just in case you need to figure out how many piggy banks to smash):

• 16GB WiFi only -- $499
• 32GB WiFi only -- $599
• 64GB WiFi only -- $699
• 16GB WiFi + 3G -- $629
• 32GB WiFi + 3G -- $729
• 64GB WiFi + 3G -- $829

Need more info? Full PR after the break!

Continue reading iPad launches on April 3rd, pre-orders begin March 12th

iPad launches on April 3rd, pre-orders begin March 12th originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Desire, Legend and HD Mini show up on Amazon UK, expected to arrive on April 1

Slowly but surely, HTC's latest trifecta of handsets is making its way westwards. After appearing on Amazon's Deutsche hub with a pre-order value of €519 ($707), the Desire has now reached the UK with an even steeper £528 ($795) price and an estimated arrival time of April 1. Let's just hope this pattern doesn't continue or we'll be looking at a four-figure sticker when this thing comes all the way Stateside. The HTC Legend is also slated for an April 1 delivery and carries a price of £400 ($602), while the HD Mini will straggle a tiny bit with an April 14 launch and a palatable £369 ($556) price. All are without contractual obligations, so it'll be interesting to see what incentives carriers can come up with to get us to jump on board.

[Thanks, Ron]

HTC Desire, Legend and HD Mini show up on Amazon UK, expected to arrive on April 1 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Amazon UK (Desire), (Legend), (HD Mini) | Email this | Comments
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OMG WTFJeans! (video)

Smartphone in your back pocket? Cracked screen when you flop down on a wooden barstool. Front pocket? You're asking for nasty scratches should you throw some keys in there. The fix, apparently, are wtfJeans, denim designed for gadget lovers. They sport micro-fiber pockets to protect those screens, a hidden memory stick pocket to keep your infos semi-secure, and even extra padding and protection in special places for male wearers. Granted, the styling is a bit... controversial, perhaps even Kris Kross inspired, but we're digging the look -- and the website, which encourages you to "wear them FTW" and offers special European beta pricing of €59 ($80) for the first 100 pairs. After that only 900 more will be made, and we're guessing they'll sell out quick, so order soon or you could be stuck wearing TLA-free pants. Drowsy unboxing video after the break!

[Thanks, Tomislav]

Continue reading OMG WTFJeans! (video)

OMG WTFJeans! (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Artificial photosynthesis could power your house, even if it's not green (video)

It's a sad state of affairs: your lawn is better at converting the sun into energy than that $23k solar array your neighbors just threw on their roof. Sun Catalytix wants to show that grass what's what with a new process for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen -- artificial photosynthesis. In a presentation at the ARPA-E conference (the Advanced Research Projects Agency -- basically DARPA minus the military bent) Sun Catalytix founder Dan Nocera indicates that the process his company is developing could, with a photovoltaic array, four hours of sunlight, and a bottle of water, generate 30 kilowatt-hours of electricity. That's enough to power an average home for a day -- though hardcore gamers will probably need a bit more. The hope is that this will ultimately lead to cheap power for self-sufficient homes in the not-too distant future, but we're still left wondering when that future's going to come.

[Thanks, Jaden]

Continue reading Artificial photosynthesis could power your house, even if it's not green (video)

Artificial photosynthesis could power your house, even if it's not green (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rii Mini Wireless Keyboard is perfect for your HTPC, not your Wii (video)

For HTPC owners looking for the perfect couch-borne computer keyboard, this Rii Mini Wireless Keyboard looks like Natuzzi nirvana, packing QWERTY (with function keys) and a touchpad all in a package that should fall to the hand more comfortably than that Scientific Atlanta remote your cable company has saddled you with. There's even a laser pointer, making it a snap to indicate strange shapes and symbols seen on Lost episodes -- or to taunt the cats when an episode's fifteenth plot twist leaves you disinterested. We're not sure exactly what Brando means when it says the thing has "iPhone style," but despite that we're liking it, and the $92 $49 price isn't completely outrageous. YouTube video review embedded after the break for the doubters.

Update: A few bargain-hunting commenters pointed out that this is available for $48.99 over at TomTop. That's savings you can count on, folks!

Continue reading Rii Mini Wireless Keyboard is perfect for your HTPC, not your Wii (video)

Rii Mini Wireless Keyboard is perfect for your HTPC, not your Wii (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microring transmissions are sure to resonate with people who hate wires

You've probably seen sketches like the one above promising you complete cable independence since what, 1996? We're not about to tell you this is the one technology that finally delivers on that utopian dream, but it's surely one of the zanier attempts at it. By converting "ultra fast laser pulses" into radio frequency waves, the researchers claim they've overcome a significant hurdle to making wireless communications ubiquitous -- signal interference. The rapid (each laser burst lasts a mere 100 femtoseconds), pulsing nature of their approach purportedly makes their signal extremely robust, while intended operation at around 60GHz means their microring transmitters (diagram after the break) will be able to operate within spectrum space that does not require a license -- neither from the FCC nor internationally. Applications for the microrings would include things like HDTV broadcasts and piping data into vehicles, although we won't be seeing anything happening on the commercial front for at least another five years. Typical. If you just can't wait that long, a few Japanese companies you may have heard of are preparing their own 60GHz wireless devices for the second half of this year.

Continue reading Microring transmissions are sure to resonate with people who hate wires

Microring transmissions are sure to resonate with people who hate wires originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia's limited edition Oakley N97 mini is a match made in Dog heaven

Nothing says, "I don't play sports but I want you to think that I do" quite like wearing a pair of Oakley shades. And no smartphone has had a tougher time earning respect than the mini version of Nokia's N97 debacle. To its credit, the N97 mini has become a very successful device for Nokia despite its namesake with not one, but two special edition runs already under its belt. Now we've got three with this limited edition model handed out to Oakley-sponsored Winter Olympians. Other than a laser-etched back, the Noakleyia mashup also comes packed with exclusive Oakley team content. Just 200 were produced so if you see it on eBay, you'd better be fast with the snipe. Gratuitous N97 mini video of Shaun White after the break because over-saturated is not in your vocabulary.

Continue reading Nokia's limited edition Oakley N97 mini is a match made in Dog heaven

Nokia's limited edition Oakley N97 mini is a match made in Dog heaven originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T moves toward eco-friendly packaging, earns our approbation

Notice to all gadget makers and vendors: if you reduce your packaging and engage in environmentally conscious behavior, you'll get free press out of it and positive brand awareness to boot. Take for example AT&T's newly announced design specifications for its own-brand phone accessories and packaging requirements for cellphone makers. Both are geared toward minimizing the surplus of paper and plastic that tends to come with the purchase of your device, and both will require the use of recycled and recyclable materials. AT&T expects to save 200 tons of excess materials by the end of 2010, which is very encouraging, but also disturbing in that it lets us know we were wasting 200 tons each year that could, presumably, have been saved by some sager planning. Anyway, better late than never -- and guess what, it will probably end up costing the company less than those inane advert attacks on Verizon.

AT&T moves toward eco-friendly packaging, earns our approbation originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NVIDIA pulls 196.75 driver amid reports it's frying graphics cards

One of the discussions that arise anytime we bring up a new graphics card from ATI or NVIDIA is about which company has the better drivers. Well, this should help sway the argument a little bit. It would seem StarCraft II Beta players were among the first to notice low frame rates while using the latest drivers from NVIDIA, and further digging has uncovered that the automated fan-controlling part of said firmware was failing to act as intended. The result? Overheated chips, diminished performance, and in some extreme cases, death (of the GPU, we think the users will be okay). The totality of it is that you should avoid the 196.75 iteration like the plague, and NVIDIA has temporarily yanked the update while investigating the reported issues. Shame that the company hasn't got any warnings up on its site to tell those who've installed the update but haven't yet nuked their graphics card to roll back their drivers, but that's what you've got us for, right?

[Thanks, Shockie]

NVIDIA pulls 196.75 driver amid reports it's frying graphics cards originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic leaks own G2 and G10 Micro Four Thirds cams in macro fashion

Whoopsadaisies. Seems Panasonic "accidentally" posted specs and images of its upcoming G2 and G10 Micro Four Thirds cameras to its web site just long enough to be snagged by a few different photog sites. While there's no denying that the incident occurred (the pics are certainly legit), there's some speculation at 43rumors that the specifications are still "work in progress" and should be considered only partially correct. Nevertheless, let's go with what we've got keeping in mind that some of this might change. Both cams are said to feature a 12.1 megapixel sensor, touchscreen with touch shutter and touch MF Assist, and ISO 100 to 6,200 sensitivity. The G2 differs with its one-touch AVCHD Lite movie mode (1,280 x 720, 60p) and 3-inch articulating display with live view. The G10 then, offers a "double live view" (LCD and live view finder) glimpse at the action while recording 1,280 x 720p motion JPEG videos at 30fps. However, the leaked spec sheet inconsistently mentions an AVCHD Lite recording format for the G10 as well... so who knows. Panasonic is expected to make an announcement on March 7th; surely you can wait you a few days?

Gallery: Panasonic leaks own G2 and G10 Micro Four Thirds cams in macro fashion

Panasonic leaks own G2 and G10 Micro Four Thirds cams in macro fashion originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 03:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Art Lebedev's Segmentus clock gives you a digital reading using its analog hands

We're not quite sure whether you need a really active or a really idle mind to come up with this, but the dudes over at Art Lebedev Studio have just unveiled their latest conceptual design. Continuing the theme of faux-Latin names, this is branded the Segmentus clock, and sports hands just like an antiquated analog clock, but unlike an analog clock it seems to have a good 20 or 30 of them. Working in unison -- you might call it like clockwork, but we'd rather you didn't -- they then produce a digital time reading, which might not be easy to read, but we're sure will tickle all the artistes out there. Art Lebedev calls it "true postmodernism," and you can find a live demo on the company's site at the source link below.

[Thanks, Danil K.]

Art Lebedev's Segmentus clock gives you a digital reading using its analog hands originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget: Best touchscreen-equipped ultraportable / tablet out there?

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Sami, who apparently thinks that touchscreens are totally useful even in the frigid wilds of (gorgeous) Finland. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

"I have a 13-inch MacBook and I love it. But I'm beginning to think it might be a little too big for me to carry around. I'll be going to university soon, and I do random IT support in my downtime. So, the question: Which netbook / tablet / small laptop would you recommend for me? Touchscreen would be nice, 3G is a must. I'm not going to sell my MacBook so the new gadget doesn't have to hold 'my life' in it. Thanks!"

We've yet to really see a touchscreen-based ultraportable with software to really take advantage, but who knows -- maybe Sami has a few very specific uses where finger inputs will come in handy. Drop your advice in comments below, and be sure to wave your passport as you do.

Ask Engadget: Best touchscreen-equipped ultraportable / tablet out there? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Switched On: Why it's time for an iTunes TV subscription
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

In the 10 billionth song that Apple sold through iTunes, Johnny Cash's "Guess Things Happen That Way", a man other than Steve Jobs famous for black attire bemoans the happenstance of his romantic misfortune. But nothing could be further from the story of iTunes, in which Apple's meticulously crafted ownership of the end-user experience led to a dominant position in music sales. Now, on the dawn of releasing a new device that could be to television shows what the iPod was to music, Apple has an opportunity to create as commanding a lead in TV distribution -- if it is willing to again capitulate to consumers' media consumption habits.

Apple has enjoyed great success with iTunes in part because it adopted the purchase-to-own model that had been so successful with CDs and records before them. However, Apple didn't simply mirror that model. By allowing consumers to purchase the vast majority of songs as singles, it provided better perceived value, Such an option was also a natural fit for the iPod, where playlists made it trivial to create the digital equivalent of "mix tapes." The iPod's capacity for thousands of songs was also no match for most albums that typically had a dozen or so songs.

Continue reading Switched On: Why it's time for an iTunes TV subscription

Switched On: Why it's time for an iTunes TV subscription originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MSI Toast PC catches our eye, and that's all she wrote

Who knows what's actually housed in the device, but judging by the accompanying placard, MSI is playing the aesthetic card with this one. Designed as both a PC and a decoration for the home, it's certainly pleasing on the eye. And like the sign says, "don't try to put in toast" -- cute, but we'd rather that line had a commitment to releasing this sucker. Or a price range. Or some hint as specs. Or anything tangible, really.

Gallery: MSI Toast PC eyes-on

MSI Toast PC catches our eye, and that's all she wrote originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows Phone 7 Series mockup changes slightly, Zune menu making a comeback? (update: nope!)

So Microsoft's Charlie Kindel posted up a long blog post about Windows Phone 7 Series and app development just now, and we couldn't help but notice the WP7S device mockup he used is noticeably different from the stock press shots we've been seeing and the actual devices we've gotten to play with. That's a totally different hardware trim, for starters, and there's a Zune-like menu on the right-- on the builds we've seen scrolling to the right reveals the app list. And that map on the bottom has been moved up a couple rows from where we've seen it on demo builds -- which is unfortunate because it's so wildly ugly in comparison to the rest of the 7 Series interface. Now, this could actually be an older mockup, not a newer one, so we're not reading too much into this, but it's clear that Microsoft is still making a ton of tweaks to the WP7S interface as time goes on -- hopefully we'll see some final results at MIX.

Update: Charlie confirms that this is an older mockup. Sorry, Zune fans.

Windows Phone 7 Series mockup changes slightly, Zune menu making a comeback? (update: nope!) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft talks Windows Phone 7 Series development ahead of GDC: Silverlight, XNA, and no backward compatibility

Microsoft is keen on unveiling the meat of its developer story around Windows Phone 7 Series at MIX10 in less than two weeks, but with GDC coming up next week, they're figuring that now is a good time to start dropping hints -- they'll want to be capturing the collective imagination of the gaming industry, after all, what with that Xbox Live integration they've got going on. To that end, Charlie Kindel of WinPho's developer experience team has outed a few key items at a reception in San Francisco this evening.

The major points are that Silverlight, XNA, and .NET will figure prominently into the developer story -- not a surprise considering that Microsoft is heavily invested in both, gaming is central to the Windows Phone 7 Series story, XNA is a big deal on Zune HD already, and this all lines up with what we'd heard in the past. In fact, Kindel boldly proclaims that "If you are Silverlight or XNA developer today you're gonna be really happy." On the flipside, it's a bit ironic considering that Silverlight spends much of its existence going head-to-head with Flash, and all indications are that we won't see Flash support on 7 at initial availability (though it's sounding like a lock post-launch).

One final note at today's event is that Microsoft has now officially confirmed for the first time that 7 represents a clean break from Windows Mobile as we know it today; existing apps won't be compatible. Though that's likely to be a pain for existing owners with specialized apps who are looking to stay in the Microsoft ecosystem, Windows Phone 7 Series itself is a very different beast than the operating system it replaces -- it feels different, seeks a different demographic, and symbolically represents a very important clean-slate departure for a company that had lost its way in the mobile space. The bright side for the 6.5 faithful, we suppose, is that Kindel closes by saying that they "will continue to work with our partners to deliver new devices based on Windows Mobile 6.5 and will support those products for many years to come" -- a message Microsoft has been echoing recently.

We expect to hear much, much more on this at MIX -- and we might hear a few more tidbits at GDC as well -- but in the meantime, there's a developer Q&A going down on Twitter around 9:00PM ET (check the #wp7dev tag) where we could get some details. Stay tuned.

Microsoft talks Windows Phone 7 Series development ahead of GDC: Silverlight, XNA, and no backward compatibility originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Charlie Kindel, Twitter Q&A session | Email this | Comments
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Canon captures your coffee in a 70-200mm telephoto lens

OK, not really, but Canon was indeed giving out these novelty coffee mugs -- in the shape of an EF70-200mm f/4L USM lens -- at the Winter Olympic's press center, and here's Microsoft's Josh Weisberg (Director of Rich Media Group) showing off his swag to the whole world. Yes, we're just a bit envious. So anyone got a spare Canon L-Series lens that we can tamper with? Or maybe that big-daddy Sigma lens if you're game with sharing coffee?

Canon captures your coffee in a 70-200mm telephoto lens originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MeeGo repository going public later this month, coming to Nokia N900

Valtteri Halla -- Nokia employee and one-half of MeeGo's Technical Steering Group -- has blogged up a storm this week about the first baby steps that'll get the platform off the ground from its Moblin and Maemo roots, and from the sounds of things, we'll be able to get our first glimpse at it on production hardware before the month's out. Currently, the plan is to open up MeeGo's code repository to all comers "by the end of this month," targeting both Atom boards and the N900. Now, we certainly wouldn't say that MeeGo's decision to use the N900 as an early target device is indicative of an official upgrade down the line -- but this is particularly interesting in light of the fact that we've never gotten a commitment out of Nokia to bump its latest MID to Maemo 6. And besides, considering that the average N900 customer is a bit of a hacker in his or her own right, let's be honest: a code repository that supports the phone is just about as good as an official gold build anyhow.

MeeGo repository going public later this month, coming to Nokia N900 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HyperDevbox ExZeus Arcade allays fears that Android games are destined to suck

For whatever reason, Android's high-performance Native Development Kit introduced back in the Cupcake days never got a ton of attention despite the subtle hints that it'd give devs the low-level access they needed to create killer, graphically rich, immersive environments ready to compete with pretty much any other gaming device you could shove in your pocket. Of course, at the time, every phone in the market was running an older, slower ARM11 core -- so maybe the new generation of ARMv7-based devices we've got hanging around now like the Nexus One and Droid are the catalysts we need to get this party started in earnest. Japan's HyperDevbox studio has just shared the news that its ExZeus Arcade shooter makes full use of the NDK, your microSD card, and a custom sound driver to bring a gaming experience hotter than pretty much anything we've seen on Android thus far; the only catch is that you need Android 2.0 or up and a phone with a dedicated GPU to get it going. It's available now in the Market for a seemingly reasonable $3.99 -- and let's let this serve as a reminder to other game studios that they've got the tools and the horsepower to rock Android hard. Follow the break for video of ExZeus in action.

Continue reading HyperDevbox ExZeus Arcade allays fears that Android games are destined to suck

HyperDevbox ExZeus Arcade allays fears that Android games are destined to suck originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Taipei gets 1,000-strong fleet of WiMAX-equipped taxis
Looking for something else to be envious of now that in-flight WiFi is starting to be more readily available? Then look no farther than Taipei, which has just announced the roll-out of a 1,000-strong fleet of WiMAX-equipped taxis. Alright, so a short cab ride might not send you into the same sort of internet withdrawal that a five hour flight does, but we're not ones to turn down mobile broadband when it crops up in places normally reserved for a bit of down-time or "conversation." Best of all, the in-taxi WiMAX will apparently be free during the initial stage, although VMAX Telcom hasn't yet decided if it will charge a fee in the future. No word on any expansion plans beyond the initial 1,000 cabs just yet either, but the service will apparently be limited to the greater Taipei area -- at least until VMAX's WiMAX coverage expands to other parts of Taiwan.

[Thanks, Tim]

Update: Our pals at Engadget Chinese have informed us that in-taxi WiMAX will unfortunately only be used provide internet access to small touchscreen devices installed in the cabs, not to your laptop.

Taipei gets 1,000-strong fleet of WiMAX-equipped taxis originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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USmart's MC-1 claims 'world's smallest' title, certainly wins over our hearts

Some people have soft spots for puppies and panda bears; we have them for tiny laptops. Claiming to be the world's smallest computer, USmart's 4.8-inch MC-1 is about the size of a man's wallet yet manages to pack the guts of a netbook. That's right in that tiny little chassis is a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 CPU, 1GB of RAM and 4GB of on-board storage. What it doesn't have is some sort of fan; when we put the little guy in our hand it was quite toasty. Wondering how in the world one would navigate Windows XP on such a small screen? Like the 4.8-inch UMID MBook BZ, it has a resistive touchscreen and comes with a stylus, but USmart will also sell an external touchpad / keyboard combo that's bound to be more comfortable. We're strongly questioning the practicality of this $300 device and its title of "world's smallest computer," but can you really argue with something so adorable? How about you tell us after checking out the video after the break.

Gallery: USmart's MC-1 hands-on

Continue reading USmart's MC-1 claims 'world's smallest' title, certainly wins over our hearts

USmart's MC-1 claims 'world's smallest' title, certainly wins over our hearts originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mattel Mindflex hack shocks you into serenity

Okay, we're in love with this delightfully evil Mattel Mindflex hack, which delivers an electric shock if you don't remain calm, but we have to wonder: wouldn't this thing be amazing if you hooked it up in reverse and punished not thinking enough? Video after the break.

Continue reading Mattel Mindflex hack shocks you into serenity

Mattel Mindflex hack shocks you into serenity originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS Eee PC 1015PE, 1015P and 1001PQ hands-on

Oh, you thought we were done with ASUS' new Eee PC models at CeBIT. That's cute. In addition to launching the aluminum 1018P and 1016P, ASUS has also quietly released the 1015PE and 1015P (or Diary series as it says on the units), which look to be joining the Seashell line with some minor design tweaks. The 1016PE's faux dark wood lid has a more professional look, and its shape reminds us somewhat of HP's Mini 5102. On the other hand, the 1015P has a white, softer-looking matte lid and an updated touchpad with integrated mouse buttons. Inside it appears they will be available with Intel's Pine Trail Atom N450 and N470 processors, and apparently the forthcoming N455 and N475 CPUs. Last but not least, ASUS also seemed to whip out the race car-inspired, kid-intended 1001PQ that has the same specs as the 1005PE we reviewed awhile back. We don't know about you, but we'd actually dig that design for ourselves. Until the next Tales from ASUS' Eee PC booth update, we leave you with the hands-on pictures below.

Gallery: ASUS Eee PC 1015PE hands-on

Gallery: ASUS Eee PC 1015P hands-on

Gallery: ASUS Eee PC 1001PQ hands-on

ASUS Eee PC 1015PE, 1015P and 1001PQ hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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InFocus rolls out three new large, thin displays for business, education

Don't count on these being available at your local mega-electronics retailer, but InFocus' new series of large, thin displays aimed at business and education users may just have you wishing they were. Available in 42, 55, and 65-inch varieties, the slim, professional-grade displays all pack a full 1080p resolution, a generous supply of inputs (including HDMI, VGA and RS232 for Crestron and AMX integration), a split screen feature to accommodate two separate video sources, and some anti-burn-in technology that will let you leave a pie chart up on the screen all day without any worries (if that's your thing). Of course, professional-grade also come with professional-grade prices, and these are no exception, with them running $1,399, $2,599, and $7,499 -- although InFocus insists they are aimed at the "budget-conscious professional."

InFocus rolls out three new large, thin displays for business, education originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Archos Phone Tablet shelved due to lack of carrier support?

We'd already heard that Archos' Android-based phone tablet might be in trouble if the company wasn't able to line up at least two carriers to support it, and it looks like that unfortunate end may have now come to pass. While Archos itself still isn't saying anything, French daily Les Echos is reporting that the company has indeed shelved its plans for the phone, and is apparently returning its focus to its line of non-phone internet tablets. Of course, the phone does still exist, so there's always a slight chance that it could make a comeback, but the word out of CeBIT seems to be painting a pretty grim picture.

[Thanks, Chris]

Archos Phone Tablet shelved due to lack of carrier support? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon's HTC Incredible spotted again, looking as red-accented as ever

We're missing that crazy contoured back this time around, but otherwise, HTC's so-called Incredible for Verizon is looking as real and ready for action as it ever has in these latest shots leaked over at Phandroid. It's hard to say whether these crimson bits are going to make it to production -- they seem a little too spectacular for a high-end device that Verizon will want to appeal to the masses, but then again, red is Verizon's color, so who knows? We've seen from countless prototypes in the past (Moto's Morrison comes immediately to mind) that they're often given special colors, presumably to identify bandits trying to expose them as anonymously as possible -- and we're tentatively going to say we dig it here. AT&T's gone wacky on us in the past, but is Verizon hip enough to ship a phone this edgy? Release rumors span from March to May at this point, so we'll know within the next couple months what's what.

Verizon's HTC Incredible spotted again, looking as red-accented as ever originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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North Korea's Red Star OS takes the 'open' out of 'open source'

You know, Tux always seemed so harmless... little did we know that he is actually a Che Guevara-type figure who's been traveling around the world, fighting the good fight on any number of fronts. First, Cuba announces its national Linux variant, Nova, and now? Red Star is North Korea's very own Linux-based operating system, featuring a desktop very similar to Windows -- but for the red star that replaces the Start button. It first came to light when Mikhail, a Russian blogger living in Pyongyang, picked up a copy for $5 near Kim Il-sung University. The install disk apparently features a quote from Kim Jong-il about the importance of an operating system "compatible with Korean traditions," and the system requirements are a Pentium III 800MHz with 256MB RAM and 3GB hard drive space (North Korea's version of Minesweeper must take up a lot of room). Of course, this bad boy has Firefox -- except here it's called My Country, and it will only connect you to something called "My Country BBS," a web portal on North Korea's own (restricted) version of the Internet. Where will the plucky penguin turn up next? We don't know, but we bet it'll be one hell of a ride.

Gallery: North Korea's Red Star OS

North Korea's Red Star OS takes the 'open' out of 'open source' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Project Pink QWERTY slider 'Pure' found in the wild, headed for Verizon?

There's a lot of rumbling in Project Pink land today, as Microsoft is seemingly nearing that magical time where its much-leaked Sidekick followup can finally see the light of day. First off, we're hearing from a tipster that the phones (we've seen 'Turtle' and 'Pure' so far) will be exclusive to Verizon, at least at the outset -- makes sense, given the CDMA radios we saw at the FCC. He calls the UI "hectic and colorful," and also says that there's still some serious cloud backup reliance, along with some desktop software to sync up with the cloud as well, and data plans that including a certain quantity of app downloads a month.

This is all fine and exciting, but it's helped along by a couple of image leaks. Conflipper, well known among the xda-dev crowd, is teasing the Twitter world with some screenshots of the emergency dialer (which also mention Verizon Wireless), and a Facebook upload from the device, which can be found in the gallery below. The dialer is about as barebones as it gets right now, but there's a bit of a hint of Windows Phone 7 Series in there to be sure. Finally, Gizmodo hit upon the hardware jackpot with a Mr. Blurrycam capture of the bigscreen 'Pure' QWERTY slider (pictured up above). If you really squint your eyes you can make out some of that "hectic and colorful" UI we're hearing about.

Gallery: Microsoft "Pink" pictures surface

Project Pink QWERTY slider 'Pure' found in the wild, headed for Verizon? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple / Nokia federal lawsuit put on hold pending ITC investigation
We normally wouldn't cover something so procedural, but given the heightened interesting Apple's patent dealings this week, we thought we'd note that Cupertino's tiff with Nokia in the federal courts has been put on hold while both companies argue their case before the US International Trade Commission. We expected the ITC to be the primary front in this fight from the start, but now we'll be particularly focused on the Commission's ruling, since several of the patent claims Apple's asserting against Nokia in this case are also being claimed against HTC. We don't have a timeline on when the Commission will reach a decision, but we'll keep an eye on things.

Apple / Nokia federal lawsuit put on hold pending ITC investigation originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony prepping new line of handhelds, including PSP phone?

You know who knows everything? People familiar with the matter. In particular, they know everything when "the matter" happens to be Sony's handheld strategy for 2010, which is said to finally include an honest-to-goodness PSP with phone capabilities -- something the world's been demanding for as long as they've wanted a Zunephone. According to the WSJ, the device is apparently part of a larger push by Sony to create an iTunes-like Utopian ecosystem of products this year that connect to Sony Online Service, an ecosystem that would also include a hybrid portable of some sort that "blurs distinctions among a netbook, an e-reader and a PlayStation Portable." Details aren't offered on this particular monster -- but turning our attention back to the phone for a second, it's claimed that Sony's working with it in conjunction with the folks at Sony Ericsson under the direction of Kunimasa Suzuki, an exec largely responsible for the VAIO line who's also involved with the PlayStation team. Of course, SE's already taken some baby steps toward corporate harmony by bundling Remote Play support with the Aino, but everyone knows that PSP compatibility is the panacea; Microsoft finally buckled on the Zunephone thing with the introduction of Windows Phone 7 Series, and there's no reason why Sony shouldn't follow suit.

Sony prepping new line of handhelds, including PSP phone? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android 2.1 for Droid Eris leaks out

We've already seen a broken build of Android 2.1 for the Droid Eris slip out accidentally, but now the full package is available for installation courtesy of the fine folks at xda-developers. We haven't tried it ourselves, but we're told it's working fine, and that snazzy new version of Sense is apparently quite snazzy and new. Of course, you're risking your phone and all your data if you try this, so the absolutely smart and prudent move is to wait for the official update, but do let us know how it goes if you're daring enough to load it up, okay?

Update: And just like that, it's been ported to the Sprint Hero, although not everything works quite yet. You be careful, kids.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Android 2.1 for Droid Eris leaks out originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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