Sunday, January 16, 2011

IT News HeadLines (Engadget) 15/01/2011



NTIA says LightSquared proposal could pose national security threat
Last summer it looked like Philip Falcone's LightSquared was on the path to a democratic LTE solution: a coast-to-coast network, incorporating satellite connectivity to cover the entire country. It's an ambitious goal to be sure -- perhaps too ambitious. In a letter to the FCC, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) warned that the wholesaler's wireless network, which would operate on the MSS spectrum, could interfere with systems like Department of Defense communications. Here's the snag: last year the FCC approved the company's initial proposal to create a network that would incorporate both terrestrial and satellite services. Now LightSquared wants to offer the option of terrestrial-only phones to their clients. According to the NTIA, such a system would require far more land-based stations, causing potential MSS overcrowding and increasing the risk of interference with everything from aeronautical emergency communications to Federal agency systems. The FCC has yet to make a decision on the revised proposal, and LightSquared hasn't made a peep, leaving us to wonder whether it was all too good to be true.
NTIA says LightSquared proposal could pose national security threat originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Jan 2011 08:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceReuters  | Email this | Comments
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Holy reverse KIRF Batman! Meizu M9 ROM ported to HTC EVO 4G
Some industrious hackers have created a port of the Meizu M9 ROM for the HTC EVO 4G, bringing a little KIRF flavor to Sprint's favorite jumbo phone. The port is still in the developmental stages, but most of the M9 functionality appears to already be working, with only the port from GSM to CDMA and tweaks to screen resolution left to do. After a little spit-shine to make sure the build is stable, EVO owners can finally see what the Meizu M9 fuss is all about without having to actually buy one. Of course, why you'd actually want to do this to your perfectly functional Android phone is a question that may never truly find a legitimate answer.
Holy reverse KIRF Batman! Meizu M9 ROM ported to HTC EVO 4G originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Jan 2011 05:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Ali Waqas  |  sourceMIUI-Developers, xda-developers  | Email this | Comments
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Notion Ink Adam clears FCC, begins shipping 'around Wednesday'
We don't see it in the FCC database yet but Notion Ink's charming Rohan Shravan just penned a post on the company's blog with news that Adam has official clearance from the US government. That's right, after several delays the tiny startup will finally condense its occassionally vapory molecules into a solid slab of shipping tablet starting "around Wednesday" after the hardware receives its FCC tattoo. A tablet good enough to earn a Best of CES 2011 honorable mention at an event absolutely flooded with tablets from a who's who of consumer electronics companies. While our first impressions of the production unit were positive, we're holding off on making a final judgement until we've had the chance to perform a full review. Having said that, Adam's final NI3421A01 product code is so nerdy -- 3421 are consecutive numbers in the Fibonacci series -- that we're almost tempted to place an order ourselves. Almost.

[Thanks, John]
Notion Ink Adam clears FCC, begins shipping 'around Wednesday' originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Jan 2011 04:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceNotion Ink  | Email this | Comments
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Starr Labs AirPower, Missing Link adapters take MIDI into the wild world of wireless
Ah, MIDI. How we love thee. You're older than dirt itself, but still totally relevant -- something we could only hope to one day be. But now, it's time to make a move. A move to a world where copper wires and insulated cabling aren't necessary. A world where wireless rules. Create Digital Music has a new report out on two of the most prominent options when it comes to wireless MIDI, with the both of 'em distributing bleeps and bloops over totally different airwaves. The Starr Labs AirPower relies on a proprietary 2.4GHz communications protocol, enabling MIDI guitarists to finally get their groove on without worry over cable ejections. 'Course, with a $425 (upgrade) / $250 (MIDI-only) price tag, it's far from being affordable, and that $250 dongle is needed in addition to the $425 adapter for any instrument not made by Starr. The Missing Link relies on traditional WiFi waves, enabling phones and tablets to easily tap into its potential. You'll need to be aware that even the slightest bit of WiFi interference could ruin a live gig, but at just $150 (limited first run), it may be worth the risk. Head on past the break for a live demonstration of the latter, and tap that via for more dirt on the duo.Continue reading Starr Labs AirPower, Missing Link adapters take MIDI into the wild world of wireless
Permalink Create Digital Music  |  sourceStarr Labs  | Email this | Comments
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Strait Power turbine is water-powered, shark-inspired (video)
Strait Power turbine is water-powered, shark-inspired (video)
The basking shark, with its five foot jaw, is one of the most ferocious looking critters that ever swam the sea. However, it's pretty much harmless, just filtering out tiny bits and leaving idle dippers and their water wings alone. This is what served as the inspiration for Anthony Reale, who turned that gaping maw into Strait Power. It's effectively a double-nozzle that fits around a hydro turbine or two, turning the flow of water into electrical power, boosting the efficiency of the turbine by creating areas of high pressure ahead and low pressure behind, as visualized above. The result was a 40 percent boost in efficiency -- and some soggy jeans, as you can see in the videos below. The first gives a quick overview, the second an uber-detailed discussion of the development from start to finish. Choose your path.Continue reading Strait Power turbine is water-powered, shark-inspired (video)
Strait Power turbine is water-powered, shark-inspired (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Jan 2011 01:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceMichigan Engineering LabLog  | Email this | Comments
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How would you change Windows Phone 7?
Fair's fair, right? The last time we spoke, we gave you all ample opportunity to tell webOS' new owners how revision 2.0 should be changed, and now that Microsoft's latest and greatest has been on the open market for a few months, it's time to do the same with Windows Phone 7. It's obvious that WP7 is a huge, huge leap forward over Windows Mobile, but as a fledgling mobile OS, there are naturally quite a few areas where improvements could be made. If you were blessed with the ability to magically wave a wand and change anything about Windows Phone 7, what would it be? Would you tweak how the email notification system works? Alter how the tiles are laid out? Make it just a bit more like the Kin? Go on and spill your heart below -- you're an early adopter, you've earned the right.
How would you change Windows Phone 7? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 22:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sierra On-Line games hit iPad via web app, those old enough to remember them rejoice
You may or may not be old enough to remember Sierra On-Line, makers of such fine games as Leisure Suit Larry, the King's Quest, and Police Quest, but none of that matters anymore. Thanks to the folks over at Sarien, you now have access to these glorious titles via your iPad's web browser. The entire catalog has been ported over, and the games which were previously available via the web only are now there on your Apple tablet! The whole shebang is now hosted on Amazon's content distribution network, and the games have been extensively tweaked for that multitouch interface. Sarien hasn't apparently been issued a cease and desist from Activision -- owners of the catalog -- yet, so get these free gems of yesteryear while you can.
Permalink TUAW  |  sourceTouch Arcade  | Email this | Comments
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Geohot wins round one against Sony (kinda) -- judge declines to rule on SCEA restraining order (updated)
By now we all know that Sony filed a lawsuit against Geohot and fail0verflow for their distribution of PS3 jailbreak firmware and asked the court for a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop said distribution of the offending code. Well, according to Geohot, the court denied declined to rule on Sony's motion earlier today. Geohot has reposted the code online, so it seems safe to say that the TRO is back for now, and the jailbreak can once again roam the internet unencumbered by any legal decrees. The decision, while favorable to the defendants, has little effect on the outcome of the litigation itself, so Hotz and company aren't out of the woods just yet. We'll keep you posted on the status of the order, and will also watch as the case progresses for the real fireworks to start.

Update: Looks like we jumped the gun and got the story a little wrong, but thanks to our readers we've discovered that the judge declined to rule on the TRO. Instead she tabled the TRO issue because she was not satisfied that the Northern District of California has jurisdiction to rule on the matter because Geohot hacked the PS3 in New Jersey.
Permalink   |  sourceGeohot, Wired  | Email this | Comments
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Skype's acquisition of Qik is now complete
Huh, that was fast. Barely one week has passed since Skype announced plans to acquire rival Qik, and now the buyout is complete. Skype celebrated with a blog post announcing the deal and reaffirms that its teams will be "working together... to make our mobile video products even better." Not to worry, Qik faithful, we doubt you're world will change much -- not yet, at least.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Skype's acquisition of Qik is now complete originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 19:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceSkype  | Email this | Comments
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Exclusive: The future of the iPad 2, iPhone 5, and Apple TV, and why Apple is shifting its mobile line to Qualcomm chipsets
We've been hearing a ton of rumors about what direction Apple's next set of products will take and when they'll be available -- but now we've got some concrete information from reliable sources which should make the path a little clearer. And that includes info on the next iPad, the iPhone 5, the second iteration of the new Apple TV, and a big change coming for all of the company's mobile products. Want to know the scoop? Read along after the break to get the goods.Continue reading Exclusive: The future of the iPad 2, iPhone 5, and Apple TV, and why Apple is shifting its mobile line to Qualcomm chipsets
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Vudu movie streaming app is (not) live on the Boxee Box - update
There's no official confirmation from Boxee's blog or Twitter account yet, but owners of its Box are experiencing a fully activated Vudu app with the SD, HD, HDX and 3D streams the service is famous for. The only glitches reported so far seem to have been cleared up by just restarting the device so hopefully whatever delayed its launch past the planned 2010 window is entirely resolved. There's no firmware update needed, so give it a shot if you haven't already, especially since Vudu's still offering a free flick for all new signups. With Netflix streaming still an unreachable dream for its Box (unless one also happens to own practically any other media streaming device on the market) we hope the company rewards its developers with a long, long break of at least five minutes before sending them back to work on our Watch Instantly access.

[Thanks, Parris]

Update: VP of Marketing Andrew Kippen has let us know that while the app was released to a few hundred testers "by mistake" it's been taken down so they can finish testing before it is eventually released "with much fanfare." Sorry Boxee devs, no five minute break for you today!
Vudu movie streaming app is (not) live on the Boxee Box - update originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 18:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Moog Lap Steel adds infinite analog sustain to the top of your thighs: ears-on at NAMM 2011 (video)
Leave it to Moog to give us one more reason to be jealous of lap steel players. As if their twangy, slidey Hawaiian metallics weren't cool enough in the first place, they've now got the semi-magical ability to magnetically sustain or mute each string via the pickup -- kind of along the lines of previously Moog-enhanced stringed instruments. The legendary synth manufacturer has also thrown in ladder filters and and a gaggle of other switchable effects into the beautiful instruments. Orders are just being taken now, and each one will be custom-crafted (pink and purple sparkle starburst with a MIDI pickup, anyone?) by a luthier friend of the manufacturer for a little under $3000. We sat down with Cyril Lance from Moog and one of only four models in existence -- catch video of the new acid-bluegrass sounds after the break.Continue reading Moog Lap Steel adds infinite analog sustain to the top of your thighs: ears-on at NAMM 2011 (video)
Permalink   |  sourceMoog  | Email this | Comments
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Korg rolls out slimmed down nanoSeries2 USB controllers
Korg's original nanoSeries USB controllers may have garnered some mixed reviews when they were released back in 2008, but the company's now back with some new and improved models that seem to address at least some of those complaints. As before, the lineup includes three different models: the nanoKEY2, nanoPAD2 and nanoKONTROL2, which can either be used on their own or paired up together. In addition to a slimmer design for each, all three are available in your choice of black or white, and it sounds like Korg has moved away from the plasticky, QWERTY keyboard feel that plagued the previous models, with the nanoKEY2 in particular described as having the same "great-feeling 'touch' that Korg has developed for its professional MIDI keyboards." Still no word on pricing or availability, but you can find all the rest of the key details at the link below.
Korg rolls out slimmed down nanoSeries2 USB controllers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 17:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink SlashGear  |  sourceKorg  | Email this | Comments
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Time Warner, Disney and News Corp. bigwigs speak up against FCC stipulations in Comcast-NBC deal
Hello, inevitable. It simply had to happen, and now, it is. As Comcast, NBC and the FCC attempt to work out stipulations over Comcast's proposed 51 percent buyout of NBC Universal, a smattering of major media companies are paying close attention to the play-by-play. Naturally, the precedents that are set from this deal will affect future agreements of this caliber, and lobbyists for both Disney and News Corp. (as well as Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes) aren't standing over on the sidelines any longer. All three outfits have reportedly been "voicing their concerns this week with the FCC, worried that such conditions could undermine their own efforts to profit from the nascent online video industry."

We're told that the media mega-corps are worried that the rules -- if hammered down -- could interfere with ongoing negotiations with online video providers, and in turn, give them less leverage to monetize and control their content on the world wide web. In other words, if NBC Universal is forced to provide content fluidly to all ISPs (and not just Comcast), what's to say other content makers and internet providers wouldn't also be forced into similar deals, regardless of whether or not they're involved in takeover negotiations? Needless to say, we're nowhere near the end of this journey, and while the nuts and bolts are pretty dry to think about, the outcomes could have a serious impact on our future viewing habits.
Permalink   |  sourceThe Wall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments
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Akai's iPad-docking SynthStation 49 and updated app: eyes-on at NAMM 2011
Remember when everything had an iPhone dock? The coming dock revolution will be just like that, but a lot more massive. Akai is showing off a non-functioning version of its SynthStation 49-key MIDI controller at NAMM this weekend, and it's pretty much the same idea as the smaller iPhone-docking Synthstation25. That said, here you've got nine velocity-sensitive MPC pads, a separate transport section, and 1/4-inch outs. And an adjustable iPad dock, which is a funny thing to see on a keyboard. Software-wise, this younger-bigger bro in the family will also support CoreMIDI -- and an updated version of Akai's SynthStation iOS app for the bigger screen, using the added real estate to allow finer, more direct control over the sound, along with a new recording section and simultaneous drum / synth sequencing. Not a bad piece of kit for the pad-centric musician in your life -- look for it to splash down this June for $199. Check below the break for video of the unit and a runthrough of the new software. Continue reading Akai's iPad-docking SynthStation 49 and updated app: eyes-on at NAMM 2011
Akai's iPad-docking SynthStation 49 and updated app: eyes-on at NAMM 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Synth pioneer Roger Linn shows us his new analog drum machine, Tempest (video)
We were wandering around the crowded, noisy halls of this year's NAMM show when a particularly freaked-out drum pattern struck our eardrums. We followed the sound and encountered a gray-haired, bespectacled gentleman tapping and tweaking knobs so professionally that we couldn't help checking out his name tag. Imagine our delight when we saw it was no less than Roger Linn, designer of the Linndrum and Akai's MPC60. If you're not familiar with those terms, no matter: let's just say that Dr. Dre and any other producer who's banged out a synthetic beat on a box owes this guy their entire career. Mr. Linn has partnered with Dave Smith Instruments to create the Tempest, a 16-pad beauty with enough knobs, buttons, and sequencing muscle to keep you inspired for endless hours in the studio. And the sound on this thing! It does include digital samples like a traditional MPC, but where it really shines is in the analog synthesis and effects department. It takes a lot for a drum machine to feel unique and valuable these days -- especially at the $2000 they'll be asking for it in June -- but the Tempest, from our brief time with it, sounds like it'll be well worth the investment for serious producers. Video of Mr. Linn's demo after the break.
Continue reading Synth pioneer Roger Linn shows us his new analog drum machine, Tempest (video)
Synth pioneer Roger Linn shows us his new analog drum machine, Tempest (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceRoger Linn Design, Dave Smith Instruments  | Email this | Comments
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ARMdevices: ARM-based Google TV platform 'confirmed' and coming soon
Well, it looks like Windows might not be the only new territory for ARM in 2011 -- ARMdevices is reporting that it has it on "very high authority from someone at Google" that an ARM-powered Google TV platform is "confirmed" and "coming soon." That authority is unsurprisingly remaining anonymous, however, and apparently hasn't provided much else in the way of details. This is far from the first time we've heard talk of ARM for Google TV, though -- as ARMdevices points out, even ARM President Tudor Brown weighed in on the matter back in November, saying that "if Google TV is to be mainstream, it must be built on a lower power system... on lower cost technology," with ARM presumably fitting the bill on both counts.
ARMdevices: ARM-based Google TV platform 'confirmed' and coming soon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 15:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink SlashGear  |  sourceARMdevices  | Email this | Comments
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