Must-have smartphone apps are few and far between. In fact, it's hard to name more than two apps that I use on a daily basis: Angry Birds is the first, of course, and BeejiveIM is the second.
I reviewed BeejiveIM for Android last month and came away with the conclusion that it's almost faultless. The interface is smooth, and you can customize colors and backgrounds to your heart's content. Integration to multiple networks is seamless, with the ability to send both audio and photo to any and all contacts. In fact, the only real fault is its price: at $9.99 it's not the cheapest app out there -- but imagine the money you would save by instant messaging from your phone instead of drinking coffee and reading a newspaper! Your friends and family would love you more, too -- can you put a price on that?
Then again, why fret about paying for software when you can get it for free... by entering this giveaway!
We have 10 BeejiveIM for Android licenses to give away -- just leave a comment and you'll be entered into the prize draw. Full terms and conditions follow after the break!Continue reading BeejiveIM for Android giveawayFiled under: Social Software, Mobile, AndroidBeejiveIM for Android giveaway originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Panasonic welcoming crash test consumers to the handheld gaming Jungle
In an interesting move for a major console launch, Panasonic is reaching outside of the fold and looking to some select US consumers to test out its upcoming Jungle gaming handheld. No details on the testing program were given, and it's not much in the way of news, but it's the most we've heard out of Panasonic since it announced the online gaming-centric handheld in October -- we still don't know when the Jungle will land or how much it will cost. At least Panasonic isn't short on self-assessment: "We know other companies out there have traditional hand- held gaming covered... We're doing something very different." You can't argue with that, we'll just have to wait and see if Panasonic can pull it off.Panasonic welcoming crash test consumers to the handheld gaming Jungle originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 13:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink CNET | Bloomberg | Email this | Comments
The Most Spectacular Christmas Trees, Compared [Christmas]
Today, Rockefeller Center switches on its towering holiday gift to New York: a 74-foot spruce draped with 30,000 lights and 5 miles of wire. But New York's tree is not actually the biggest or the brightest on the block. More »
Dockstar FreeAgent hacked into inexpensive emulation masterpiece (video)
Hello, multipurpose! Seagate's Pogoplug-based FreeAgent DockStar -- at least at a glance -- isn't much good to those who aren't buying up DockStar HDDs. But if you dig a little deeper, you'll realize that this minuscule adapter packs a 1.2GHz Marvell processor, 128MB of RAM and 256MB of ROM. There's also a smattering of USB ports and an Ethernet socket; add that all up, and you've got a hacker's playground. One Hunter Davis decided to see just how much he could squeeze out of this here peripheral, which can be widely found for as little as $25 nowadays. Thanks to a copy of Debian Linux, a good bit of programming know-how, a DisplayLink USB-to-VGA adapter and a USB sound adapter, he was able to concoct a homegrown emulation console that could handle nearly everything he threw at it. 'Course, you'll have to spring for those other parts if you don't have a house full of random doodads, but once he figures out how to install a battery and make the entire setup portable... look out! Head on past the break for an in-action video.Continue reading Dockstar FreeAgent hacked into inexpensive emulation masterpiece (video)Dockstar FreeAgent hacked into inexpensive emulation masterpiece (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Hunter Davis | Email this | Comments
Sandisk, Sony, and Nikon propose 500MBps memory card with more than 2TB capacity
While the CompactFlash Association scoots along at a maximum transfer rate of 167MB per second under its just released CF6.0 specification, Sandisk, Sony, and Nikon are already looking to the future. The trio have just officially proposed a new memory card format that switches from PATA to the PCI Express serial interface to achieve data transfer rates of up to 500 megabytes per second with a potential to extend maximum storage capacities beyond 2 terabytes. The proposed set of specifications hints at the high performance requirements we'll soon face as DSLRs and camcorders are updated to capture continuous burst shooting of massive RAW images and ever higher definition video. Naturally, the spec also enables photogs to transfer their troves of data more quickly to computers for post processing and combines high-speed transfer with a scaling system to extend battery life. The CompactFlash Association has already announced a new workgroup to study the proposal. Canon's Shigeto Kanda, CFA chairman of the board, had this to say about the proposal:
Future professional photography and video applications will require memory cards with faster read/write speeds. The development of a new high-performance card standard with a serial interface will meet the needs of the professional imaging industry for years to come and open the door for exciting new applications.
Sounds like tacit approval to us. And really, anything that brings Sony and Sandisk together on a future storage format should be seen as a positive step. Unless, of course, you're the SD Card Association or anyone who recently purchased a CFast card.Continue reading Sandisk, Sony, and Nikon propose 500MBps memory card with more than 2TB capacitySandisk, Sony, and Nikon propose 500MBps memory card with more than 2TB capacity originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 01:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Future professional photography and video applications will require memory cards with faster read/write speeds. The development of a new high-performance card standard with a serial interface will meet the needs of the professional imaging industry for years to come and open the door for exciting new applications.
Sounds like tacit approval to us. And really, anything that brings Sony and Sandisk together on a future storage format should be seen as a positive step. Unless, of course, you're the SD Card Association or anyone who recently purchased a CFast card.Continue reading Sandisk, Sony, and Nikon propose 500MBps memory card with more than 2TB capacitySandisk, Sony, and Nikon propose 500MBps memory card with more than 2TB capacity originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 01:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Aethyr lets you download shared iTunes libraries
Windows users, rejoice! You can now steal music from shared iTunes libraries -- or move music between two of your own computers, of course. Simply install Aethyr, connect to a library in iTunes, then switch to Aethyr and download some songs.
Library sharing in iTunes acts like a local-area network radio: you can stream music from computer to computer (from Mac to Windows!), but downloading is disabled. Aethyr removes that limitation, providing an easy way to move music between computers. According to Lifehacker, you haven't been able to do this since iTunes 7, so Aethyr fills a pretty large void.
It sounds like Aethyr has a few bugs, so you might want to check the FAQ if you experience any issues.
Download Aethyr for WindowsFiled under: Audio, Utilities, WindowsAethyr lets you download shared iTunes libraries originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Library sharing in iTunes acts like a local-area network radio: you can stream music from computer to computer (from Mac to Windows!), but downloading is disabled. Aethyr removes that limitation, providing an easy way to move music between computers. According to Lifehacker, you haven't been able to do this since iTunes 7, so Aethyr fills a pretty large void.
It sounds like Aethyr has a few bugs, so you might want to check the FAQ if you experience any issues.
Download Aethyr for WindowsFiled under: Audio, Utilities, WindowsAethyr lets you download shared iTunes libraries originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Trimble Navigation Limited Trident Microsystems Transaction Systems Architects
Monday, November 29, 2010
Facebook launches 'next generation messaging', sounds a lot like Google Wave
Extolling the virtues of what messaging should be -- seamless, instant, personal and simple -- Mark Zuckerberg has just launched what sounds just like a socially-aware version of the now-defunct Google Wave.
It is not email -- though you will get a username@facebook.com email address -- but it handles email. It's a messaging platform that interweaves all of your incoming messages, be they SMSes, emails or instant messages into one big dashboard.
The most exciting prospect is the idea of a 'social inbox', which is basically an automatic email whitelist. Instead of being forced to hand-create lists of 'favourite' friends that skip your spam filters, Facebook's new messaging platform will automatically filter mail from your Facebook friends, your friends-of-friends, and so on.
Check our follow-up story for more information about Facebook Messaging.
Filed under: E-mail, Social SoftwareFacebook launches 'next generation messaging', sounds a lot like Google Wave originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
It is not email -- though you will get a username@facebook.com email address -- but it handles email. It's a messaging platform that interweaves all of your incoming messages, be they SMSes, emails or instant messages into one big dashboard.
The most exciting prospect is the idea of a 'social inbox', which is basically an automatic email whitelist. Instead of being forced to hand-create lists of 'favourite' friends that skip your spam filters, Facebook's new messaging platform will automatically filter mail from your Facebook friends, your friends-of-friends, and so on.
Check our follow-up story for more information about Facebook Messaging.
Filed under: E-mail, Social SoftwareFacebook launches 'next generation messaging', sounds a lot like Google Wave originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Taiwan subsidizes development for Delta's glasses-free 3D projector and AUO's flexible AMOLED
You know the Taiwanese are pretty serious about technology when you see them liberally throwing cash at factories. According to DigiTimes, Delta Electronics and AUO are two recent winners for a shared NT$600 million (US$19.6 million) government grant, which will cover 45% of each of their research expenditure -- so probably not a fifty-fifty split. If all goes well, Delta will bring out glasses-free, wide-angle 3D projection that's enabled by using multiple high-res LED beamers; whereas AUO will take advantage of the recent AMOLED shortage and develop high-res flexible panels. Nice going, folks, just don't let us catch you all partying on the factory floor with that money.Taiwan subsidizes development for Delta's glasses-free 3D projector and AUO's flexible AMOLED originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 07:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink 3D-Display-Info | DigiTimes, MOEA | Email this | Comments
UPDATED: Redsn0w beta, Ultrasn0w updated to use old iPad baseband to unlock iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS!
MuscleNerd and the iPhone Dev-Team have released their long awaited update to Ultrasn0w which will use iPad’s old baseband (06.15.00) from iOS 3.2.2 to unlock anyone stuck at basebands 5.14.01, 5.14.02 or 5.15.05 for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. Ultrasn0w requires you to be jailbroken and to use pwnagetool to upgrade your baseband [...]UPDATED: Redsn0w beta, Ultrasn0w updated to use old iPad baseband to unlock iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Future Ubuntu bumps could be a daily occurrence
We're getting used to software developers releasing early and iterating often. Web browsers are perhaps the best example, with Google, Mozilla, and Opera dropping bleeding-edge snapshots like so many quarters into a one-armed bandit. Operating systems, however, are another story.
Canonical is looking to change that, and frontman Mark Shuttleworth thinks that you may see Ubuntu pushing things in a similar direction. "Today we have a six-month release cycle," Shuttleworth said. "In an internet-oriented world, we need to be able to release something every day," he told The Register. This would go beyond the package updates Ubuntu users -- and Linux users in general -- are used to receiving via their package manager. Major new features, subtle UI changes, or new core applications like the recently-added Shotwell photo manager could be delivered piping hot, fresh from the development teams working on a particular aspect of Ubuntu.
Future Ubuntu bumps could be a daily occurrence originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 18:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Canonical is looking to change that, and frontman Mark Shuttleworth thinks that you may see Ubuntu pushing things in a similar direction. "Today we have a six-month release cycle," Shuttleworth said. "In an internet-oriented world, we need to be able to release something every day," he told The Register. This would go beyond the package updates Ubuntu users -- and Linux users in general -- are used to receiving via their package manager. Major new features, subtle UI changes, or new core applications like the recently-added Shotwell photo manager could be delivered piping hot, fresh from the development teams working on a particular aspect of Ubuntu.
Future Ubuntu bumps could be a daily occurrence originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 18:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Blue Lighting Wakes Schoolkids Up [Lighting]
I tell you what, I could do with some of this "blue lighting" each morning when I start work at 7.30. Being tested in a British school, Philips' blue-tinted light wakes kids up and makes them perform better. More »
Yahoo outs Messenger 11 beta with loads of new features
Yahoo! Messenger remains one of the most popular desktop IM clients around, and its users are now able to get a taste of what's coming in version 11. Like its biggest competition -- Windows Live Messenger -- Y! Messenger 11 is about creating a more current, social messaging app.
One of the biggest additions is Facebook chat support -- which works nicely, though former Squadder Brad Linder noted that Meebo thought I was offline. Twitter support has been added, and Messenger 11 also offers write-once-post-everywhere updates to Facebook, Twitter, and Yahoo! Pulse. More social gaming options have been added, and will soon include Zynga's Mafia Wars and Fishville. Yahoo! Messenger 11 also allows multiple sign-ins, so you won't get disconnected from your desktop if you sign in on your mobile device. Windows 7 users can change status, send messages, and sign in and out via Messenger 11's jump list.
In his announcement, Yahoo's John Dunning also has some good news for Android users. Yahoo! Messenger for Android will be updated soon with better video chat support. Currently, only users with an EVO or MyTouch 4G can utilize the feature, but additional handset support is on the way.
Download Yahoo! Messenger 11 beta for WindowsFiled under: Yahoo!, Social SoftwareYahoo outs Messenger 11 beta with loads of new features originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
One of the biggest additions is Facebook chat support -- which works nicely, though former Squadder Brad Linder noted that Meebo thought I was offline. Twitter support has been added, and Messenger 11 also offers write-once-post-everywhere updates to Facebook, Twitter, and Yahoo! Pulse. More social gaming options have been added, and will soon include Zynga's Mafia Wars and Fishville. Yahoo! Messenger 11 also allows multiple sign-ins, so you won't get disconnected from your desktop if you sign in on your mobile device. Windows 7 users can change status, send messages, and sign in and out via Messenger 11's jump list.
In his announcement, Yahoo's John Dunning also has some good news for Android users. Yahoo! Messenger for Android will be updated soon with better video chat support. Currently, only users with an EVO or MyTouch 4G can utilize the feature, but additional handset support is on the way.
Download Yahoo! Messenger 11 beta for WindowsFiled under: Yahoo!, Social SoftwareYahoo outs Messenger 11 beta with loads of new features originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Hands-on video review of Office for Windows Phone 7
If you weren't aware, it's impossible to take screenshots with Windows Phone 7. Perhaps once it's rooted we'll be able to -- but until then, screenshotting apps for reviews is laborious -- you have to take a photo of the screen -- and the quality is inevitably low.
So, looking for an alternative, I decided to do a video review of Office for Windows Phone 7. It's about 10 minutes long, and the video quality is excellent. You should be able to clearly see the text on the screen, and the audio commentary should be informative (and perhaps even funny).
In the video I step through the three key features of Office for WP7: OneNote (and its integration with SkyDrive); Word and Excel (viewing and editing); and SharePoint integration (though I sadly couldn't get it to work). OneNote definitely stands out as one of WP7's killer features, especially when combined with SkyDrive synchronization. Word and Excel, which lack the ability to sync, seem rather useless in comparison -- but still, being able to view Word and Excel documents on the move is surely a good thing.
The video review is after the break.
Continue reading Hands-on video review of Office for Windows Phone 7Filed under: Windows Mobile, MicrosoftHands-on video review of Office for Windows Phone 7 originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
So, looking for an alternative, I decided to do a video review of Office for Windows Phone 7. It's about 10 minutes long, and the video quality is excellent. You should be able to clearly see the text on the screen, and the audio commentary should be informative (and perhaps even funny).
In the video I step through the three key features of Office for WP7: OneNote (and its integration with SkyDrive); Word and Excel (viewing and editing); and SharePoint integration (though I sadly couldn't get it to work). OneNote definitely stands out as one of WP7's killer features, especially when combined with SkyDrive synchronization. Word and Excel, which lack the ability to sync, seem rather useless in comparison -- but still, being able to view Word and Excel documents on the move is surely a good thing.
The video review is after the break.
Continue reading Hands-on video review of Office for Windows Phone 7Filed under: Windows Mobile, MicrosoftHands-on video review of Office for Windows Phone 7 originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Facebook beta app for webOS gets Places support
HP Palm's webOS crew continues to churn out useful updates to their software, and this one is kind of a biggie if you're into social networking and check-ins. Today's update to the Facebook beta app brings Places support to Pre and Pixi owners.
To check in, simply tap the menu button in the app's top-right corner and then tap the Places icon. Nearby locations will be displayed, and you can then tap Check In to post your location to Facebook.
Places support is only available in the beta app right now, so here's hoping the new version gets rolled to all webOS Facebook users soon. It's a big improvement and has a lot of nice additional functionality.
[via PreCentral]Filed under: Social Software, webOSFacebook beta app for webOS gets Places support originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
To check in, simply tap the menu button in the app's top-right corner and then tap the Places icon. Nearby locations will be displayed, and you can then tap Check In to post your location to Facebook.
Places support is only available in the beta app right now, so here's hoping the new version gets rolled to all webOS Facebook users soon. It's a big improvement and has a lot of nice additional functionality.
[via PreCentral]Filed under: Social Software, webOSFacebook beta app for webOS gets Places support originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Skinnyo helps you lose weight using peer pressure and challenges
For many people, the holidays mean food. Nom nom nom, chomp chomp chomp, and suddenly you've gained a few extra pounds. Skinnyo is a social website that tries to help you stage a preemptive strike in your struggle against chubbiness. At the core of the site is the weight graph, somewhat similar to the graph used on FitDay. Once you create an account, you can join all sorts of "challenges," or you can even start your own challenge.
Some of the public challenges at the time of writing are "Christmas Countdown," "Let's make the world 20 lbs lighter," and "2kgs in 4 weeks" (the loser buys the winner an HTC Desire HD!).
A challenge can have a limited number of participants, and it can also be private. The profile page, shown in the screenshot above, lets you micro-blog your way to a skinnier bod. Each update has your latest weight trend prominently displayed right next to your image.
Most of the people I know don't even like knowing their own weight, much less making it a public announcement. But if you're socially-inclined, Skinnyo is one interesting way to lose some weight.Filed under: UtilitiesSkinnyo helps you lose weight using peer pressure and challenges originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Some of the public challenges at the time of writing are "Christmas Countdown," "Let's make the world 20 lbs lighter," and "2kgs in 4 weeks" (the loser buys the winner an HTC Desire HD!).
A challenge can have a limited number of participants, and it can also be private. The profile page, shown in the screenshot above, lets you micro-blog your way to a skinnier bod. Each update has your latest weight trend prominently displayed right next to your image.
Most of the people I know don't even like knowing their own weight, much less making it a public announcement. But if you're socially-inclined, Skinnyo is one interesting way to lose some weight.Filed under: UtilitiesSkinnyo helps you lose weight using peer pressure and challenges originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Angry Birds Halloween getting Christmas update!
It seems that the folks at Rovio Mobile have been working on an free update for Angry Birds Halloween… Angry Birds Christmas! According to Rovio’s Twitter account, the update has been submitted to Apple for approval and should be appearing in the App Store in the next few days.
We recently posted that the TiPb Readers [...]Angry Birds Halloween getting Christmas update! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
We recently posted that the TiPb Readers [...]Angry Birds Halloween getting Christmas update! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
The Most Boring Day In History Was April 11, 1954 [Boring]
The weekend after Thanksgiving/Black Friday is definitely relaxing but also a little boring. But it's not the most boring day in the 20th century. That'd be April 11th, 1954. A scientist developed software to determine that as the boringest day ever. More »
Trimble Navigation Limited Trident Microsystems Transaction Systems Architects
SiteLauncher for Chrome lets you jump to sites using a single keystroke
Back in 2008, Lee covered SiteLauncher for Firefox. It's a simple add-on that provides you with a customizable "shortcut panel" for your favorite websites. SiteLauncher for Chrome provides basically the same service, but for Google's browser. I've been using it for a few days now, and while it's not perfect, it's still very handy.
Pros: When it works, it really does provide single-keystroke access to the sites I need. Ctrl+Space and then d can take me to Download Squad. I like it. It's very customizable. You can create and delete groups, move sites from group to group, etc. The hotkey assignment GUI is well thought-out. You can see at a glance what hotkeys are already used.
Cons: It doesn't always work. Sometimes I hit Ctrl+Space and nothing happens. That's mainly when the address bar ("Omnibar") is in focus, and I suspect it's due to Chrome's limitations. Still, it's annoying. It's one of those add-ons that takes some getting used to, but once you're addicted, you want to use it all the time. Having it work intermittently just keeps the habit from forming.
Okay, that was just one con -- but it's a big one!
Bottom line: Awesome add-on, if only it worked all the time.Filed under: BrowsersSiteLauncher for Chrome lets you jump to sites using a single keystroke originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 27 Nov 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Pros: When it works, it really does provide single-keystroke access to the sites I need. Ctrl+Space and then d can take me to Download Squad. I like it. It's very customizable. You can create and delete groups, move sites from group to group, etc. The hotkey assignment GUI is well thought-out. You can see at a glance what hotkeys are already used.
Cons: It doesn't always work. Sometimes I hit Ctrl+Space and nothing happens. That's mainly when the address bar ("Omnibar") is in focus, and I suspect it's due to Chrome's limitations. Still, it's annoying. It's one of those add-ons that takes some getting used to, but once you're addicted, you want to use it all the time. Having it work intermittently just keeps the habit from forming.
Okay, that was just one con -- but it's a big one!
Bottom line: Awesome add-on, if only it worked all the time.Filed under: BrowsersSiteLauncher for Chrome lets you jump to sites using a single keystroke originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 27 Nov 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
International Rectifier International Game Technology International Business Machines (Ibm)
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Deal of the Day ? BlackFriday Deal On Lenovo IdeaPad Y560 Laptop ? With Exclusive Coupons: Core i3 for $699; Core i5 for $759; Core i7 for $869
The LogicBUY Black Friday Deal today is a 20% coupon code and up to $530 in exclusive stackable codes on select models of the Lenovo IdeaPad Y560 laptop.�� This 15.6? LED-backlit LCD laptop has 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 discrete graphics.� Other standard features include 3 USB 2.0 ports, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, 802.11n [...]
Soundproofed Keyboard Cover Has No Reason to Exist
As we get ready for the traditional orgy of consumption that is the Christmas season, our thoughts turn to gifts and, specifically, novelties so unusual and useless that our giftee cannot possibly have one already. Thanko’s Keyboard Quiet Cover completely owns this category.
It’s a thick fabric bag into which you slide your noisy keyboard, thus [...]
It’s a thick fabric bag into which you slide your noisy keyboard, thus [...]
Ask a VC: Why David Hornik Invests Close to Home and the Dumbest Deal in the Valley (TCTV)
Ten years ago, most VCs refused to invest outside of Silicon Valley. Now, most of them have funds in Israel, Europe, India or China-- and lately many of those Chinese funds are outperforming the US counterparts. But August Capital is still sticking with the kind of local venture capital that built this industry, and David Hornik explains why in this week's episode of Ask a VC.
But, Portland? Yeah he'd invest in a Portland company and answers a reader question about what the local ecosystem needs to do to get his and other venture capitalists' attention.
Hornik also (sort of) answers one of the best reader questions I've gotten in a while: What's the dumbest investment he's seen recently in Silicon Valley? (Hint.)
But, Portland? Yeah he'd invest in a Portland company and answers a reader question about what the local ecosystem needs to do to get his and other venture capitalists' attention.
Hornik also (sort of) answers one of the best reader questions I've gotten in a while: What's the dumbest investment he's seen recently in Silicon Valley? (Hint.)
2011 Chevy Volt gets stickered: 93MPG on battery, 37MPG on gasoline
The poster child for the electric car has just received its official EPA sticker, merely days after Nissan's Leaf received its own. The Volt has been found to have a 93MPG equivalent when running purely on batteries, while one could expect an average of 37MPG when using petrol alone. According to the EPA, the Volt will only be capable of cruising 35 miles on a full charge (here's hoping you've got a socket at your workplace, right?), but the overall range of 379 miles ain't too shabby for a car of this size. The good news here is that this sticker will enable General Motors to finally get these automobiles onto showroom floors, but the bad news is pretty obvious: 93 definitely isn't 230.Continue reading 2011 Chevy Volt gets stickered: 93MPG on battery, 37MPG on gasoline2011 Chevy Volt gets stickered: 93MPG on battery, 37MPG on gasoline originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 02:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Autoblog | General Motors | Email this | Comments
Ask a VC: Why David Hornik Invests Close to Home and the Dumbest Deal in the Valley (TCTV)
Ten years ago, most VCs refused to invest outside of Silicon Valley. Now, most of them have funds in Israel, Europe, India or China-- and lately many of those Chinese funds are outperforming the US counterparts. But August Capital is still sticking with the kind of local venture capital that built this industry, and David Hornik explains why in this week's episode of Ask a VC.
But, Portland? Yeah he'd invest in a Portland company and answers a reader question about what the local ecosystem needs to do to get his and other venture capitalists' attention.
Hornik also (sort of) answers one of the best reader questions I've gotten in a while: What's the dumbest investment he's seen recently in Silicon Valley? (Hint.)
But, Portland? Yeah he'd invest in a Portland company and answers a reader question about what the local ecosystem needs to do to get his and other venture capitalists' attention.
Hornik also (sort of) answers one of the best reader questions I've gotten in a while: What's the dumbest investment he's seen recently in Silicon Valley? (Hint.)
Friday, November 26, 2010
The Weird Futurism of the 1970 World's Fair [Video]
The 1970 World's Fair in Osaka, the first to be held in Japan, was full of retro-futuristic architectural splendor. Here's a look at just a few of its strange sights. [Pink Tentacle] More »
Nexus S in the wild gives us a blurry Gingerbread walkthrough
The old adage "when it rains, it pours" certainly applies with leaks -- and to that end, the Nexus S we saw a a few hours back is now turned on and ready to give us a frustratingly blurry preview of Android 2.3 (which you may know better as Gingerbread). Of course, Eric Schmidt himself did the same on stage at the Web 2.0 summit recently, but there's a difference: Schmidt wouldn't admit he was holding a Nexus S, wouldn't show us all of Gingerbread's UI tweaks, and wouldn't take a bunch of dark, low-quality shots and submit them to xda-developers. There's not a lot to see here, but you can make out some of the icons on the redesigned, blacked-out status bar, the redone phone keypad, and the About screen where we get confirmation that it really is a Nexus S running 2.3 (granted, this screen is incredibly easy to fake, but we'll allow it in light of all the other visual evidence we've got going on here). Unfortunately, it's still not at all clear when the Nexus S is actually launching... so for now, we'll take as many of these high-ISO galleries as we can get.Nexus S in the wild gives us a blurry Gingerbread walkthrough originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Nov 2010 14:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | xda-developers | Email this | Comments
Inevitable! Google Chrome Extension Exports Your Facebook Contacts
Last time we checked in on the Facebook/Google slapfight, Facebook had removed the option to import your contacts from Gmail and was still holding strong on the whole "denying contact info access to Google" rigamarole that started the fight in the first place. Up until now many had no other choice but to use Yahoo Mail if they wanted to mass export their Friends data from Facebook into Google.
Well Happy Thanksgiving data reciprocity fans! A third party developer has decided to build "Facebook Doesn't Own My Friends," a Chrome extension that lets you easily export your Facebook Friends' contact information.
Well Happy Thanksgiving data reciprocity fans! A third party developer has decided to build "Facebook Doesn't Own My Friends," a Chrome extension that lets you easily export your Facebook Friends' contact information.
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Android Quick App: Keyboard Manager [root]
Switching between keyboards isn't that difficult, but it can be annoying if it's something you do frequently. It's a few extra long presses and taps that can really slow you down if you just want to fire off a quick message.I know some (most) of the 777 results for "keyboard" at AppBrain are skins and language packs, but Android is also home to several keyboard replacements. And of those several keyboards, you may prefer one over the other, based on how well it functions in a certain orientation.Personally, I don't long for separate keyboards in each orientation, but in case you do, developer ne0fhyk at XDA Developers has been working on a solution for you.Join me after the break for more about Keyboard Manager, and a couple screen shots.
Android Quick App: Keyboard Manager [root] posted originally by Android CentralSponsored by Android Cases and Accessories
Android Quick App: Keyboard Manager [root] posted originally by Android CentralSponsored by Android Cases and Accessories
The Endless Mural is an abstract HTML5-powered drawing canvas
When Microsoft launched IE9, they sponsored a number of interesting demo projects to showcase its hardware acceleration and HTML5 support. I posted about one of these projects some time ago - A Rough Guide To The World.
The Endless Mural is another such showcase project. It's a drawing application with a twist: as you make gestures and draw lines across the canvas, fractals bloom in your wake. That means your gestures serve as a rough outline that the application uses to render a ton of abstract-looking "glyphs" that spiral, explode, and do all sorts of crazy things.
You're not going to draw anything coherent with this, but if you like abstract art, it's certainly fun. It's also surprisingly fine-grained. When you click the Draw menu, you get a selection of four different "gesture behaviors," such as swarm, burst, spiral, etc. You also get to pick from twelve different artwork sets (used for the glyphs drawn on the canvas), and each of those has four possible color variations.
When you're done expressing your inner artist, you can save your work and add it to the site's namesake, the "endless mural" itself. That's a showcase of all of the art created with the site. When you view a drawing in the mural, you can hit Play and see a complete animated playback of how it was created.
One of the things I like about the project is how tasteful Microsoft's sponsorship is. There is no huge IE9 logo plastered all over the page, and you won't find an irritating banner exclaiming "best viewed under IE9." In fact, I've used it with Chrome, and it worked beautifully. The only evidence of Microsoft's support is in small print on the front page of the site: "made possible by the generous support of Microsoft and Internet Explorer 9." That's very nice.Filed under: web 2.0The Endless Mural is an abstract HTML5-powered drawing canvas originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 14 Nov 2010 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
The Endless Mural is another such showcase project. It's a drawing application with a twist: as you make gestures and draw lines across the canvas, fractals bloom in your wake. That means your gestures serve as a rough outline that the application uses to render a ton of abstract-looking "glyphs" that spiral, explode, and do all sorts of crazy things.
You're not going to draw anything coherent with this, but if you like abstract art, it's certainly fun. It's also surprisingly fine-grained. When you click the Draw menu, you get a selection of four different "gesture behaviors," such as swarm, burst, spiral, etc. You also get to pick from twelve different artwork sets (used for the glyphs drawn on the canvas), and each of those has four possible color variations.
When you're done expressing your inner artist, you can save your work and add it to the site's namesake, the "endless mural" itself. That's a showcase of all of the art created with the site. When you view a drawing in the mural, you can hit Play and see a complete animated playback of how it was created.
One of the things I like about the project is how tasteful Microsoft's sponsorship is. There is no huge IE9 logo plastered all over the page, and you won't find an irritating banner exclaiming "best viewed under IE9." In fact, I've used it with Chrome, and it worked beautifully. The only evidence of Microsoft's support is in small print on the front page of the site: "made possible by the generous support of Microsoft and Internet Explorer 9." That's very nice.Filed under: web 2.0The Endless Mural is an abstract HTML5-powered drawing canvas originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 14 Nov 2010 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Thursday, November 25, 2010
PeerBlock 1.1 arrives with some important updates
PeerBlock is a great way to keep unwanted P2P connections (as well as advertising and spyware) from getting through to your Windows computer, and it's just gotten better with the release of PeerBlock 1.1.
Among the key additions are a completely revamped installer (complete with a signed driver), an updated list manager for easier settings tweaks, and a list verification feature to prevent file corruption. The signed driver is an important addition, since it makes the installation process much easier for users of 64-bit Windows. PeerBlock has also switched from the PeerGuardian blocklists to iBlocklist.com, which the developers say are much faster and more reliable. There's also an option to display allowed connections -- though you should expect an additional hit on your CPU if you switch it on.
Download PeerBlock 1.1PeerBlock 1.1 arrives with some important updates originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Among the key additions are a completely revamped installer (complete with a signed driver), an updated list manager for easier settings tweaks, and a list verification feature to prevent file corruption. The signed driver is an important addition, since it makes the installation process much easier for users of 64-bit Windows. PeerBlock has also switched from the PeerGuardian blocklists to iBlocklist.com, which the developers say are much faster and more reliable. There's also an option to display allowed connections -- though you should expect an additional hit on your CPU if you switch it on.
Download PeerBlock 1.1PeerBlock 1.1 arrives with some important updates originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
DownThemAll, Firefox's best download manager, now multi-lingual
In just three weeks, DownThemAll! version 2 has moved from supporting just one language in beta 4, to 14 languages in beta 5. Well, kind of -- the Japanese option is "English," and American English is much the same thing. But still, the addition of any new languages is sure to please its millions of users.
If you currently use Firefox 3.6 and DTA 1.1, version 2 represents a massive and awesome overhaul to Firefox's best download manager. Speed limits (global, per server, and per download) are implemented; private browsing is supported; HTML5 video and audio tags are supported; the UI is cleaner, faster, ... and the list goes on. For more details, Lee covered most of the significant changes of DTA 2.0 back in May.
Download DownThemAll! 2.0 beta 5 for Firefox 3.5 to 4.0Filed under: Utilities, BrowsersDownThemAll, Firefox's best download manager, now multi-lingual originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
If you currently use Firefox 3.6 and DTA 1.1, version 2 represents a massive and awesome overhaul to Firefox's best download manager. Speed limits (global, per server, and per download) are implemented; private browsing is supported; HTML5 video and audio tags are supported; the UI is cleaner, faster, ... and the list goes on. For more details, Lee covered most of the significant changes of DTA 2.0 back in May.
Download DownThemAll! 2.0 beta 5 for Firefox 3.5 to 4.0Filed under: Utilities, BrowsersDownThemAll, Firefox's best download manager, now multi-lingual originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Microsoft offers stability update for Internet Explorer 9 Beta
Microsoft has offered up the first Internet Explorer 9 patch via Windows Update. KB2448827 is all about improving reliability and stability, and you should be able to find it on your Update screen by clicking through to view optional updates (or by navigating to Control Panel\System and Security\Windows Update\Select updates to install in Explorer). It's a little odd to see Microsoft do this -- they're typically not big on delivering patches to beta apps the way competitors like Google and Mozilla do. Perhaps there's a paradigm shift underway in Redmond.
If you're looking for some real IE9-related excitement, the recently-leaked Internet Explorer 9 beta 2 (which may, in fact, be an RC build) might be more up your alley. It's floating around the usual places you find 'community releases' of Microsoft apps.Microsoft offers stability update for Internet Explorer 9 Beta originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
If you're looking for some real IE9-related excitement, the recently-leaked Internet Explorer 9 beta 2 (which may, in fact, be an RC build) might be more up your alley. It's floating around the usual places you find 'community releases' of Microsoft apps.Microsoft offers stability update for Internet Explorer 9 Beta originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Kitchen Computing Goes Star Trek [Video]
Some people install monitors in their walls for kitchen-computing, but usually stop at Windows or OS X for the OS. Not Dutchman Pascal, though—who created a Windows XP skin inspired by Star Trek's LCARS interface. More »
Dell offering the Droid Incredible for free, throws in gift card
A big ol' Dell advertisement just hit ye olde inbox, and they've got some decent deals on a few Android smartphones. The Droid Incredible is going for the low, low price of free for new or upgrading customers who sign a two-year contract. They're throwing in free Verizon activation and shipping, too, plus a $25 Dell gift card. Also, the Evo 4G -- white and black -- is going for $99 on contract, and the Droid X is just $9.99. Tough deals to beat. [Dell]Dell offering the Droid Incredible for free, throws in gift card posted originally by Android CentralSponsored by Android Cases and Accessories
Berners-Lee Sounds Alarm Over Appified, Siloed, Regulated Web
Internet pioneer Tim Berners-Lee worries that the Web's most successful inhabitants are gradually chipping away at its "egalitarian" foundations. "The Web as we know it is being threatened," writes Berners-Lee in a Scientific American essay. Unchecked, these creeping conundrums threaten to break the Web into islands as fragmented as the cellphones, tablets and personal computers that now access it.
HTC and Samsung license entire Intellectual Ventures patent portfolio, gear up for war
Looks like HTC and Samsung are taking some aggressive steps to protect themselves from Android patent litigation -- in the past week both companies have entered into long-term patent licensing agreements with Nathan Myhrvold's Intellectual Ventures. (Mhyrvold was once Microsoft's chief technology officer, but he's arguably more famous for Intellectual Ventures.) Both HTC and Samsung now have access to IV's entire portfolio of "more than 30,000 IP assets" to wield against current or potential legal opponents -- like, say, Apple or Oracle -- and IV also plans to help them manage their existing patent portfolios. It sounds to us like HTC and Samsung decided that they needed more patent muscle in order to survive in the now crazy-litigious smartphone market, and indeed, the PR announcing the HTC deal flatly says the smartphone maker is "working with IV to mitigate its patent risk."
Of course, this is also a bit of a deal with the devil -- Intellectual Ventures might be the most infamous patent troll in history, and HTC and Samsung have essentially decided the risks and cost of doing business with IV are more favorable than the risks and cost of going to court. Either way, we'll see how this all shakes out -- and we've got a feeling that the Apple / HTC lawsuit is about to get seriously interesting.HTC and Samsung license entire Intellectual Ventures patent portfolio, gear up for war originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 19:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink TechFlash (1), (2), Rahul Sood (Twitter) | Samsung PR, HTC PR | Email this | Comments
Of course, this is also a bit of a deal with the devil -- Intellectual Ventures might be the most infamous patent troll in history, and HTC and Samsung have essentially decided the risks and cost of doing business with IV are more favorable than the risks and cost of going to court. Either way, we'll see how this all shakes out -- and we've got a feeling that the Apple / HTC lawsuit is about to get seriously interesting.HTC and Samsung license entire Intellectual Ventures patent portfolio, gear up for war originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 19:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink TechFlash (1), (2), Rahul Sood (Twitter) | Samsung PR, HTC PR | Email this | Comments
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Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Late-night Market woes? You're not alone
OK, show of hands: Who's having (more) problems (than usual) with the Android Market tonight? Go ahead and sound off in the comments, and then leave our inbox alone.P.S.: We've got an e-mail in to Google on this one. We'd like to think it's pre-Gingerbread shenanigans. We'll just have to see.Late-night Market woes? You're not alone posted originally by Android CentralSponsored by Android Cases and Accessories
Ask a VC: Why We?re Thankful for David Hornik
David Hornik of August Capital has bailed me out in a short week by hopping into the Ask a VC chair that I neglected to book in advance. The timing wasn’t planned, but it’s appropriate. The first time I ever interviewed Hornik, I was still at BusinessWeek and when I asked him to send a [...]
Apple Tantalizes Black Friday Shoppers With Sale Teaser [BlackFriday]
It's that tiii-iiiime! Those despondent iPad and Pod-less of you might have reason to be extra pumped this coming Black Friday, as Apple has put out a teaser notice, inviting you to "wrap it up." That means buy stuff soon. More »
Process Explorer 14 brings better multi-process app support, new monitoring tools
The SysInternals team has just announced a major new update to technician favorite Process Explorer. Version 14 includes a lengthy list of feature additions and tweaks, and it's available for download now.
Process Explorer now shows the total CPU utilization for multiprocess apps like Google Chrome. A pair of new monitoring tools have been added, and allow tracking of hard disk and network activity. By default, they're all crammed into Process Explorer's main toolbar, but a quick drag-and-drop gives you a full-window timeline.
Sadly, my desktop system won't be able to take advantage of one big addition to Process Explorer 14: support for more than 64 CPUs. One day...
Download Process Explorer 14 for WindowsFiled under: Utilities, WindowsProcess Explorer 14 brings better multi-process app support, new monitoring tools originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Process Explorer now shows the total CPU utilization for multiprocess apps like Google Chrome. A pair of new monitoring tools have been added, and allow tracking of hard disk and network activity. By default, they're all crammed into Process Explorer's main toolbar, but a quick drag-and-drop gives you a full-window timeline.
Sadly, my desktop system won't be able to take advantage of one big addition to Process Explorer 14: support for more than 64 CPUs. One day...
Download Process Explorer 14 for WindowsFiled under: Utilities, WindowsProcess Explorer 14 brings better multi-process app support, new monitoring tools originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Display Ad Optimizer Rocket Fuel Is Taking Off With 10X Revenue Growth
In advertising, if you deliver better results, you will get more advertising dollars thrown your way. That appears to be what is happening with Rocket Fuel, an online ad optimization startup which is showing some promising growth. The company only launched last year, but its third quarter revenues of $5 million were ten times higher than last year's, according to CEO George John. Its annualized revenue run-rate based on the past 30 days is $30 million ($20 million based on the past quarter), and the company is already profitable.
Facebook launches 'next generation messaging', sounds a lot like Google Wave
Extolling the virtues of what messaging should be -- seamless, instant, personal and simple -- Mark Zuckerberg has just launched what sounds just like a socially-aware version of the now-defunct Google Wave.
It is not email -- though you will get a username@facebook.com email address -- but it handles email. It's a messaging platform that interweaves all of your incoming messages, be they SMSes, emails or instant messages into one big dashboard.
The most exciting prospect is the idea of a 'social inbox', which is basically an automatic email whitelist. Instead of being forced to hand-create lists of 'favourite' friends that skip your spam filters, Facebook's new messaging platform will automatically filter mail from your Facebook friends, your friends-of-friends, and so on.
Check our follow-up story for more information about Facebook Messaging.
Filed under: E-mail, Social SoftwareFacebook launches 'next generation messaging', sounds a lot like Google Wave originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
It is not email -- though you will get a username@facebook.com email address -- but it handles email. It's a messaging platform that interweaves all of your incoming messages, be they SMSes, emails or instant messages into one big dashboard.
The most exciting prospect is the idea of a 'social inbox', which is basically an automatic email whitelist. Instead of being forced to hand-create lists of 'favourite' friends that skip your spam filters, Facebook's new messaging platform will automatically filter mail from your Facebook friends, your friends-of-friends, and so on.
Check our follow-up story for more information about Facebook Messaging.
Filed under: E-mail, Social SoftwareFacebook launches 'next generation messaging', sounds a lot like Google Wave originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Monday, November 22, 2010
Samsung Innovates Again With New Galexy Tab
There’s a lot of buzz surrounding Samsung’s new Galexy Tab, the company’s first attempt at a tablet device which is scheduled for launch this month in Europe. Many people have been wondering what companies would be the first to rival the already famous Apple iPad which was launched back in April and the Galexy Tab [...]
CrunchGear Week in Review: Hop Edition
Weekend Giveaway: An iPad From Fuze A Chair Made Entirely Of The Cracks Between The Cushions Review and Video Unboxing: The Jawbone Jambox New Japanese Piggy Bank: Rubik?s Cube Bank Requires Brain Power Tea Candle Lava Lamp From Mathmos: Why Not? I Always Wondered How Kuribo?s Shoe Worked
Why Was This Boy Stripped at Airport Security? [Updated with Official Statement by the TSA] [Video]
This is getting way out of hand: The TSA wanted to pat down this little boy, who first went through the metal detector without setting it off. Here's what happened, as told by the person who filmed this video [Updated] More »
NAVTEQ Study: Worst Traffic In U.S. On New York City Freeways
NAVTEQ? the digital map, traffic and location data company? released a study today via its Traffic.com site and service naming New York City and its freeways as the most congested and traffic-delayed in North America.
Freeways in Montreal, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Boston and Toronto cracked the top ten on this dubious list as well. Following New York on NAVTEQ Traffic.com's ranking of cities with the worst rush hour are: Washington D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Atlanta, Houston and Denver.
This Thanksgiving holiday (Wednesday, November 24th to Sunday, November 28th) the American Automobile Association (AAA) and IHS Global Insight predict...
Freeways in Montreal, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Boston and Toronto cracked the top ten on this dubious list as well. Following New York on NAVTEQ Traffic.com's ranking of cities with the worst rush hour are: Washington D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Atlanta, Houston and Denver.
This Thanksgiving holiday (Wednesday, November 24th to Sunday, November 28th) the American Automobile Association (AAA) and IHS Global Insight predict...
iHome iB969 Charging Station Review
I?m sure there are a lot of you out there who are like my family ? we have more far devices than we have electrical outlets.� Although I have a Charge4All charging tube that can charge my phone, my Sony readers, and my iPod touch, I still have to use the standard iPad charger.� I [...]
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Casemate's iPhone 4 Bounce case protects your noodle from inevitable radiation baking
As the everlasting debate rages on, and brains continue to / not to melt with every passing phone call, Casemate's taking no chances whatsoever. By collaborating with Pong -- a company that makes its ends by "protecting users of cellular telephones from the potentially harmful effects of radiation exposure" -- the Bounce was born. For all intents and purposes, it's a simplistic form-fitting iPhone 4 case (BlackBerry models are en route), available in a foursome of hues and tested to reduce normal cellphone radiation (SAR) by at least 60 percent. Purportedly, the case can redirect your phone's electromagnetic energy away from your head... right into the brain of some lucky chap sitting next to you on the subway. But hey, at least it serves another purpose: solving that blasted iPhone 4 reception issue. Two birds, one $49.99 dent in your credit card. Propaganda vid is just past the break.Continue reading Casemate's iPhone 4 Bounce case protects your noodle from inevitable radiation bakingCasemate's iPhone 4 Bounce case protects your noodle from inevitable radiation baking originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 22:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Casemate, YouTube (Casemate) | Email this | Comments
Daily Crunch: Low-Hanging Fruit Edition
CherryPad Orders Unfulfilled, Customers Antsy Sanyo Celebrates eneloop?s 5th Anniversary With Glitter Batteries Review: Tonka Ricochet RC Car Hands-On With the Nook Color Nice Knowing You, Nook
Apple creates trailer video for iAds, you buying?
Interested in how Apple is advertising iAds to advertisers? Well they’ve got a brand new highlight video up on Apple.com that’ll give you a good idea. The emotion of TV. The interactivity of digital. The power of Mobility. Indeed.
We only have two questions. Was it made with iMovie 11’s trailer feature, and is it [...]Apple creates trailer video for iAds, you buying? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
We only have two questions. Was it made with iMovie 11’s trailer feature, and is it [...]Apple creates trailer video for iAds, you buying? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Get a 16GB Wi-Fi iPad For Just $399 at Some T.J. Maxx and Marshalls Locations [Dealzmodo]
Apparently some T.J. Maxx and Marshalls spots are selling 16GB WiFi iPads for just $399 starting this week. Yes, you read that right—that first number's a 3. This is a good deal, people! Updated. More »
Friday, November 19, 2010
TSA Forces Cancer Survivor Flight Attendant to Pull Out Prosthetic Breast During Patdown [Tsa]
Flight attendant and cancer survivor Cathy Bossi goes through a body scanner, despite not wanting to expose herself to radiation. She's taken back to a screening area for further examination. A TSA agent gropes her and asks, "What is this?" More »
The '80s Headphones Lucky-Dip [Headphones]
Urban Ears' '80s headphones are pretty much the antithesis to the Aiaiai ones I've been rocking recently, but I suppose they're just as hipster as each other. The TANTO cans come in random colors for ultimate joy or never-ending disappointment. More »
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Internet Explorer 9 preview 7 available, takes SunSpider crown; Beta now downloaded 13 million times
Filed under: Microsoft, Browsers
As of a few moments ago, you can now download Platform Preview 7 of Internet Explorer 9. The main focus of this update is the continued enhancement of the Chakra JavaScript engine; as a result, IE9 now leads the SunSpider benchmark by a few percent.
Like its predecessors, this preview lacks any kind of useful UI -- but if you have the Beta installed, you can follow Lee's guide to hack the Beta UI onto the preview. The Beta, incidentally, has now been downloaded over 13 million times. We're not seeing significant use of IE9 amongst Download Squad readers, but with almost 4% of Ed Bott'z ZDNet readership using IE9, there's definitely some evidence of its growing popularity. With my sources indicating a January release of IE9, Microsoft really ought to release a second beta...
Anyway, in infinitely more exciting news, there's a bunch of cool new HTML5 demos on the Test Drive site to play around with! Shakespeare's Tag Cloud is very cute (and educational!) Galactic, on the other hand, is an excellent example of the 'Open Web' 3D games that we can expect to see next year. It also acts as a very good benchmark tool -- I may have to do another head-to-head browser shootout!
Update: I just tested IE9 on the 'real world' Kraken benchmark... and it beats Firefox!
Another update: The IE Blog has been updated with more information about Preview 7.Internet Explorer 9 preview 7 available, takes SunSpider crown; Beta now downloaded 13 million times originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
As of a few moments ago, you can now download Platform Preview 7 of Internet Explorer 9. The main focus of this update is the continued enhancement of the Chakra JavaScript engine; as a result, IE9 now leads the SunSpider benchmark by a few percent.
Like its predecessors, this preview lacks any kind of useful UI -- but if you have the Beta installed, you can follow Lee's guide to hack the Beta UI onto the preview. The Beta, incidentally, has now been downloaded over 13 million times. We're not seeing significant use of IE9 amongst Download Squad readers, but with almost 4% of Ed Bott'z ZDNet readership using IE9, there's definitely some evidence of its growing popularity. With my sources indicating a January release of IE9, Microsoft really ought to release a second beta...
Anyway, in infinitely more exciting news, there's a bunch of cool new HTML5 demos on the Test Drive site to play around with! Shakespeare's Tag Cloud is very cute (and educational!) Galactic, on the other hand, is an excellent example of the 'Open Web' 3D games that we can expect to see next year. It also acts as a very good benchmark tool -- I may have to do another head-to-head browser shootout!
Update: I just tested IE9 on the 'real world' Kraken benchmark... and it beats Firefox!
Another update: The IE Blog has been updated with more information about Preview 7.Internet Explorer 9 preview 7 available, takes SunSpider crown; Beta now downloaded 13 million times originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Razer Nostromo gaming keypad supplants Belkin's n52te Speedpad, does it proud
Think you've been gaming on the PC for awhile? If you can't vividly remember gushing over this thing (and scrounging up pennies from under the couch in order to finance one), move along. If, however, you're still the proud owner of an attic-bound Belkin Nostromo n52, you can definitely prepare yourself for a healthy dose of nostalgia here. After co-developing Belkin's n52te Speedpad a few years ago, it looks as if Razer has now fully taken over the gamepad by today introducing the Nostromo. Yeah, just Nostromo. The design is certainly a familiar one, boasting a 16-button keypad, a soft-touch rubberized wrist pad, 16 fully-programmable Hyperesponse gaming buttons and an eight-way directional thumb pad. As for improvements, you'll get the ability to switch instantly between eight keymaps (up from three), and the flexibility of storing up to twenty gaming profiles (up from the previous limit of ten). It's available to order now for $69.99 / €69.99, with an estimated ship date of November 29th worldwide. You know, in plenty of time to stuff your own stocking. Gallery: Razer Nostromo gaming keypadContinue reading Razer Nostromo gaming keypad supplants Belkin's n52te Speedpad, does it proudRazer Nostromo gaming keypad supplants Belkin's n52te Speedpad, does it proud originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Razer | Email this | Comments
Registry hack allows for direct loading of media on Windows Phone 7 devices
Prefer to load media onto your Windows Phone 7 device the old fashioned way? Then it looks like your solution is just a simple Windows registry hack away. Coming shortly after the USB tethering hack, the folks at Mobile Tech World have now discovered that you can effectively turn your Windows Phone into a USB drive by modifying just three entries in the registry of your Windows desktop PC. Once done, you'll be able to drag and drop files to your heart's content -- albeit only on a computer that's had the registry hack done, of course. Hit up the source link below for the complete details.Registry hack allows for direct loading of media on Windows Phone 7 devices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Phone Arena, Windows Phone Central | Mobile Tech World | Email this | Comments
Magellan RoadMate GPS app updated for iOS 4, includes real-time traffic and multitasking
Magellan may not be the head honcho when it comes to standalone PNDs here in North America, but that's not stopping the outfit from keeping its iOS app up to snuff. With TomTom, Navigon and Garmin all introducing iOS 4-compatible apps over the past few months, Magellan has finally done likewise -- version 1.3 of the app now enables navigation to occur in the background, meaning that iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 users will still hear turn-by-turn guidance while using another application. Better still, real-time traffic information is provided free of charge through NAVTEQ, alerting motorists to accidents, traffic flow and the nearest ice cream truck. If you've already sunk cash into this one, now's a solid time to check those updates -- otherwise, you can hit the source links for a trifecta of versions catering to various regions.Magellan RoadMate GPS app updated for iOS 4, includes real-time traffic and multitasking originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink iLounge | iTunes (1), (2), (3) | Email this | Comments
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Thursday, November 18, 2010
Daily Crunch: Jailhouse Edition
Review: Dropcam Echo Root Access Found For Windows Phone 7, Jailbreak Not Far Off Robo-Deer Draws Fire From Poachers Limili Identifies That Song That?s Playing, Adds It To Your Grooveshark Collection Killing Time: How Many Of These 25 Bad Tech Habits Apply To You?
Hands-on video review of Office for Windows Phone 7
Filed under: Windows Mobile, Microsoft
If you weren't aware, it's impossible to take screenshots with Windows Phone 7. Perhaps once it's rooted we'll be able to -- but until then, screenshotting apps for reviews is laborious -- you have to take a photo of the screen -- and the quality is inevitably low.
So, looking for an alternative, I decided to do a video review of Office for Windows Phone 7. It's about 10 minutes long, and the video quality is excellent. You should be able to clearly see the text on the screen, and the audio commentary should be informative (and perhaps even funny).
In the video I step through the three key features of Office for WP7: OneNote (and its integration with SkyDrive); Word and Excel (viewing and editing); and SharePoint integration (though I sadly couldn't get it to work). OneNote definitely stands out as one of WP7's killer features, especially when combined with SkyDrive synchronization. Word and Excel, which lack the ability to sync, seem rather useless in comparison -- but still, being able to view Word and Excel documents on the move is surely a good thing.
The video review is after the break.
[Note: if you have a subwoofer you might want to turn it down; there's some annoying bass 'thumps' in the video. They won't be there next time, I promise!]
Hands-on video review of Office for Windows Phone 7 originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
If you weren't aware, it's impossible to take screenshots with Windows Phone 7. Perhaps once it's rooted we'll be able to -- but until then, screenshotting apps for reviews is laborious -- you have to take a photo of the screen -- and the quality is inevitably low.
So, looking for an alternative, I decided to do a video review of Office for Windows Phone 7. It's about 10 minutes long, and the video quality is excellent. You should be able to clearly see the text on the screen, and the audio commentary should be informative (and perhaps even funny).
In the video I step through the three key features of Office for WP7: OneNote (and its integration with SkyDrive); Word and Excel (viewing and editing); and SharePoint integration (though I sadly couldn't get it to work). OneNote definitely stands out as one of WP7's killer features, especially when combined with SkyDrive synchronization. Word and Excel, which lack the ability to sync, seem rather useless in comparison -- but still, being able to view Word and Excel documents on the move is surely a good thing.
The video review is after the break.
[Note: if you have a subwoofer you might want to turn it down; there's some annoying bass 'thumps' in the video. They won't be there next time, I promise!]
Hands-on video review of Office for Windows Phone 7 originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Newswall is an artsy feed reader application
Filed under: Utilities, News
Apparently, Apple isn't the only company being emulated these days. Newswall is a feed reader that seems to be heavily influenced by Microsoft's tile-like Windows Phone 7 interface (Metro).
Newswall displays a long list of tiles, each with a striking image, and each tile represents one news item from an RSS feed. When you hover over an item, a bubble with a synopsis pops up. Clicking an image pops up a lightbox with a larger copy of that image -- and when you click an item's title, the whole interface "folds down" into a thin bar at the bottom of the screen, allowing you to read the original item in longer form. Note that this "longer form" is not necessarily the complete text of the item. Sometimes you'll see a Read more link which takes you to the original website.
Newswall is available as a downloadable application, but it's meant to be running on a Web server: you need to have at least a local server for it to work. It's not something I would use as a primary reader, but it can certainly add a bit of flair to someone's day.Newswall is an artsy feed reader application originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 13 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Apparently, Apple isn't the only company being emulated these days. Newswall is a feed reader that seems to be heavily influenced by Microsoft's tile-like Windows Phone 7 interface (Metro).
Newswall displays a long list of tiles, each with a striking image, and each tile represents one news item from an RSS feed. When you hover over an item, a bubble with a synopsis pops up. Clicking an image pops up a lightbox with a larger copy of that image -- and when you click an item's title, the whole interface "folds down" into a thin bar at the bottom of the screen, allowing you to read the original item in longer form. Note that this "longer form" is not necessarily the complete text of the item. Sometimes you'll see a Read more link which takes you to the original website.
Newswall is available as a downloadable application, but it's meant to be running on a Web server: you need to have at least a local server for it to work. It's not something I would use as a primary reader, but it can certainly add a bit of flair to someone's day.Newswall is an artsy feed reader application originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 13 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Orbox B is a fast, tricky Time-Waster
Filed under: Fun, Games, Time-Wasters
Orbox B is a puzzle, but it's one with a very frenetic pace. Each level is composed of a "field" of blocks that are carefully arranged. You control a single block and the object is to get it to the exit. Here's the tricky part: once your block starts moving, it won't stop unless it hits something. And if it falls off the board, you lose. When you do hit another block, you stop -- and then it's time to figure out your next move. Which block should you hit now?
Short-term planning will only get you so far, though. As you progress, planning your moves carefully becomes more important. You must hit the other blocks in the exact sequence needed to eventually make your way to the end. The higher levels also introduce other block types that can disappear after you hit them, snap shut, or do all sorts of other tricks.
It's a minimalistic game, and it's very fast. There is no background music and restarting is instantaneous. Orbox B is also begging for an Android port - in fact, if you know of one, let me know in the comments.Orbox B is a fast, tricky Time-Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Orbox B is a puzzle, but it's one with a very frenetic pace. Each level is composed of a "field" of blocks that are carefully arranged. You control a single block and the object is to get it to the exit. Here's the tricky part: once your block starts moving, it won't stop unless it hits something. And if it falls off the board, you lose. When you do hit another block, you stop -- and then it's time to figure out your next move. Which block should you hit now?
Short-term planning will only get you so far, though. As you progress, planning your moves carefully becomes more important. You must hit the other blocks in the exact sequence needed to eventually make your way to the end. The higher levels also introduce other block types that can disappear after you hit them, snap shut, or do all sorts of other tricks.
It's a minimalistic game, and it's very fast. There is no background music and restarting is instantaneous. Orbox B is also begging for an Android port - in fact, if you know of one, let me know in the comments.Orbox B is a fast, tricky Time-Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Microsoft's Kin ONEm and Kin TWOm Are Back On Sale, at Verizon [Microsoft]
We warned you they would be back—and look who just swaggered into town today, as if they never even got killed off by Microsoft. Should've picked better aliases, though—Kin ONEm and Kin TWOm is just plain weird. More »
Trimble Navigation Limited Trident Microsystems Transaction Systems Architects
Cut The Rope Goes Cosmic [Video]
Chillngo's adorable little candy-muncher Om Nom has proved irresistible to iPhone gamers. Here's a sneak peek at what more than three million Cut The Rope players can look forward to in update 1.1. More »
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Olive's 2TB O6HD music server makes audiophiles (and designers) swoon
How exactly does a boutique outfit like Olive match its lowest-end offering yet? Why, by announcing it's highest-end offering yet merely two months later, of course! Sure enough, Olive has just issued its newest music server (the O6HD) with an eye on affluent audiophiles -- ones willing to pay a meager $4,999 for a 2TB unit. Aside from buying what's likely the most guapo piece of AV equipment we've ever seen, that tally also nets you a pair of TI 192khz / 24-bit Burr-Brown PCM1792 modules, "flawless" encoding and decoding of lossless audio, simultaneous stream support, an ultra-quiet 2T AV hard drive, eight layers of noise canceling padding, a TEAC CD-RW drive, gobs of analog and digital outputs, a gigabit Ethernet jack, inbuilt 802.11n WiFi, HDMI out, a USB 2.0 port and a 10.1-inch 800 x 480 color touchpanel. It's all encased in a fine-grade aluminum shell (passively cooled), leaving you with only one simple decision: silver or black, Sir Godfrey? Gallery: Olive 2TB O6HD music serverOlive's 2TB O6HD music server makes audiophiles (and designers) swoon originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Olive | Email this | Comments
How to enable Google Instant Previews in Opera
Filed under: Browsers
Google's new Instant Previews are a nice addition, providing a thumbnailed look at results before you click through. Opera users, however, can't use the feature by default. Fortunately, it's a trivial task to get previews working in the Big Red O -- here's how to do it.
Browse to http://www.google.com/webhp?sclient=psy;
Right-click in some blank space and choose edit site preferences
When the preferences window appears, click the network tab
Change the browser identification drop-down to read identify as Firefox
Reload the page and try a search!
The trick works just fine on Opera 10.63, but I didn't have any luck on Opera 11. If you've got the know-how to enable Instant Previews in the latest Opera build, share it in the comments!
[via JK Webtalks]How to enable Google Instant Previews in Opera originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Google's new Instant Previews are a nice addition, providing a thumbnailed look at results before you click through. Opera users, however, can't use the feature by default. Fortunately, it's a trivial task to get previews working in the Big Red O -- here's how to do it.
Browse to http://www.google.com/webhp?sclient=psy;
Right-click in some blank space and choose edit site preferences
When the preferences window appears, click the network tab
Change the browser identification drop-down to read identify as Firefox
Reload the page and try a search!
The trick works just fine on Opera 10.63, but I didn't have any luck on Opera 11. If you've got the know-how to enable Instant Previews in the latest Opera build, share it in the comments!
[via JK Webtalks]How to enable Google Instant Previews in Opera originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Reeder for iPad updated, adds Facebook support
Reeder for iPad, which syncs with your Google Reader account and pulls in all your RSS feeds in the blink of an eye, had been updated to version 1.2 and now has added support for posting to Facebook and Zootool. Once iOS 4.2 drops (soon please) Reeder will work in the background using the task [...]Reeder for iPad updated, adds Facebook support is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Hacker gets native code to run on Windows Phone 7 -- will a jailbreak follow?
Filed under: Windows Mobile, MicrosoftIt seems, thanks to one of Samsung's recent additions to the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace, that a jailbreak of Microsoft's latest mobile platform might come a lot sooner than anticipated.
In a high-tech plot twist that even mother could've predicted, it turns out that Windows Phone 7 can run native code! Until today, it was thought that WP7 apps could only be written in Silverlight, an abstracted platform that made jailbreaking all but impossible. If third-party apps can contain native code, it makes jailbreaking all but a foregone conclusion. There still remains the problem of getting such apps onto your phone, though: Microsoft isn't going to approve the addition of a jailbreaking app on the Marketplace!
Microsoft's acceptance of Samsung's native app raises one other important question: why can Samsung submit a native app, but small-time indie developers can't? Samsung's app obviously required some functionality that only native, low-level code could provide -- but why shouldn't all developers get the ability to hook into the underlying operating system?
As Long Zheng says, for a phone's indie and homebrew community to really thrive, unfettered access to the phone's hardware is required. Let's hope this is just the beginning of WP7 hacking!Hacker gets native code to run on Windows Phone 7 -- will a jailbreak follow? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
In a high-tech plot twist that even mother could've predicted, it turns out that Windows Phone 7 can run native code! Until today, it was thought that WP7 apps could only be written in Silverlight, an abstracted platform that made jailbreaking all but impossible. If third-party apps can contain native code, it makes jailbreaking all but a foregone conclusion. There still remains the problem of getting such apps onto your phone, though: Microsoft isn't going to approve the addition of a jailbreaking app on the Marketplace!
Microsoft's acceptance of Samsung's native app raises one other important question: why can Samsung submit a native app, but small-time indie developers can't? Samsung's app obviously required some functionality that only native, low-level code could provide -- but why shouldn't all developers get the ability to hook into the underlying operating system?
As Long Zheng says, for a phone's indie and homebrew community to really thrive, unfettered access to the phone's hardware is required. Let's hope this is just the beginning of WP7 hacking!Hacker gets native code to run on Windows Phone 7 -- will a jailbreak follow? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Elecom's Actrail headphones is the tree to iPod shuffle's spanish moss
We spared you the "wireless" joke, but to be fair, that's precisely what we're looking at: Elecom's Actrail headphones are wireless, Bluetooth-less ear muffs designed for your miniature Apple-borne MP3 player. Only the latest iPod shuffle is officially supported, but we're betting some of the previous generations could fit in just fine. Or maybe even an iPod touch, if don't mind applying scotch tape liberally to your noggin. Hey, it's not like you really need to see the front as a makeshift watch, anyhow. Asking price is ¥4,200 in Japan, which is just around $50 in US coins, and it's due out sometime this month; no promises it'll make stateside release via official channels, but we're sure if you're jonesing you can find something.Elecom's Actrail headphones is the tree to iPod shuffle's spanish moss originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Wired, OhGizmo! | Elecom, (translate) | Email this | Comments
Show me your protozoa and I?ll show you mine
We know the iPhone can do a lot of things, but turning it into a microscope never occurred to me… Brando is now selling an attachement for the iPhone 4 that will do just that. It is a special slide on 60x lens with an LED illuminator. It actually has 3 LEDs. Two for the [...] Filed in categories: News, Reviews, iPhone, iPad, iPod relatedTagged: iPhone 4Show me your protozoa and I’ll show you mine originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 15, 2010 at 7:53 am.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
How Many Floppy Disks Do I Need to Load Photoshop, Again? [Posters]
These brilliant posters spell out the number of floppies needed to load iTunes, Firefox and even Photoshop. I'm so glad we only have to insert one disc instead of 358 floppies for Photoshop CS4 these days. [Behance via Photojojo] More »
Infosys Technologies International Business Machines Inventec
Betfair?s David Yu: The Patience of a Saint Running a $2B Company for Sinners (TCTV)
What does it take to build a $2 billion consumer Internet company in the UK? For starters, center it around a market that's illegal in the US.�Betfair, a marketplace that matches and executes some five million wagers everyday, went public earlier this year and is valued at more than $2 billion.
It has a few things in common with the other $2 billion-plus Internet win out of Europe, Skype. While Skype's business wasn't illegal in the US, it was tricky for its founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis to travel here after the exploits of its illegal filesharing company Kazaa. There's another similarity: Both Betfair and Skype utterly failed to raise venture capital in the early days. In the case of Skype, investors like Bessemer Ventures, Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Index certainly wised up quickly. In the case of Betfair, 5 million pounds from friends and family was the only venture investment the company ever took-- or ever needed.
Betfair's CEO David Yu was in Silicon Valley for the Web 2.0 conference, and he stopped by our studio to talk about the recent IPO, and the newly launched spin off of Betfair, LMAX, which uses the same technology to run a financial trading business. That same technology already handles more "trades" in terms of wagers than all European stock exchanges combined, with�99.9% of them completed in under one second. We also talked about the company's plans for Silicon Valley and the United States.�
It has a few things in common with the other $2 billion-plus Internet win out of Europe, Skype. While Skype's business wasn't illegal in the US, it was tricky for its founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis to travel here after the exploits of its illegal filesharing company Kazaa. There's another similarity: Both Betfair and Skype utterly failed to raise venture capital in the early days. In the case of Skype, investors like Bessemer Ventures, Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Index certainly wised up quickly. In the case of Betfair, 5 million pounds from friends and family was the only venture investment the company ever took-- or ever needed.
Betfair's CEO David Yu was in Silicon Valley for the Web 2.0 conference, and he stopped by our studio to talk about the recent IPO, and the newly launched spin off of Betfair, LMAX, which uses the same technology to run a financial trading business. That same technology already handles more "trades" in terms of wagers than all European stock exchanges combined, with�99.9% of them completed in under one second. We also talked about the company's plans for Silicon Valley and the United States.�
AOL's Phoenix Rises in Facebook's Heavy Shadow
Former Internet behemoth AOL is dipping its toes back into the email pool and gearing up to take a big plunge. The beta version of Project Phoenix, which became available on Sunday to users who sign up and request an invite, is expected to launch for real in early 2011. While the revamped service isn't intended to be all things to all people, it's not all about email.
Keith Rabois: I Was Excited About Fraud At Square
Paypal's Scott Thompson, Square's Keith Rabois and GSI's Michael Rubin took the stage at Web 2.0 Summit today to talk about the future of digital commerce.
As a continuation of John Battelle's argument that a credit/debit card payment counts as a "check-in," Rabois explained that there is data other than what we historically use to prevent fraud that can be used to protect users, including social data from Facebook and Twitter that can be used to verify purchases.
As a continuation of John Battelle's argument that a credit/debit card payment counts as a "check-in," Rabois explained that there is data other than what we historically use to prevent fraud that can be used to protect users, including social data from Facebook and Twitter that can be used to verify purchases.
Hon Hai Precision Ind Hynix Semiconductor Infosys Technologies
THQ uDraw Gametablet for Wii review
There comes a time when fiddly buttons and D-pads just don't do it anymore, a time when you need a little more control. Nintendo was first of the current generation to show its hand with the fling-sensitive Wiimote, and of course Sony and Microsoft are both now doing similarly intended things with the PlayStation Move and the Kinect, respectively. Now THQ is trying to do its own little new thing by launching the $69.99 uDraw Gametablet on the Wii, supplanting the wavy wand with a stylus. Next logical step in gaming? Tool to unleash a torrent of creativity? Half-baked third-party accessory? Read on to find out.
Gallery: THQ uDraw GametabletContinue reading THQ uDraw Gametablet for Wii reviewTHQ uDraw Gametablet for Wii review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Gallery: THQ uDraw GametabletContinue reading THQ uDraw Gametablet for Wii reviewTHQ uDraw Gametablet for Wii review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Monday, November 15, 2010
FCC, Justice Department look to prevent Comcast from hogging NBC's online video all for itself
Ready or not, Comcast and NBC will walk down the aisle in matrimony -- but it'll not be without a few conditions. According to The Wall Street Journal, both the FCC and the Justice Department are expected to impose conditions on how NBC online video is distributed online, to ensure the cable operator (with online video distribution channels of its own) doesn't withhold or threaten to withhold NBC Universal content from rivals -- both Netflix and Apple are specifically cited by WSJ. The FCC is additionally considering restrictions on Comcast slowing down / blocking "legal traffic" from its internet network, maintaining a pro-net neutrality stance. Chairman Julius Genachowski is currently meeting with staffers twice a week on the deal, with the timetable of circulating proposed conditions by mid-December -- narrowly avoiding sweeps week, unless 30 Rock has an idea or two up its Kabletown-owned sleeve.FCC, Justice Department look to prevent Comcast from hogging NBC's online video all for itself originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Apple Insider | WSJ | Email this | Comments
GoodReader Gives iPad Total PDF Domination
While many of us thought we left our need for highlighters behind when we felt our sheepskins in our hands, the fact is even in the world of work there's a need for marking up documents. Now, though, those documents are more likely to be made from pixels than from paper. That's what makes GoodReader such an essential addition to the app library of any iPad owner.
Trimble Navigation Limited Trident Microsystems Transaction Systems Architects
Firefox 4.0 beta 7 brings faster JavaScript, WebGL, is now feature-complete
Filed under: Mozilla, Beta, Browsers
A new beta release of Firefox 4 has finally been made available. What was the hold-up, you ask? Well, with Firefox 4.0 beta 7 being tagged as the feature freeze, Mozilla had to make sure that everything they planned on being built-in by default was ready for prime-time testing. And since there's no shortage of new features and improvements in Firefox 4, it stands to reason that beta 7 took a little while to get here.
What's new in Firefox 4 beta 7? Taking center stage is the kicked up duo of TraceMonkey and JägerMonkey, which have combined to make JavaScript handling every bit as fast in Firefox 4 as it is in Google Chrome. Hardware acceleration has also been turned on by default, bringing faster page rendering via your GPU -- whether you're running WIndows XP, OS X, or Windows 7.
There's also better HTML5 support, WebGL for 3D awesomeness, and Firefox 4 beta 7 can now utilize OpenType fonts on Web pages. You're looking at the final version of Firefox 4, really. Since no new features will be added from this point forward, it's all about squashing bugs and preventing crashes between now and launch day.
We'll have more Firefox 4 coverage throughout the day, so stay tuned!
Download Firefox 4 beta 7Firefox 4.0 beta 7 brings faster JavaScript, WebGL, is now feature-complete originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 06:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
A new beta release of Firefox 4 has finally been made available. What was the hold-up, you ask? Well, with Firefox 4.0 beta 7 being tagged as the feature freeze, Mozilla had to make sure that everything they planned on being built-in by default was ready for prime-time testing. And since there's no shortage of new features and improvements in Firefox 4, it stands to reason that beta 7 took a little while to get here.
What's new in Firefox 4 beta 7? Taking center stage is the kicked up duo of TraceMonkey and JägerMonkey, which have combined to make JavaScript handling every bit as fast in Firefox 4 as it is in Google Chrome. Hardware acceleration has also been turned on by default, bringing faster page rendering via your GPU -- whether you're running WIndows XP, OS X, or Windows 7.
There's also better HTML5 support, WebGL for 3D awesomeness, and Firefox 4 beta 7 can now utilize OpenType fonts on Web pages. You're looking at the final version of Firefox 4, really. Since no new features will be added from this point forward, it's all about squashing bugs and preventing crashes between now and launch day.
We'll have more Firefox 4 coverage throughout the day, so stay tuned!
Download Firefox 4 beta 7Firefox 4.0 beta 7 brings faster JavaScript, WebGL, is now feature-complete originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 06:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Jolibook Netbook Runs Jolicloud OS. Jolly Good
If you still insist on buying a hard-to-use, plasticky netbook in these days of cheap tablet computers, then you could do a lot worse than opting for the Jolibook. The hardware is the exact same pedestrian, commodity bag-of-chips that makes up any netbook, but the OS is actually pretty great.
The Jolibook runs the Jolicloud OS [...]
The Jolibook runs the Jolicloud OS [...]
Sleek, user-friendly Linux Mint 10 released
Filed under: Linux
Ubuntu certainly gets the lion's share of attention when it comes to Linux distributions, but Linux Mint has been offering a sleek, simplified Ubuntu/Debian experience for years. With the release of Linux Mint 10, a boatload of new features and a shiny new default theme make it well worth checking out if you've been searching for a new distro to try.
Like Ubuntu 10.10, Mint now makes it easy to get common multimedia codecs working after you finish your install -- just click the "Add" button on the welcome screen. Mint's signature Menu system has been improved, and makes finding, launching, and installing apps an absolute breeze. The Software and Update managers have been tweaked as well, with better categorical organization and the option to permanently hide updates for specific packages.
Mint 10 still offers a wide array of popular apps from the get-go, including Firefox, Pidgin, Gwibber, Transmission, and many more. The Mint Web server seems to be struggling a bit this morning, so if you need direct links to the official DVD torrents, here they are:
Linux Mint 10 x86 or Linux Mint 10 amd64
Check the official release announcement for full details.Sleek, user-friendly Linux Mint 10 released originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Ubuntu certainly gets the lion's share of attention when it comes to Linux distributions, but Linux Mint has been offering a sleek, simplified Ubuntu/Debian experience for years. With the release of Linux Mint 10, a boatload of new features and a shiny new default theme make it well worth checking out if you've been searching for a new distro to try.
Like Ubuntu 10.10, Mint now makes it easy to get common multimedia codecs working after you finish your install -- just click the "Add" button on the welcome screen. Mint's signature Menu system has been improved, and makes finding, launching, and installing apps an absolute breeze. The Software and Update managers have been tweaked as well, with better categorical organization and the option to permanently hide updates for specific packages.
Mint 10 still offers a wide array of popular apps from the get-go, including Firefox, Pidgin, Gwibber, Transmission, and many more. The Mint Web server seems to be struggling a bit this morning, so if you need direct links to the official DVD torrents, here they are:
Linux Mint 10 x86 or Linux Mint 10 amd64
Check the official release announcement for full details.Sleek, user-friendly Linux Mint 10 released originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
I'd Wear This G-Shock Watch Made From Paper [Watches]
Somebody was obviously paying attention during arts and crafts time in school because this paper model G-Shock is pretty impressive. It nails all the sporty detail of G-Shocks with colored paper and if it really worked, I'd totally buy one. More »
Sunday, November 14, 2010
SugarSync giveaway: win a 30GB account for a year
Filed under: UtilitiesWhen I reviewed SugarSync for Android in September, I came away with one resounding conclusion: it's better than Dropbox. The Android experience is better, and the Web experience is better. There was just one niggle: the free version of SugarSync was feature-crippled. Earlier today, however, SugarSync lifted the crippling restrictions from its free version and bumped the storage up to 5 GB.
In my mind, there's now no reason to use Dropbox -- unless you're a Linux user, in which case you can stop reading now (SugarSync still doesn't support it). The rest of you should head on over and sign up for a free account. If the multi-device support (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Symbian!) doesn't blow your mind, the share-this-folder-with-a-friend feature will.
But wait! What if 5 gigabytes isn't enough -- because let's face it, 5 GB is the merest of data morsels in today's day and age. Maybe you want 30 GB, free, for a year! In that case, enter our giveaway by leaving a comment below -- we have 10 year-long subscriptions to give away! Full terms and conditions are after the break.
Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
To enter, leave a comment below.
The comment must be left by Saturday, November 13 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
You may enter only once.
Winners will be selected in a random drawing.
10 winners will receive a SugarSync 30GB one (1) year subscription, retail value of $49.99 USD.
Click Here for complete Official Rules.
SugarSync giveaway: win a 30GB account for a year originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
In my mind, there's now no reason to use Dropbox -- unless you're a Linux user, in which case you can stop reading now (SugarSync still doesn't support it). The rest of you should head on over and sign up for a free account. If the multi-device support (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Symbian!) doesn't blow your mind, the share-this-folder-with-a-friend feature will.
But wait! What if 5 gigabytes isn't enough -- because let's face it, 5 GB is the merest of data morsels in today's day and age. Maybe you want 30 GB, free, for a year! In that case, enter our giveaway by leaving a comment below -- we have 10 year-long subscriptions to give away! Full terms and conditions are after the break.
Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
To enter, leave a comment below.
The comment must be left by Saturday, November 13 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
You may enter only once.
Winners will be selected in a random drawing.
10 winners will receive a SugarSync 30GB one (1) year subscription, retail value of $49.99 USD.
Click Here for complete Official Rules.
SugarSync giveaway: win a 30GB account for a year originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
A Walk Sign Takes a Stroll In This Incredible Animation [Video]
It took 5313 pictures of 57 stencils over untold hours of positioning, measuring, adjusting, and shooting to bring this street sign to life. But the only number you should care about are the next four minutes of mind-melting awesomesauce. More »
Hulu Plus comes to the Sony Dash, Justin Bieber is so stoked
The Sony Dash gets a bit of a bum wrap. Sure, we wish it was a little more tablet, a little less alarm clock, but Justin Bieber loves his. You know what else The Biebs likes? Cutting cable! Now that Hulu Plus is on his Sony Dash he can totally kick Time Warner to the curb, which is worthy of a trending Twitter topic if we ever saw one. He's too young for HBO, anyway.Continue reading Hulu Plus comes to the Sony Dash, Justin Bieber is so stokedHulu Plus comes to the Sony Dash, Justin Bieber is so stoked originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 20:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Can the Death Grip Fry Your Brain?
You haven’t forgotten about AntennaGate and that whole death grip brouhaha have you? I didn’t think so. Do you still suffer from dropped calls on your iPhone 4? Death grip problems might give you a bigger headache than just dropped calls. It might be turning your brain into mush. The free Tawkon application for the [...] Filed in categories: Android related, Blackberry related, News, iPhone, iPad, iPod relatedTagged: Android, Blackberry, iPhone, Phones, RadiationCan the Death Grip Fry Your Brain? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 10, 2010 at 5:20 pm.
Mark Papermaster returns to chip business courtesy of Cisco, Apple silently watches
We don't blame you if you fail to recognize this good looking fella. Just a quick recap: this is Mark Papermaster, the ex-IBM chip designer who stirred up a storm while transitioning to Apple, only to quietly depart the company 16 months later for reasons that we'll never truly know. Fear not though, folks, as word has it that the boy is back in town: Papermaster is now hanging out with Cisco's Silicon Switching Technology Group as its new vice president. Ironically, our man here will be responsible for making chips that power Cisco's switches, so it'll probably be more or less like his good old days back at IBM. Oh, and without Steve Jobs breathing over his shoulders.Mark Papermaster returns to chip business courtesy of Cisco, Apple silently watches originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Nov 2010 20:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | PC World | Email this | Comments
Beseto Japan's PCM audio recorder runs for one week off 4 AA batteries
For old Dead Heads like ourselves, there is nothing sweeter than sleeping in a tie-dyed t-shirt for weeks at a time and living on the road, in search of that great lost chord. We only wish we had one of these new-fangled digital audio recorders while Dylan was rockin' out with Jerry Bear and the gang back in '87. Due out in March 2011, Beseto Japan's DP1000 handheld features three mics (right, left, and center) for either mono or stereo recording, 2GB internal memory, support for microSD and SDHC cards up to 32GB, both Linear PCM (16bit / 44.1kHz) and MP3 recording, and while it holds two AAA batteries (for up 168 48 hours of use) you can attach an external battery case which will give you an entire week of operation with only four AA batteries. Just imagine a week long guitar solo! Your mind would like, melt, dude. Also includes a 300Hz low-cut filter, ten second pre-recording (just in case), and USB 2.0 jack. Open price, but it's estimated retail is ¥15,000 (about $180).Beseto Japan's PCM audio recorder runs for one week off 4 AA batteries originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 11:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | AV Watch | Email this | Comments
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Facebook for BlackBerry adds Places support
Just a couple months ago, Facebook finally got into the location game. Today, the official BlackBerry blog has announced that their Facebook app is adding support for Places check-ins. The updated app will be available on BlackBerry App World within 24 hours.
Users can check into locations within 2 kilometers, and you'll also be able to tag friends who are along for the ride. Just tap the Places icon on the app's toolbar, choose a previously used location (or add a new one), and add your comment.
The updated Facebook app also allows you to search friends and Pages, view your messages, and access your Pages list from the Friends screen.
[via Mobiputing]Facebook for BlackBerry adds Places support originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Users can check into locations within 2 kilometers, and you'll also be able to tag friends who are along for the ride. Just tap the Places icon on the app's toolbar, choose a previously used location (or add a new one), and add your comment.
The updated Facebook app also allows you to search friends and Pages, view your messages, and access your Pages list from the Friends screen.
[via Mobiputing]Facebook for BlackBerry adds Places support originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Tt eSports' new Azurues gaming mouse has FPS players in its sights
Taiwanese peripheral manufacturer Tt eSports has launched a new three button gaming mouse aimed to please those with a penchant for fragging. Unlike other options out there such as the Razer Lachesis, which tout ever-increasing sensitivity specs, the Azurues' optical sensor engine is content to top out at 1600 dpi, and can easily be adjusted down to 400 / 800 dpi via a hardware switch on the bottom. That makes it ideal for those who prefer a little more wrist leeway while shooting. Other niceties include a black rubber coating for grip, an adjustable weight design, low friction Teflon feet, integrated lighting, and a braided cable to take repeated abuse from the thrill of desk-side battle. Unfortunately, pricing and availability are still unknown, so there's no need to remove your cursor from the back of your next victim's head until more details surface.Continue reading Tt eSports' new Azurues gaming mouse has FPS players in its sightsTt eSports' new Azurues gaming mouse has FPS players in its sights originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Nov 2010 05:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Slash Gear | Tt eSports | Email this | Comments
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