Did ViewSonic's 10-inch tablets catch your eye? We've got good and bad news. The good news is that the G-Tablet (with a 1GHz processor and Android 2.2) is now on sale at Sears for $379.99 -- even less than we were told. The bad news is that the Intel Atom N455-powered ViewPad 10 apparently is, too. We say apparently because Sears seems to have crossed some wires when putting the latter slate up on its site, most egregiously stating that that dual-booting device does both Windows 7 and Android 2.2 for the exact same $379.99. Last we heard, the ViewPad 10 -- like the eerily similar Tega v2 -- could only do Android 1.6 alongside Microsoft's OS and would cost quite a bit more. Don't rely on Sears to cut you a deal, folks.ViewSonic G-Tablet pops up in Sears weekly ad, mistakenly claims to be the ViewPad 10 at Sears' website originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Oct 2010 19:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Sears (1), (2) | Email this | Comments
Sunday, October 31, 2010
OMG/JK: Attack Of The Anthropomorphized Smartphones!
It's finally happened. MG's love for all things Apple has manifested itself in physical form, and he now wears an iPhone to work every day. The doctors say we should try to make him feel like this is normal, so I've taken to donning a matching Android handset. Clashes are frequent ?�the hallway leading to TC HQ literally isn't big enough for both of us, and the rest of the team is tasked with making sure we don't push each other's buttons.
Or maybe it's just time for a special Halloween edition of OMG/JK. Click through this post to watch the video.
This week's topics include the forthcoming Verizon iPhone, which seems to finally be more than just an Apple fanboy's pipe dream. And who could forget the infamous white iPhone ?�the chink in Apple's armor that keeps reminding the public that Steve Jobs is not quite omnipotent. We also discuss the company formerly known as UberCab, which is facing a new foe: the City of San Francisco.
Or maybe it's just time for a special Halloween edition of OMG/JK. Click through this post to watch the video.
This week's topics include the forthcoming Verizon iPhone, which seems to finally be more than just an Apple fanboy's pipe dream. And who could forget the infamous white iPhone ?�the chink in Apple's armor that keeps reminding the public that Steve Jobs is not quite omnipotent. We also discuss the company formerly known as UberCab, which is facing a new foe: the City of San Francisco.
Volt Information Sciences Vishay Intertechnology Virgin Media
IBM patents system that uses hard drives to accurately measure earthquakes, predict tsunamis
Filed under: Fun, IBMIt is with dubiously raised eyebrows that we bring you this gem: using accelerometers in hard disks to detect seismic activity, IBM can divine a wealth of natural disaster-related information.
These hard disk sensors are so sensitive that they can detect the tiniest of vibrations. The seismic data, along with the sensor's geographical location, are then sent to a mainframe computer to be processed. IBM can then interpret that data to tell emergency response teams where an earthquake hit with the most magnitude. "It tells them I need to go to this school; I don't need to worry about this bridge," explains Bob Friedland, one of the patent's inventors.
While this technology doesn't go as far as predicting the next major earthquake, it can predict the likelihood and direction of a tsunami following an earthquake. Presumably, though, this system can detect with greater accuracy the small foreshock tremors that can precede large earthquakes.
For more information, feel free to read through the patent.IBM patents system that uses hard drives to accurately measure earthquakes, predict tsunamis originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 08:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
These hard disk sensors are so sensitive that they can detect the tiniest of vibrations. The seismic data, along with the sensor's geographical location, are then sent to a mainframe computer to be processed. IBM can then interpret that data to tell emergency response teams where an earthquake hit with the most magnitude. "It tells them I need to go to this school; I don't need to worry about this bridge," explains Bob Friedland, one of the patent's inventors.
While this technology doesn't go as far as predicting the next major earthquake, it can predict the likelihood and direction of a tsunami following an earthquake. Presumably, though, this system can detect with greater accuracy the small foreshock tremors that can precede large earthquakes.
For more information, feel free to read through the patent.IBM patents system that uses hard drives to accurately measure earthquakes, predict tsunamis originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 08:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Bored? In The Mood To Help Make The World A Better Place? Head To #Whitenoise! [Community]
It's Friday night and you're bored? Head over to #whitenoise and enjoy a few laughs with the folks there. They'll even show you how to make the world a better place using Folding@home. (To learn more about that, head to this commenter-maintained Google Doc.) More »
Padster iPad Bag Review
With iPads being more popular and apps being more diverse, the iPad has almost become a desktop replacement for your everyday life.� I carry my iPad 3G around with me everywhere since I can easily access my company network and pull up any information that I need.� But I always have a bad feeling of [...] Filed in categories: Gear, Laptop Gear, Reviews, iPhone, iPad, iPod relatedTagged: iPad bag, Leather, padsterPadster iPad Bag Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 28, 2010 at 6:30 pm.
Western Digital Volt Information Sciences Vishay Intertechnology
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Viewsonic introduces 3DV5 3D pocket camcorder, no glasses required
There's a good chance this 3D bandwagon may never stop rolling, so rather than maintaining that bitter beer face for yet another day, you may as well embrace the next dimension. Viewsonic's newest pocket camcorder just so happens to fit into that segment, as the 3DV5 is a 720p shooter with a 2.4-inch autosterescopic display, not dislike that found on Nintendo's 3DS. According to the company, there's a one-touch function to switch between 2D and 3D recording modes, and once they've logged the latter, they can either plug it directly into a 3D HDTV (via HDMI) or watch it on-screen without any 3D glasses. Users can also throw these up on YouTube's 3D channel if they'd rather rather with a set of anaglyph spectacles, but you'd probably budget for an SD card -- you know, considering that the 10MB of internal storage space won't exactly hold a masterpiece. Is this guy really worth £150 ($238)? Can you really live another day without the ability to create 3D content?Continue reading Viewsonic introduces 3DV5 3D pocket camcorder, no glasses requiredViewsonic introduces 3DV5 3D pocket camcorder, no glasses required originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Oct 2010 09:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Hot Hardware | | Email this | Comments
Canon PowerShot G12 scores predictably glowing review
If it's a pocketable PowerShot and its name begins with 'G' you can be pretty sure it'll be a good performer, and Canon's latest is no exception. The $499 G12 is the sequential successor to the G11 and, as is typical for the range, it isn't a revolutionary leap forward. The G12 makes use of its predecessor's 10 megapixel sensor situated behind the same 5x zoom lens and offering the same suite of full manual controls. New this year is a 720p24 video recording mode with stereo mics, finally bringing this camera into the HD age -- but sadly doing so without use of that zoom. Also new is an HDR mode, stitching together three photos to make those vampires hiding in the shadows really pop. According to Photography Blog those improvements plus a few other niceties make this a particularly solid compact, even if its chunky dimensions as ever push the definition of that term.Canon PowerShot G12 scores predictably glowing review originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Oct 2010 03:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Photography Blog | Email this | Comments
AOL launches homepage redesign
Filed under: AOL
AOL -- our benevolent overlord -- has finally taken the wraps off its new homepage design. The new page, which was initially slated for launch on Monday, emphasizes AOL content from our sites like Engadget, Switched and DailyFinance, and also features heavy social integration. Apart from current trending topics, the page will also display activity from your AOL Lifestream if you've got an account set up.
You can also swap out the logo background image from one of the many other funky options -- or let AOL surprise you with a random one. Interestingly enough, despite the fact that the new look AOL loads up just fine in Chrome Canary, Internet Explorer 9 still shows the old design.AOL launches homepage redesign originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
AOL -- our benevolent overlord -- has finally taken the wraps off its new homepage design. The new page, which was initially slated for launch on Monday, emphasizes AOL content from our sites like Engadget, Switched and DailyFinance, and also features heavy social integration. Apart from current trending topics, the page will also display activity from your AOL Lifestream if you've got an account set up.
You can also swap out the logo background image from one of the many other funky options -- or let AOL surprise you with a random one. Interestingly enough, despite the fact that the new look AOL loads up just fine in Chrome Canary, Internet Explorer 9 still shows the old design.AOL launches homepage redesign originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Phrays is a great way to learn new words and use them in sentences
Filed under: Fun, Text, Education
I love learning new words. However, when I just read what a word means, more often than not I soon forget the definition. If I use the word in a number of sentences, though, it's easier for me to retain it - especially if the sentences are meaningful.
Phrays is a nifty little Web application built on this exact principle. You're supposed to go there once a day and check out the word of the day. It's always a "special" word, but the definition appears right along with it. Then, you click in the text area right under the definition and make up a sentence with that word.
Don't just make up any sentence, though. People will later be able to vote for your sentence, and if it's good enough, it will then appear in the gallery of past winning sentences. Right now, the "winning sentences" are sentences that got just one or two votes, because the tool is in its infancy (and because voting requires an account - boo!). But as more people discover Phrays (and the requirement for an account is dropped, hint hint), I suspect that voting will become much more interesting. As it is, it's a fun way to learn a new word every day!
[Gracias, Falconer!]Phrays is a great way to learn new words and use them in sentences originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
I love learning new words. However, when I just read what a word means, more often than not I soon forget the definition. If I use the word in a number of sentences, though, it's easier for me to retain it - especially if the sentences are meaningful.
Phrays is a nifty little Web application built on this exact principle. You're supposed to go there once a day and check out the word of the day. It's always a "special" word, but the definition appears right along with it. Then, you click in the text area right under the definition and make up a sentence with that word.
Don't just make up any sentence, though. People will later be able to vote for your sentence, and if it's good enough, it will then appear in the gallery of past winning sentences. Right now, the "winning sentences" are sentences that got just one or two votes, because the tool is in its infancy (and because voting requires an account - boo!). But as more people discover Phrays (and the requirement for an account is dropped, hint hint), I suspect that voting will become much more interesting. As it is, it's a fun way to learn a new word every day!
[Gracias, Falconer!]Phrays is a great way to learn new words and use them in sentences originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
AOL?s New HomePage Design (Smuggled Screenshot)
It's true. AOL is planning to launch a new homepage design next week. There have been reports, but no screenshots. Until now. A source close to AOL (but not, you know, us) provided the screenshot above.
As you can see, it maintains a consistent look and feel with the current homepage (below). But there are a few major differences. It's going from a two-column to a three-column layout, with more splashy feature items above the fold. Instead of a single main column with rotating features at the top and news sections below, now the whole middle column will become featured items with bigger photos. The search box at the top is also more prominent, with tabs for web, image, video, maps, and news search.
As you can see, it maintains a consistent look and feel with the current homepage (below). But there are a few major differences. It's going from a two-column to a three-column layout, with more splashy feature items above the fold. Instead of a single main column with rotating features at the top and news sections below, now the whole middle column will become featured items with bigger photos. The search box at the top is also more prominent, with tabs for web, image, video, maps, and news search.
App Deals of the Day [Dealzmodo]
Kick off the weekend with even more great apps in your pocket. More »
Friday, October 29, 2010
All 900GB of GeoCities Will Soon be Downloadable [Websites]
After killing off GeoCities last year, diehard Homesteaders will release a massive (and slightly unnecessary) 900GB torrent containing every single webpage ever hosted by the Yahoo-owned company. Just think of all those Gif-laden treats... [Archive Time via TechRadar] More »
Daily Crunch: Squirrel Target Edition
Video: Use A Slinky To Save Your Birdseed From Evil Squirrels Lockheed & Darpa Develop Real Life ?Aimbot? For Snipers Handheld X-Ray Device Powered By 2 D Batteries Chumby Grows Workable Legs, Next Step Is Clearly Human Enslavement Apple Looking To Sell iPad In South Korea In November
Daily Crunch: The Rat Edition
Meta Mouse: A Rat-controlled Car CEATEC 2010: ?Augmented Reality Walker? From Olympus (Video) Logitech Revue First Hands-On! Cisco Announces ?mi HD Home Video Calling System For $599, $25 Per Month Chevy Volt 240V Home Charging Kit: $490 (That?s Without Installation Taken Into Account)
No Change? Buy Candy With PayPal, Your Phone and Twitter
A proof-of-concept vending machine shows how we can dispense with cash for everyday purchases, skipping credit and debit cards altogether and going straight to electronic transfer.
The vending machine uses QR codes, PayPal, a smartphone camera and Twitter. And, to complete the geek-buzzword bingo checklist, the hardware is based in part on Arduino, an open source [...]
The vending machine uses QR codes, PayPal, a smartphone camera and Twitter. And, to complete the geek-buzzword bingo checklist, the hardware is based in part on Arduino, an open source [...]
Infosys Technologies International Business Machines Inventec
This Action-Filled, Star-Packed Short Film Was Shot On a Nokia N8 [Video]
On a hair-raising morning commute, Slumdog Millionaire's Dev Patel encounters a gun-toting traffic cop, ninja bankers, and... Chuck Bass. It's eight minutes of slick, silly fun, and it was shot entirely on a smartphone. More »
Kindle App for Windows Phone 7 Is on the Way
Amazon keeps rolling out software applications for nearly every device it doesn’t make itself. Next up is the new player in the smartphone market, Windows Phone 7. The forthcoming WP7 Kindle app has virtually the same function as other mobile Kindle apps, but will have Microsoft’s look and feel.
I may have been the only e-reading-focused [...]
I may have been the only e-reading-focused [...]
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Why Apps Are Better on Windows Phone 7
While late to the game, Windows Phone 7 came out of the gate as a formidable and serious contender to iPhone, Android and BlackBerry. The Windows Phone is more enterprise-ready than the iPhone has ever been, without compromising on consumer friendliness. Windows Phone 7 is designed to bridge personal and professional lives.
"Cyber" Warfare, Hot Coffee, and How to Earn Millions by Making China Scary [CyberWarfare]
Seymour Hersh's recent peek inside "cyber warfare" possible affirms two things we kinda already knew: people are easily spooked, and there's plenty of money to be made by spooking them. The story, oddly, starts with some hot coffee. More »
HP Palm quietly debuts new HP Palm logo
We don't know how this one slipped past us, but somewhere in the past few weeks (on October 19th as far as we can tell), HP and Palm's logos got together to form what you see to the left: the HP Palm logo. The new, hybrid logo is on both Palm's website and Facebook page, so this should quell any fears that the world might lose Palm's branding all together. We don't know what you think of the new logo -- personally, we were a little partial to our own mock up.HP Palm quietly debuts new HP Palm logo originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 09:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Phone News | Palm, Facebook | Email this | Comments
Apple Faces Potential Lawsuit After Taiwanese Company Claims "iPad" Name [Apple]
A Taiwanese monitor manufacturer is threatening to sue Apple for $1.5 billion for the "iPad" name, claiming they registered "I-Pad" in 2000 for a tablet which failed to launch. Fujitsu tried (and failed), but Proview wants a stab too. More »
Apple, Gemalto working on integrated SIM for next iPhone?
Moving from regular SIMs to micro SIMs for the iPad and iPhone 4 was a fairly user-hostile move on Apple's part, seeing how it made moving between an iPhone and virtually any other GSM device quite a bit more difficult; the official explanation (for the iPhone 4, anyway) was that there simply wasn't room for a regular SIM, but that seems unlikely considering that you're only saving 10mm of length, 3mm of width, and 0mm of thickness. A more plausible scenario is that Apple viewed micro SIMs as a way to get ahead of the industry curve a bit and make it unpleasant for users to try to share an iPhone line with other devices, a concept that gets at the core of Apple's mantra of owning the entire ecosystem from end to end.
But could they be trying to take that concept another step further? GigaOM is reporting a rumor today that Apple is working tightly with security firm Gemalto -- you know, the SIM guys -- to integrate software-reconfigurable SIMs right into European iPhones that would be activated on the carrier of your choice using an App Store download. Why European models? Multiple carriers offer the iPhone in a number of European countries, so distribution is a bit more complicated there than it is in the US, though it's a reasonable leap to suggest that the same integrated SIMs would be use on new North American iPhones as well. From Apple's perspective, it's a win-win: trying to use your iPhone line with another device would be akin to pulling teeth, and more importantly, Apple wouldn't need to worry about bundling carrier-specific SIMs with devices. In fact, the move would make Apple's (and the consumer's) interactions with the carrier entirely virtual, all the way from manufacture to activation. Seems like the plan would require an extraordinary amount of buy-in from carriers who've become increasingly suspicious of Apple's goals lately -- but then again, they managed to get carriers to suddenly and rapidly deploy micro SIMs en masse, and if anyone could pull this off, it'd be Steve's boys and girls.Apple, Gemalto working on integrated SIM for next iPhone? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | GigaOM | Email this | Comments
But could they be trying to take that concept another step further? GigaOM is reporting a rumor today that Apple is working tightly with security firm Gemalto -- you know, the SIM guys -- to integrate software-reconfigurable SIMs right into European iPhones that would be activated on the carrier of your choice using an App Store download. Why European models? Multiple carriers offer the iPhone in a number of European countries, so distribution is a bit more complicated there than it is in the US, though it's a reasonable leap to suggest that the same integrated SIMs would be use on new North American iPhones as well. From Apple's perspective, it's a win-win: trying to use your iPhone line with another device would be akin to pulling teeth, and more importantly, Apple wouldn't need to worry about bundling carrier-specific SIMs with devices. In fact, the move would make Apple's (and the consumer's) interactions with the carrier entirely virtual, all the way from manufacture to activation. Seems like the plan would require an extraordinary amount of buy-in from carriers who've become increasingly suspicious of Apple's goals lately -- but then again, they managed to get carriers to suddenly and rapidly deploy micro SIMs en masse, and if anyone could pull this off, it'd be Steve's boys and girls.Apple, Gemalto working on integrated SIM for next iPhone? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | GigaOM | Email this | Comments
Agloves Capacitive Touch Screen Compatible Gloves Review
I often complain (some will say whine) about the fact that I can’t control my capacitive touch screened smartphone in the Winter months, when I’m wearing gloves. As we know, capacitive touch screens will only work when we touch the screen with our fingers. That’s because the human body has a natural bioelectricity in our [...] Filed in categories: Gear, ReviewsTagged: Capacitive, Clothing, glovesAgloves Capacitive Touch Screen Compatible Gloves Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 25, 2010 at 5:56 pm.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Blast Boxers Make Crotch Explosions Less Risky [Undies]
Worried that your naughty bits will get damaged in an explosion? Then you need to go ahead and spend $95 on a pair of these brightly colored undies. They're lined with enough Aramid fabric and kevlar to keep things safe. More »
OnLive MicroConsole TV Adapter clears FCC with ZigBee surprise
Well, well, look at what we've got here. It's the promised OnLive MicroConsole TV adapter courtesy of the FCC. The MicroConsole itself, isn't a surprise -- the little box that replaces the PC or Mac and brings the streaming game service to the living room TV courtesy of an HDMI-out jack was first announced back in March with plans for a late 2010 retail delivery. What is a surprise is the discovery of an FCC test report for ZigBee 802.15.4 in addition to Bluetooth. The ZigBee mesh networking standard is most often targeted at RF applications requiring a low data rate like lighting, sensor, and power socket control nodes in home automation networks. So why the hell would OnLive be dabbling in ZigBee? OnLive's site says that the MicroConsole uses Bluetooth to connect multiple wireless headsets. So maybe ZigBee is for the four wireless controllers (something we've seen before) the MicroConsole supports. We can't say for sure, but a quick search of ZigBee's product certification database turns up an ETRI VoZ (Voice over ZigBee) prototype capable of facilitating a ZigBee headset, microphone, and speaker. Perhaps OnLive is just doing some future proofing here or maybe they've got plans for some ZigBee enhanced gameplay. Unfortunately, the FCC test unit is listed as a pre-production "Pre-DV Sample" meaning it could still be awhile before the MicroConsole launches. FCC wireframe and label pictured after the break.Continue reading OnLive MicroConsole TV Adapter clears FCC with ZigBee surpriseOnLive MicroConsole TV Adapter clears FCC with ZigBee surprise originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 04:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | FCC, ZigBee Alliance | Email this | Comments
Samsung Galaxy Tab hitting T-Mobile USA on November 10th, $400 on contract
America's number four carrier just landed a launch date for Samsung's Froyo-based Galaxy Tab, and sure enough, it'll be trotting out into the spotlight a full 24 hours before Verizon Wireless and four whole days prior to Sprint. Trouble is, T-Mob's not being kind enough to dole out a price tag, so there's no reasonable way for you to compare its offering against the competition. But hey, being first out of the gate, they can't hold out on us too much longer, eh?
Update: T-Mobile USA's official Galaxy Tab portal just went live, and guess what? You'll be shelling out $399.99 for this bad boy... on a two-year data contract. You'll also be responsible for a $35 activation fee and a $200 early termination charge should you soon realize just what you've gotten yourself into. Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab hitting T-Mobile USA on November 10th, $400 on contractSamsung Galaxy Tab hitting T-Mobile USA on November 10th, $400 on contract originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 09:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | T-Mobile USA | Email this | Comments
Update: T-Mobile USA's official Galaxy Tab portal just went live, and guess what? You'll be shelling out $399.99 for this bad boy... on a two-year data contract. You'll also be responsible for a $35 activation fee and a $200 early termination charge should you soon realize just what you've gotten yourself into. Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab hitting T-Mobile USA on November 10th, $400 on contractSamsung Galaxy Tab hitting T-Mobile USA on November 10th, $400 on contract originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 09:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | T-Mobile USA | Email this | Comments
Apple Computer Applied Materials Arian Semiconductor Equipment
iDOS emulator hits the App Store, gets pulled in record time
You know what they say. You snooze, you miss out on a DOS emulator in the Apple App Store. That rare and unimaginable occurrence happened earlier today, when the so-called iDOS emulator was briefly available for both the iPhone and iPad before it was unsurprisingly pulled from the store a short time ago. That wasn't before it was seen spotted running Windows 3.0 and even some classic Sierra adventure games, though -- head on past the break for the evidence.Continue reading iDOS emulator hits the App Store, gets pulled in record timeiDOS emulator hits the App Store, gets pulled in record time originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 15:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink CNET News | Touch Arcade | Email this | Comments
Holla is an open-source Campfire alternative you can run on your own server
Filed under: Open Source, Social Software, Web
Campfire is a slick way for teams to communicate, collaborate, and share via the Web -- but if you're searching for a simple, free alternative, a new project called Holla is worth a look.
Holla is an open-source chat and file sharing Web app. While it lacks Campfire's more advanced features, like transcripts and voice calling, Holla still provides an elegantly simple way to assemble a group for keyboard-powered brainstorming sessions or socializing.
One of its best features is Gmail-style drag-and-drop uploading. As you can see, images that you upload are automatically displayed inline. Files of any type can be dropped in, and members of your chat can simply click to download.
Holla scales well to handheld devices, too. It felt every bit as snappy on my iPod touch as it did in my desktop browser (image after the break).
You can take developer Alex MacCaw's demo for a spin or download the code from GitHub and run it on your own server.
[via Hacker News]
Holla is an open-source Campfire alternative you can run on your own server originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Campfire is a slick way for teams to communicate, collaborate, and share via the Web -- but if you're searching for a simple, free alternative, a new project called Holla is worth a look.
Holla is an open-source chat and file sharing Web app. While it lacks Campfire's more advanced features, like transcripts and voice calling, Holla still provides an elegantly simple way to assemble a group for keyboard-powered brainstorming sessions or socializing.
One of its best features is Gmail-style drag-and-drop uploading. As you can see, images that you upload are automatically displayed inline. Files of any type can be dropped in, and members of your chat can simply click to download.
Holla scales well to handheld devices, too. It felt every bit as snappy on my iPod touch as it did in my desktop browser (image after the break).
You can take developer Alex MacCaw's demo for a spin or download the code from GitHub and run it on your own server.
[via Hacker News]
Holla is an open-source Campfire alternative you can run on your own server originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Wi-Fi Direct poised to usurp Bluetooth for device-to-device communication
The Wi-Fi Alliance has begun certification of Wi-Fi devices that can communicate directly with other wireless devices, without the need for a central hotspot or router.
Wi-Fi Direct finally provides an alternative to Bluetooth, the current leader in device-to-device networks. In fact, other than increased range (and power consumption!) Wi-Fi Direct doesn't really bring anything to the table that Bluetooth can't already handle.
These new Direct devices, along with the usual one-to-one connections, will also be capable of managing many-to-one networks. A Wi-Fi Direct printer could communicate with wirelessly-connected laptops, netbooks and smartphones -- how many homes don't have a wireless router, though? It might also mean that more ad hoc networks emerge in public spaces. A very cute video describing Wi-Fi Direct's applications can be found after the break.
These new Wi-Fi Direct devices (a few of which are listed at the bottom of the press release) should be available by Christmas. You only need one Wi-Fi Direct device to take advantage of this new feature, too -- you don't have to rush out and replace everything!
Wi-Fi Direct poised to usurp Bluetooth for device-to-device communication originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Wi-Fi Direct finally provides an alternative to Bluetooth, the current leader in device-to-device networks. In fact, other than increased range (and power consumption!) Wi-Fi Direct doesn't really bring anything to the table that Bluetooth can't already handle.
These new Direct devices, along with the usual one-to-one connections, will also be capable of managing many-to-one networks. A Wi-Fi Direct printer could communicate with wirelessly-connected laptops, netbooks and smartphones -- how many homes don't have a wireless router, though? It might also mean that more ad hoc networks emerge in public spaces. A very cute video describing Wi-Fi Direct's applications can be found after the break.
These new Wi-Fi Direct devices (a few of which are listed at the bottom of the press release) should be available by Christmas. You only need one Wi-Fi Direct device to take advantage of this new feature, too -- you don't have to rush out and replace everything!
Wi-Fi Direct poised to usurp Bluetooth for device-to-device communication originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
International Business Machines (Ibm) Interdigital Communications Intel
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
OpenOffice Council Shows LibreOffice Fans the Door
With all the Oracle-related antics going on this fall, it seems safe to say that those of us in the FOSS community haven't really needed to watch much TV. After all, we've laughed, we've cried, we've dropped our jaws in amazement, all just by observing the drama going on right around us with regard to OpenSolaris, OpenOffice.org and all the other projects whose fates were cast to the wind when Oracle purchased Sun.
Barnes & Noble Nook Color revealed
Barnes & Noble just unveiled its all-new Nook Color, an Android tablet fronted by a 7-inch color touchscreen... so long, e-ink! (Not really, the $149 original Nook is sticking around for now, owns 20 percent of the e-reader market, and is about to get a major software update). B&N is billing it as a hybrid of e-reader and tablet device, and has beefed up its software with a full-on tablet-style UI, along with Facebook and Twitter integration. There's built-in WiFi (802.11b/g/n) and 8GB of storage, but no 3G at this point. Thankfully, the price stays aggressive as a result: $249. You might think that means the screen is going to be weak, but B&N has managed to put an impressive-sounding "VividView," 16 million color, 1024 x 600 IPS display in this thing. Interestingly, there's a "full lamination screen film" on top of the LCD to reduce glare, apparently from the backlight, not just from external light sources.
Build-wise, there's that striking corner handle we saw before (smacks of the XO-3, doesn't it?) and a microSD slot, with a 0.48-inch thick body and a 15.6 ounce overall weight. Battery life takes a notable hit, of course, with a rating of 8 hours of reading with the WiFi off. Of course, underneath it all is still Android, and Barnes & Noble is launching the Nook Developer program to allow third party apps on the device, and it even ships with a few favorites like Pandora and Lonely Planet. The color screen also enables a new library of "Nook Kids" children books, full-color magazine and newspaper subscriptions, and video playback if you're in the mood. The Nook Color ships on November 19th, pre-orders are available now.
Looking for more? Check our hands-on video, photos, and impressions of the Nook Color! Gallery: Nook Color press photosContinue reading Barnes & Noble Nook Color revealedBarnes & Noble Nook Color revealed originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 16:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Barnes & Noble | Email this | Comments
Build-wise, there's that striking corner handle we saw before (smacks of the XO-3, doesn't it?) and a microSD slot, with a 0.48-inch thick body and a 15.6 ounce overall weight. Battery life takes a notable hit, of course, with a rating of 8 hours of reading with the WiFi off. Of course, underneath it all is still Android, and Barnes & Noble is launching the Nook Developer program to allow third party apps on the device, and it even ships with a few favorites like Pandora and Lonely Planet. The color screen also enables a new library of "Nook Kids" children books, full-color magazine and newspaper subscriptions, and video playback if you're in the mood. The Nook Color ships on November 19th, pre-orders are available now.
Looking for more? Check our hands-on video, photos, and impressions of the Nook Color! Gallery: Nook Color press photosContinue reading Barnes & Noble Nook Color revealedBarnes & Noble Nook Color revealed originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 16:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Barnes & Noble | Email this | Comments
Opera 11 debuts: screenshots and direct download links inside!
Filed under: Browsers
The wraps have been officially pulled off of Opera 11, and as you might have guessed, the recently-announced extensions support is taking center stage. Opera's Thomas Ford was kind enough to send over a handful of images in advance of the release, and you can clearly see three active in the Opera toolbar: Reddited, Opera2Phone, and Yr.No Forecast.
As with other browsers, Opera will offer a curated repository from which you can download extensions. Currently, it's located at http://addons.labs.opera.com/. Developer documentation has also been posted, and it's all about Web standards (HTML5, JavaScript, CSS, etc.). Opera also claims that it should only involve a few simple tweaks to port existing extensions from browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. You can check out some additional screenshots of Opera 11 browsing and installing extensions after the jump.
We'll be taking a look at some of the other new features in Opera 11 throughout the day. Now without further ado, here are the Opera 11 alpha download links:
Windows
Mac
Linux/FreeBSD
Remember, folks: this is an alpha release. It could crash, cause freezing, or mutilate your bookmarks. But hey, it's all part of the thrill of testing bleeding-edge software, am I right?Gallery: Opera 11 alpha extension press shotsOpera 11 debuts: screenshots and direct download links inside! originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 04:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
The wraps have been officially pulled off of Opera 11, and as you might have guessed, the recently-announced extensions support is taking center stage. Opera's Thomas Ford was kind enough to send over a handful of images in advance of the release, and you can clearly see three active in the Opera toolbar: Reddited, Opera2Phone, and Yr.No Forecast.
As with other browsers, Opera will offer a curated repository from which you can download extensions. Currently, it's located at http://addons.labs.opera.com/. Developer documentation has also been posted, and it's all about Web standards (HTML5, JavaScript, CSS, etc.). Opera also claims that it should only involve a few simple tweaks to port existing extensions from browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. You can check out some additional screenshots of Opera 11 browsing and installing extensions after the jump.
We'll be taking a look at some of the other new features in Opera 11 throughout the day. Now without further ado, here are the Opera 11 alpha download links:
Windows
Mac
Linux/FreeBSD
Remember, folks: this is an alpha release. It could crash, cause freezing, or mutilate your bookmarks. But hey, it's all part of the thrill of testing bleeding-edge software, am I right?Gallery: Opera 11 alpha extension press shotsOpera 11 debuts: screenshots and direct download links inside! originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 04:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Viper SmartStart app goes to 2.0, gets potentially cheaper and throws roadside assistance into the mix
About a year ago Viper got into the app game, releasing SmartStart the iPhone and allowing control of the locks, trunk, and ignition on their car. Since then Android and BlackBerry versions have trickled out, but now it's time for 2.0. What wondrous new functionality does this new major release offer? Not much, really, but it does come with one major improvement: cost. Before you were out at least $299 while the new version is said to cost as little as $199 according to the PR below, though the wording is awfully vague. PR states you can find "dealers advertising Viper SmartStart as low as $199," but under Viper's 2.0 site the MSRP is stated to be $299 -- the same as before. So, YMMV on the price cut, apparently depending on what your local dealer feels like charging, but know that whatever you pay you'll now get "Viper Motor Club" roadside assistance included. That should offer a little extra peace of mind as we enter dead battery season.Continue reading Viper SmartStart app goes to 2.0, gets potentially cheaper and throws roadside assistance into the mixViper SmartStart app goes to 2.0, gets potentially cheaper and throws roadside assistance into the mix originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 15:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Android Community | Viper | Email this | Comments
Daily Crunch: Paper Trail Edition
Hands-On With the Blackberry Style Italy Orders Google To Clearly Label Street View Cars, Advertise Routes Is Cloud OS Maker Jolicloud Preparing To Sell A Netbook Of Its Own? A Week In The Technology-Packed 2011 Ford Edge Sport PaperBecause: A Paper Industry Astroturf Defending Paper
Daily Crunch: Deal Edition
Own Tony Stark?s Iron Man Briefcase But Of Course Without The Iron Man Suit Part Seagate Stuffs 12TB Into The 4-Bay BlackArmor NAS 440 From The Google Developer Day Tokyo: ?Life-Size? Android Robot (Video) Review: Powertel 500 Cordless Phone For The Hearing Impaired Tim Armstrong: We Got TechCrunch!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Apple and Google Tag-Teaming Paul Allen Over Patent Attack [Patents]
You might recall Paul Allen's August bombardment of seemingly every tech company in the US over some rather tenuous patent accusations. Google and Apple? Not havin' that. The two are teaming to have the case dismissed with a legal counterattack. More »
DLS Review: BeejiveIM for Android rocks your instant messaging world
Filed under: Social Software, Mobile, AndroidI always had one rather large complaint about Fring and other multi-network messengers: they're dog-ugly -- like, Ugliest Dog In The World ugly. Fortunately there's a beautiful alternative that, until now, has only been available for iPhone and BlackBerry: it's called BeejiveIM, and after you try it every other messenger app on Android will fade into clumsy and ugly insignificance.
From the outset, BeejiveIM is just another multi-network messenger. It has support for all of the usual suspects -- AIM, Yahoo, MSN, GTalk, Jabber, ICQ, MySpace IM, and even a very nice Facebook chat interface. What sets it apart from its clunky brethren, of which there are many, is the user interface.
The UI (and I apologize for this cliché) is an absolute dream. The ease at which you can carry out conversations across multiple networks is almost superior to desktop apps.
Let me walk you through the UI and explain what I mean.
On the left, you have your "accounts" panel, and on the right, your unified contact list. If you use friend groups on Facebook, or Categories in your Yahoo, MSN, or AIM buddy lists, they appear here, too. Clicking each bar makes it expand or contract, so you can easily manage a huge number of friends. With a push-and-hold you can easily see each contact's profile, or block them.
Your current status can be set across all messaging networks, or you can select each one individually. If you want to be invisible on Facebook but visible on MSN, go for it!
My only complaint is that tabs are on top, far away from your thumb. There's no reason for them to be up there!
The middle tab shows your current conversations. There are handy little indicators that show you how many messages are waiting to be read, and there's even a snippet of text! If you look closely, a small icon shows you which network that conversation is being held on, too. [Don't worry, Sophie wasn't diagnosed with anything life-threatening.]
Now we're onto the best bit: the conversation view. I'm having a conversation with Lee on GTalk. My bubbles move up the right, and his up the left. The pièce de résistance, however, is the draggable bar at the top: it shows me notifications from other conversations, and it can be pulled down for a quick view of all open chats. Switching between chats is a breeze.
Hopefully you noticed the GIANT THUMB in the conversation above. With BeejiveIM, you can send a photo (either direct from the camera, or from memory) or a sound clip. The file is uploaded to the Beejive servers, and a link is sent to your chat buddy -- it's quick and painless and does away with the usual omg-sort-out-your-port-forwarding rigmarole.
If you don't like lime green speech bubbles, you can change the color to something more sensible in the settings -- you can also change the wallpaper (and BeejiveIM comes bundled with a bunch of pretty images that are guaranteed to make your text almost impossible to read!).
You can also change the Sent and Received notifications (sounds from MSN, AIM, Yahoo, and iChat are available), the sort order of your buddy list (and whether they are broken into groups/categories or not), your auto-away message (handy if you're going to leave BeejiveIM online 24/7), and you can even enable "Text Auto Correct" -- but I couldn't work out what this actually did.
Finally, I want to show you a really simple (but really cool) feature: "Email Chat." From any conversation, you can email the entire dialogue to any email address. This is a great way to get important conversations off your phone and onto your PC, or indeed any other device.
Conclusion
I'm hard pressed to find anything wrong with BeejiveIM for Android. Admittedly, I don't regularly use my phone for instant messaging, so there may be issues that would only emerge with extended use -- but considering Beejive's experience with other mobile platforms, I doubt it.
Perhaps the only bad thing is the fact that it costs $9.99 -- but if you commute, or otherwise spend a lot of time on the move, I think the price is more than reasonable.
BeejiveIM for Android Tech Specs
Installed Size -- 8MB, and I'm pretty sure conversations are cached. This isn't a small app by any means
Speed/Responsiveness -- Excellent, very snappy
User Interface -- Very intuitive, highly polished, but tabs should be on the bottom!
Configurability & Extensibility -- You can't change the theme of the tabs, nor can you alter the font -- the ability to change conversation colors and individual statuses for each network is very nice however
License -- Commercial, closed-source. 30-day trial available by visiting www.beejive.com/android on your phone
DLS Review: BeejiveIM for Android rocks your instant messaging world originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
From the outset, BeejiveIM is just another multi-network messenger. It has support for all of the usual suspects -- AIM, Yahoo, MSN, GTalk, Jabber, ICQ, MySpace IM, and even a very nice Facebook chat interface. What sets it apart from its clunky brethren, of which there are many, is the user interface.
The UI (and I apologize for this cliché) is an absolute dream. The ease at which you can carry out conversations across multiple networks is almost superior to desktop apps.
Let me walk you through the UI and explain what I mean.
On the left, you have your "accounts" panel, and on the right, your unified contact list. If you use friend groups on Facebook, or Categories in your Yahoo, MSN, or AIM buddy lists, they appear here, too. Clicking each bar makes it expand or contract, so you can easily manage a huge number of friends. With a push-and-hold you can easily see each contact's profile, or block them.
Your current status can be set across all messaging networks, or you can select each one individually. If you want to be invisible on Facebook but visible on MSN, go for it!
My only complaint is that tabs are on top, far away from your thumb. There's no reason for them to be up there!
The middle tab shows your current conversations. There are handy little indicators that show you how many messages are waiting to be read, and there's even a snippet of text! If you look closely, a small icon shows you which network that conversation is being held on, too. [Don't worry, Sophie wasn't diagnosed with anything life-threatening.]
Now we're onto the best bit: the conversation view. I'm having a conversation with Lee on GTalk. My bubbles move up the right, and his up the left. The pièce de résistance, however, is the draggable bar at the top: it shows me notifications from other conversations, and it can be pulled down for a quick view of all open chats. Switching between chats is a breeze.
Hopefully you noticed the GIANT THUMB in the conversation above. With BeejiveIM, you can send a photo (either direct from the camera, or from memory) or a sound clip. The file is uploaded to the Beejive servers, and a link is sent to your chat buddy -- it's quick and painless and does away with the usual omg-sort-out-your-port-forwarding rigmarole.
If you don't like lime green speech bubbles, you can change the color to something more sensible in the settings -- you can also change the wallpaper (and BeejiveIM comes bundled with a bunch of pretty images that are guaranteed to make your text almost impossible to read!).
You can also change the Sent and Received notifications (sounds from MSN, AIM, Yahoo, and iChat are available), the sort order of your buddy list (and whether they are broken into groups/categories or not), your auto-away message (handy if you're going to leave BeejiveIM online 24/7), and you can even enable "Text Auto Correct" -- but I couldn't work out what this actually did.
Finally, I want to show you a really simple (but really cool) feature: "Email Chat." From any conversation, you can email the entire dialogue to any email address. This is a great way to get important conversations off your phone and onto your PC, or indeed any other device.
Conclusion
I'm hard pressed to find anything wrong with BeejiveIM for Android. Admittedly, I don't regularly use my phone for instant messaging, so there may be issues that would only emerge with extended use -- but considering Beejive's experience with other mobile platforms, I doubt it.
Perhaps the only bad thing is the fact that it costs $9.99 -- but if you commute, or otherwise spend a lot of time on the move, I think the price is more than reasonable.
BeejiveIM for Android Tech Specs
Installed Size -- 8MB, and I'm pretty sure conversations are cached. This isn't a small app by any means
Speed/Responsiveness -- Excellent, very snappy
User Interface -- Very intuitive, highly polished, but tabs should be on the bottom!
Configurability & Extensibility -- You can't change the theme of the tabs, nor can you alter the font -- the ability to change conversation colors and individual statuses for each network is very nice however
License -- Commercial, closed-source. 30-day trial available by visiting www.beejive.com/android on your phone
DLS Review: BeejiveIM for Android rocks your instant messaging world originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Viewsonic VX2258wm 22-inch multitouch display hits stores in Europe
It looks like the folks at Viewsonic never got the memo that people don't want touchscreen displays on devices that don't lay flat. (Maybe Steve forgot to CC 'em?) That, or maybe they just have a rebellious streak -- which we can certainly respect. Either way, the company has just announced the VX2258wm, a 22-inch monitor that uses Infrared Optical Imaging to bring Windows-certified multitouch to the table (er, desk). And that, alongside 1080p HD resolution, ClearMotiv II Technology, a 5ms response time, a dynamic contrast ratio of 100,000:1, and support for HBDP (High Bandwidth Digital Protection) Blu-ray devices, sounds pretty good to us! Available now in Europe for £189 (roughly $300). PR after the break.Continue reading Viewsonic VX2258wm 22-inch multitouch display hits stores in EuropeViewsonic VX2258wm 22-inch multitouch display hits stores in Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 06:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Viewsonic Europe | Email this | Comments
George Lucas reportedly creating Star Wars sequel trilogy (that's not about the Skywalkers) [Rumors]
Big honking Saturday morning rumor here! According to IESB.net, George Lucas will be creating a new trilogy once the first six Star Wars movies go 3D. This echoes what Lucas did in the 1990s after the original trilogy was rereleased. More »
George Lucas reportedly creating Star Wars sequel trilogy (that's not about the Skywalkers) [Rumors]
Big honking Saturday morning rumor here! According to IESB.net, George Lucas will be creating a new trilogy once the first six Star Wars movies go 3D. This echoes what Lucas did in the 1990s after the original trilogy was rereleased. More »
Sunday, October 24, 2010
The Anti-Smartphone [Simplicity]
Did John just out-simplify the Jitterbug by designing a phone that looks straight out of the late 1990s? Seems so: More »
Pantone's CAPSURE tells you what color anything is, easily separates salmon from rose
For web designers, tools that give instant color codes from anywhere on their display are invaluable. How much, then, would a tool that can do that in the real world be worth? Hopefully you said $649, because that's what Pantone is charging for its new CAPSURE. It's the latest in a long line of tools and utilities designed to help graphics-minded people get accurate color information, a sort of handheld scanner -- just place it on anything and it'll ID your hue in CMYK and good 'ol RGB. Think of it as a physical eye dropper that won't get your subjects wet, a device that just about anyone who's ever created a webpage would love to have. Sadly, at that price, it's bound for only the most well appointed of utility belts.Continue reading Pantone's CAPSURE tells you what color anything is, easily separates salmon from rosePantone's CAPSURE tells you what color anything is, easily separates salmon from rose originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Oct 2010 07:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Crave | | Email this | Comments
Sony?s Updated Daily Edition Reader (PRS-950) Available to Pre-order
The PRS-950 Daily Editon Reader from Sony, the third in the series of newly re-designed ebook readers, is now available to pre-order.� This reader has a 7″ screen, WiFi, and free 3G connectivity to the Sony Reader Store.� You can wirelessly download books or periodicals from the Sony bookstore.� They offer subscriptions to periodicals, and [...] Filed in categories: News, eBook Readers and GearTagged: Sony Daily Edition, wireless ebook readerSony’s Updated Daily Edition Reader (PRS-950) Available to Pre-order originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 22, 2010 at 7:30 am.
Verizon adds fewer customers than AT&T in Q3, race for first place gets tight
By subscriber count, Verizon had vaulted into first place by a pretty comfortable margin following its Alltel acquisition, but AT&T added significantly more customers this last quarter than Big Red did -- and just like that, the battle for first place among the US national carriers is starting to get hot again. Verizon added 997,000 customers (excluding acquisitions) in the July through September period versus AT&T's beefy 2.6 million, meaning AT&T now stands at some 92.8 million -- just 400,000 or so fewer that Verizon's headcount. Nothing like an exclusive iPhone launch to give you a little boost, right? On the plus side, Verizon's postpaid churn in the quarter was low at 1.07 percent, and Verizon Communications as a whole earned 31 cents per share -- lower than its second quarter pre-adjustment EPS of 58 cents, but a heck of a lot higher than the 7 cent loss it actually posted in Q2.
Outside of wireless, the company added 226,000 and 204,000 FiOS internet and television customers, respectively, bringing the totals to 3.9 and 3.3 million; FiOS ARPU is up nearly 11 percent year over year, and the company claims that its FiOS business now represents about half of its consumer revenues -- pretty impressive. Follow the break for Verizon's full press release.Continue reading Verizon adds fewer customers than AT&T in Q3, race for first place gets tightVerizon adds fewer customers than AT&T in Q3, race for first place gets tight originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 11:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Outside of wireless, the company added 226,000 and 204,000 FiOS internet and television customers, respectively, bringing the totals to 3.9 and 3.3 million; FiOS ARPU is up nearly 11 percent year over year, and the company claims that its FiOS business now represents about half of its consumer revenues -- pretty impressive. Follow the break for Verizon's full press release.Continue reading Verizon adds fewer customers than AT&T in Q3, race for first place gets tightVerizon adds fewer customers than AT&T in Q3, race for first place gets tight originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 11:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Firefox Friday: Open Apps, Open Games, Open UI... and the world's fastest JavaScript engine
Filed under: Internet, Features, Mozilla, BrowsersGood afternoon! Firefox Friday has been decidedly absent from the luridly green pages of Download Squad over the last few weeks, but it returns today with vengeance.
A lot has been happening at Mozilla, with developments emerging on all fronts. As always we've covered the most important bits, but there's still a lot more to tell you about.
Let's crack on with the first and perhaps most telling titbit:
Mozilla has a new CEO: Gary Kovacs
John Lilly, after almost three years at the top, has stepped aside for newcomer Gary Kovacs. Kovacs has a ton of experience in product management (10 years at IBM), and also significant knowledge of rich media and the mobile Web (5 years at Macromedia, then Adobe). For further reading, Lilly has a great blog post introducing Kovacs.
With this appointment it's clear that Mozilla is fully invested in making Firefox the best browser, both on the desktop and on mobile devices. If you thought the difference between Firefox 3.6 and 4.0 was a big leap, you can only begin to imagine what 5.0 will bring with Kovacs at the helm.
Game On 2010: the judges are announced, and the first fruits of the competition begin to trickle in
The new Game On competition always struck me as rather unMozilla. When I picture the average Mozillan, many kind adjectives pop into my mind but gamer isn't one of them. Still, if you had any doubts, take a look at the list of judges. There are 30 of them, and while they're not all A-listers, there are some big names from Zynga, Facebook, Palm, and more. Almost everyone that's anyone in the JavaScript community is on the list!
If you want to get in on the action, there are already tons of resources on the Game On website. You should probably subscribe read the Game On blog, too.
Also worth noting, if you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, is that the next Mozilla Labs Night (October 28) will be a 'Gaming Special'. I'm not quite sure what it will entail, but the Labs Nights are usually a lot of fun... so sign up and head on down to Mountain View! [I wish I lived in San Francisco...]
Mozilla finally plays its next hand in the Apps War: Open Web Applications
Earlier this year, at the Mozilla Summit, attendees were asked what would make the perfect Web App Store. A lot of heated discussion ensued, but ultimately the summit ended and radio silence descended. This week Mozilla Labs broke that silence with the release of the Open Web Applications Technology Overview and the new apps.mozillalabs.com website.
The concept is brilliant, and there's a demo App Store and Directory that you can play with today. The most important part, however, is that Open Web App developers will have the option of self-publishing their software. This is in stark contrast to the Google-centralised Chrome offering -- and light years ahead of the Mac App Store.
We're not quite at the stage where HTML, JavaScript, CSS and SVG are ready to replace every desktop app, but the Open Web App specification has come just at the right time. Mozilla may just have secured the future platform for all installed apps.
Build your own browser with Mozilla Labs Chromeless
Have you ever looked at the Firefox UI, at that big orange button, and thought to yourself 'hmm... I could do it better'? Well, now's your chance! Using HTML, CSS and JavaScript you can now create your own browser interface.
Chromeless is a pre-alpha prototype at the moment (grab the code here), but the team has grand plans to make browser UI design as 'easy as designing a Web page'. It's an interesting concept that, like all forms of crowdsourcing, might turn up some fantastic new designs.
Last, but by no means least, Firefox JavaScript performance pulls ahead of Chrome and Safari
Launched by the JavaScript team at Mozilla, ARE WE FAST YET? details the reassuringly steady improvement of Firefox's JavaScript engine. Up until yesterday the site featured a huge 'NO' at the bottom of the page -- today... well, you can see for yourself!
Basically -- and you have to admit this is pretty darn impressive -- it has only taken three months for Mozilla to reach Chrome and Safari's level of JavaScript performance. This is only the result of one synthetic benchmark, so the results are hardly authoritative -- but then again, Firefox still leads the 'real world' Kraken benchmark, too.
* * *
Not a bad week for Mozilla, then! Open Web Apps, Open Web Games and even an Open User Interface -- and they're all powered by the fastest JavaScript engine in the world.Firefox Friday: Open Apps, Open Games, Open UI... and the world's fastest JavaScript engine originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
A lot has been happening at Mozilla, with developments emerging on all fronts. As always we've covered the most important bits, but there's still a lot more to tell you about.
Let's crack on with the first and perhaps most telling titbit:
Mozilla has a new CEO: Gary Kovacs
John Lilly, after almost three years at the top, has stepped aside for newcomer Gary Kovacs. Kovacs has a ton of experience in product management (10 years at IBM), and also significant knowledge of rich media and the mobile Web (5 years at Macromedia, then Adobe). For further reading, Lilly has a great blog post introducing Kovacs.
With this appointment it's clear that Mozilla is fully invested in making Firefox the best browser, both on the desktop and on mobile devices. If you thought the difference between Firefox 3.6 and 4.0 was a big leap, you can only begin to imagine what 5.0 will bring with Kovacs at the helm.
Game On 2010: the judges are announced, and the first fruits of the competition begin to trickle in
The new Game On competition always struck me as rather unMozilla. When I picture the average Mozillan, many kind adjectives pop into my mind but gamer isn't one of them. Still, if you had any doubts, take a look at the list of judges. There are 30 of them, and while they're not all A-listers, there are some big names from Zynga, Facebook, Palm, and more. Almost everyone that's anyone in the JavaScript community is on the list!
If you want to get in on the action, there are already tons of resources on the Game On website. You should probably subscribe read the Game On blog, too.
Also worth noting, if you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, is that the next Mozilla Labs Night (October 28) will be a 'Gaming Special'. I'm not quite sure what it will entail, but the Labs Nights are usually a lot of fun... so sign up and head on down to Mountain View! [I wish I lived in San Francisco...]
Mozilla finally plays its next hand in the Apps War: Open Web Applications
Earlier this year, at the Mozilla Summit, attendees were asked what would make the perfect Web App Store. A lot of heated discussion ensued, but ultimately the summit ended and radio silence descended. This week Mozilla Labs broke that silence with the release of the Open Web Applications Technology Overview and the new apps.mozillalabs.com website.
The concept is brilliant, and there's a demo App Store and Directory that you can play with today. The most important part, however, is that Open Web App developers will have the option of self-publishing their software. This is in stark contrast to the Google-centralised Chrome offering -- and light years ahead of the Mac App Store.
We're not quite at the stage where HTML, JavaScript, CSS and SVG are ready to replace every desktop app, but the Open Web App specification has come just at the right time. Mozilla may just have secured the future platform for all installed apps.
Build your own browser with Mozilla Labs Chromeless
Have you ever looked at the Firefox UI, at that big orange button, and thought to yourself 'hmm... I could do it better'? Well, now's your chance! Using HTML, CSS and JavaScript you can now create your own browser interface.
Chromeless is a pre-alpha prototype at the moment (grab the code here), but the team has grand plans to make browser UI design as 'easy as designing a Web page'. It's an interesting concept that, like all forms of crowdsourcing, might turn up some fantastic new designs.
Last, but by no means least, Firefox JavaScript performance pulls ahead of Chrome and Safari
Launched by the JavaScript team at Mozilla, ARE WE FAST YET? details the reassuringly steady improvement of Firefox's JavaScript engine. Up until yesterday the site featured a huge 'NO' at the bottom of the page -- today... well, you can see for yourself!
Basically -- and you have to admit this is pretty darn impressive -- it has only taken three months for Mozilla to reach Chrome and Safari's level of JavaScript performance. This is only the result of one synthetic benchmark, so the results are hardly authoritative -- but then again, Firefox still leads the 'real world' Kraken benchmark, too.
* * *
Not a bad week for Mozilla, then! Open Web Apps, Open Web Games and even an Open User Interface -- and they're all powered by the fastest JavaScript engine in the world.Firefox Friday: Open Apps, Open Games, Open UI... and the world's fastest JavaScript engine originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Fei Company Fairchild Semiconductor International Fair Isaac
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Gingerbread man arrives at Google HQ [video]
Look who dropped in for a visit at Google HQ -- it's the Gingerbread man, poised to join the rest of the tasty treats on the lawn at Google. There's no word on any announcement or code dropping, but it can't be too much longer now that this big fella is on site. Google's own unboxing video after the break. [via AndroidDev, TechCrunch]
Posted originally at Android CentralSponsored by Android Cases and Accessories
Posted originally at Android CentralSponsored by Android Cases and Accessories
MSI brings Core i5, GeForce GT 425M to 15.6-inch GE603 laptop
It looks about like every other MSI 15.6-incher out there, but for those who prefer classy over vivacious, he GE603 might just be right down your alley. Designed primary as a multimedia laptop with the ability to handle a modest amount of demanding games, this here rig will be available with a Core i5-460M, i5-450M or i5-430M processor, NVIDIA's GeForce GT 425M (1GB), HDMI and VGA outputs, a 320/500/640GB hard drive, a DVD burner, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and a foursome of USB 2.0 sockets. You'll also find 802.11b/g/n WiFi, an ExpressCard reader, 5-in-1 card reader, gigabit Ethernet and up to 8GB of DDR3 memory. As you'd expect, Windows 7 is running the show, and the nine-cell Li-ion should keep it humming for at least a couple of hours. Per usual, MSI's not serving up details regarding a price or release date, but we both know it's aiming to have it on store shelves pre-Christmas.MSI brings Core i5, GeForce GT 425M to 15.6-inch GE603 laptop originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Oct 2010 13:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Hot Hardware | MSI | Email this | Comments
Apple fixes FaceTime for Mac security flaw, not your Wolverine complex
That was quick. The FaceTime for Mac beta security flaw has been shutdown by Apple on the backend -- a flaw that allowed anyone with physical access to your machine to reset and grab your iTunes Store account password and security answers. So now, if some nefarious type were to click "View Account" within your FaceTime desktop app while you were chillin' in the Starbucks toilet or chatting away the day by the office water cooler, the would-be identify thief would simply be redirected back to the FaceTime Account Preferences pane. At which point he'd probably just slip your laptop into his backpack earning two thumbs up from that guy.Apple fixes FaceTime for Mac security flaw, not your Wolverine complex originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 04:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Cocoa Touch Apps | Email this | Comments
Speedlink Cue does the multitouch hybrid mouse thing
Honestly, while Apple's Magic Mouse is a bit of a pioneer in its application of a multitouch surface on a "regular" tracking mouse, it's not exactly easy or comfortable to perform multitouch gestures with it. Plus there's the little problem of no official driver for Windows. Speedlink's Cue mouse looks to be solving at least one of those problems, maybe even both. The wireless 1000 dpi optical mouse is naturally PC-compatible, with software to allow you to configure your own gestures, and it has a somewhat flatter and more extensive touch surface than the Magic Mouse, which might make gestures a bit more doable. Basically, it's somewhere in between the Magic Mouse and the Magic Trackpad, minus the hyperbole, and plus clear demarcation of right and left click. It'll retail for €40 when it ships in November (about $56 USD).Speedlink Cue does the multitouch hybrid mouse thing originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 15:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Wired | Speedlink | Email this | Comments
Sony Google TV booted into recovery mode, are we days away from a root? (video)
If it's running Android it has a root, and if it has a root some modder will find it. The Sony Google TV is most certainly running a flavor of Google's little OS and so it too is just waiting to be cracked open. While that hasn't happened yet, Android Forums and xda-developers member Apeman has managed to get us one step closer. He's enabled the recovery mode on his device by holding the power button down while plugging it in, presenting a tantalizing "System Update with USB" menu option. What lovely things will this unlock? You'll have to wait to see -- just like us.Continue reading Sony Google TV booted into recovery mode, are we days away from a root? (video)Sony Google TV booted into recovery mode, are we days away from a root? (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 08:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Phandroid | Android Forums | Email this | Comments
Official Twitter app for Windows Phone 7 goes live (update: hands-on)
Surprise of surprises! On the day that Europeans finally got to dig into the Windows Phone 7 cake in earnest, Twitter's official app for the hot new platform has also gone live. We've downloaded it to our own WP7 device and are having a play around with it now. If you need a refresher as to what it looks like, check out the video after the break.
Update: Okay, we can neither log in nor get signed up at present, though others have clearly achieved the feat already. Twitter.com itself keeps alternating between its new and old versions, so we suspect there's quite a bit of work going on behind the scenes at present. To answer your queries, loading time from the live tile menu to the top tweets page above is approximately three seconds, while scrolling is basically identical to the perfection available on WP7's own apps. Swiping laterally gets you into Trends, Suggested, and Nearby categories which take a couple of moments to load up their tweets, but otherwise match the performance.
Exiting to the live tile menu throws you out of whatever you were doing and re-entering the app -- as is par for the Windows Phone 7 course right now -- means starting from scratch. The only way you can save you state is by locking the phone, which takes a second or two to resume when unlocked and returns you to the exact point you were at. Great, now let us in, Twitter!
Hold up, reader David Gordon points out that you can hit the live tile menu via the Windows/Start key and then return to Twitter through the Back button, yay, that works too.
Update 2: There are still errors being thrown up, but we finally got ourselves logged in. Well, it looks just like the vid promised it would and the app itself is working flawlessly, there are no processing delays that we can see. Oh, and there's a landscape mode. Our only bugbear is that there's no differentiation between your own tweets and those of your friends. Ah well, check out the gallery below.Gallery: Twitter for Windows Phone 7 hands-onContinue reading Official Twitter app for Windows Phone 7 goes live (update: hands-on)Official Twitter app for Windows Phone 7 goes live (update: hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 21:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink @stuartmiles (Twitter) | | Email this | Comments
Update: Okay, we can neither log in nor get signed up at present, though others have clearly achieved the feat already. Twitter.com itself keeps alternating between its new and old versions, so we suspect there's quite a bit of work going on behind the scenes at present. To answer your queries, loading time from the live tile menu to the top tweets page above is approximately three seconds, while scrolling is basically identical to the perfection available on WP7's own apps. Swiping laterally gets you into Trends, Suggested, and Nearby categories which take a couple of moments to load up their tweets, but otherwise match the performance.
Exiting to the live tile menu throws you out of whatever you were doing and re-entering the app -- as is par for the Windows Phone 7 course right now -- means starting from scratch. The only way you can save you state is by locking the phone, which takes a second or two to resume when unlocked and returns you to the exact point you were at. Great, now let us in, Twitter!
Hold up, reader David Gordon points out that you can hit the live tile menu via the Windows/Start key and then return to Twitter through the Back button, yay, that works too.
Update 2: There are still errors being thrown up, but we finally got ourselves logged in. Well, it looks just like the vid promised it would and the app itself is working flawlessly, there are no processing delays that we can see. Oh, and there's a landscape mode. Our only bugbear is that there's no differentiation between your own tweets and those of your friends. Ah well, check out the gallery below.Gallery: Twitter for Windows Phone 7 hands-onContinue reading Official Twitter app for Windows Phone 7 goes live (update: hands-on)Official Twitter app for Windows Phone 7 goes live (update: hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 21:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink @stuartmiles (Twitter) | | Email this | Comments
Friday, October 22, 2010
Daily Crunch: Plot Points Edition
CEATEC 2010: Hands-on With Fujitsu?s ?Social? Teddy Bear Robots (Video) Is There Room In Your Life For The Awesome Prizm Full-Color Graphing Calculator? Moleskine Celebrates Pac-Man?s 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Notebooks Herman Miller?s Sayl Chair: Live Unframed Wheeled Sequel To Skitterbot Isn?t Nearly As Creepy
Google catches giant Gingerbread man, mounts on front lawn (video)
Cupcake, donut, eclair, froyo. That's not just a list of Android iterations, it's also an inventory of all the giant decorations (along with a large green robot) that cover the GooglePlex lawn. And today marks the introduction of a large gingerbread man. Historically, such tasty statues have been in honor of its related milestone's completion, so we're wagering that Android 3.0 (or is it 2.3?) will be officially unveiled in the very short future. Run, run, as fast as you can to the video after the break.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Continue reading Google catches giant Gingerbread man, mounts on front lawn (video)Google catches giant Gingerbread man, mounts on front lawn (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 20:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink @morrildl (Twitter) | YouTube | Email this | Comments
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Continue reading Google catches giant Gingerbread man, mounts on front lawn (video)Google catches giant Gingerbread man, mounts on front lawn (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 20:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink @morrildl (Twitter) | YouTube | Email this | Comments
AT&T transitioning to LTE-friendly SIM cards
There's precisely zero doubt that AT&T will be supporting LTE waves in the not-too-distant future, but it looks as if "the future" may be drawing closer than anyone had ever imagined. Or else the carrier's just really, really proactive. Based on the leaked slide above, it looks as if AT&T is already beginning to transition its current crop of SIM cards to "those that will also support LTE devices." Naturally, the iPhone 4 is omitted from all of this due to it using a micro SIM, but it looks as if employees will need to keep a careful eye on the SKU (and front graphics) in order to make sure customers are well equipped for another blend of 4G. Now, how's about a rollout schedule, Ma Bell?AT&T transitioning to LTE-friendly SIM cards originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Boy Genius Report | Email this | Comments
Microsoft Games for Windows Marketplace relaunches in your browser on November 15
Microsoft just announced that its new Games for Windows Marketplace online PC games store will launch on November 15th. Think Steam, but not quite. The store offers online web access from anywhere and features fast purchase and download turnarounds to accelerate the time to game play; discounted games; and game search by title, genre or publisher. Games for Windows Marketplace is integrated with Microsoft's existing Xbox LIVE and Windows Live services and will launch with over 100 titles including "Fable: The Lost Chapters" and "Grand Theft Auto III." Anyone with a Windows Live ID can login. Check out the full press release after the break before heading over to Joystiq for more detailed coverage.Continue reading Microsoft Games for Windows Marketplace relaunches in your browser on November 15Microsoft Games for Windows Marketplace relaunches in your browser on November 15 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 05:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Joystiq | Email this | Comments
20/20 Headphones Use Tensegrity to Adapt to Any Head Automagically [Video]
Teague's 20/20 headphones are one of weirdest and most intriguing industrial designs I've ever seen. Instead of using the usual adjusting mechanisms to adapt to different heads' shapes and sizes, they use tensegrity. But, what's tensegrity? More »
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TAC Drive Review
The TAC Drive is one serious thumb drive.� Thumb drive just doesn’t cut it, so the company calls this thing a Digital Doc Tag!! It even comes with standard army issue� steel chain to fling it around your neck if you like! … [visit site to read more] Filed in categories: Gear, Health Related Gadgets, [...] Filed in categories: Gear, Health Related Gadgets, ReviewsTagged: Health, USBTAC Drive Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 18, 2010 at 11:56 am.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Google Employees Share Their Stories: 'It Gets Better' [Video]
Being a kid can be tough. It can be especially tough for gay and transgender kids. But take it from these Google employees: It gets better. Here they share their inspiring stories about life after adolescence. [It Gets Better] More »
Introducing the First Gizmodo Artist Series T-Shirt [Announcement]
You guys kept telling us you wanted a Giz t-shirt. So here it is, the very first Gizmodo Artist Series t-shirt, designed by former Giz illustrator Wendy MacNaughton. It's available today from BustedTees for $20. More »
ITU lays down law: WiMAX 2, LTE-Advanced are 4G, everyone else is a buster
Fleshing out what constitutes a 3G versus a 4G wireless technology is like trying to objectively quantify whether Coke or Pepsi is the superior beverage -- but for what it's worth, the UN's ITU is widely recognized as the closest thing we have to a final word (on the Gs, that is, not the colas). They've just issued a press release stating that of six technologies nominated for IMT-Advanced (the formal name for 4G) certification, just two have emerged victorious: 802.16m WiMAX 2 -- also known as WirelessMAN-Advanced -- and LTE-Advanced. That would leave Sprint, Verizon, and everyone else currently deploying WiMAX and LTE technically false in advertising their latest-generation services as "4G," though with so many technologies crowding the 3G space, we can't necessarily blame them; heck, even EDGE and CDMA2000 without EV-DO technically qualify as 3G in the eyes of the ITU, so yeah, the situation is really just as muddled as ever. For what it's worth, neither 802.16m nor LTE-Advanced are live anywhere in the world -- and they aren't expected to be for some time -- so whether you like it or not, the UN says you're still living a 3G existence no matter where you're located. So close! Follow the break for the ITU's release.Continue reading ITU lays down law: WiMAX 2, LTE-Advanced are 4G, everyone else is a busterITU lays down law: WiMAX 2, LTE-Advanced are 4G, everyone else is a buster originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 10:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | GSMA Mobile Business Briefing | Email this | Comments
Mario?s Anniversary Brings Remote Plus, Red Wii and DSi Bundles
Nintendo will be releasing its Wii Remote Plus controller stateside on November 7, either on its own for $39, or as part of a Red Super Mario Bros-themed console bundle for $199.
Nintendo’s once-red-hot Wii has had trouble keeping up its sales performance. While new controllers including Playstation’s Move and Xbox Kinect are matching much [...]
Nintendo’s once-red-hot Wii has had trouble keeping up its sales performance. While new controllers including Playstation’s Move and Xbox Kinect are matching much [...]
FCC Tweets Playoff Game Updates For Fox-less Cablevision Customers [Twitter]
The real victims in the ongoing spat between Cablevision and News Corp? Phillies fans, who were denied from watching Tuesday night's playoff game on Fox. Until the FCC stepped in with live Twitter updates from the game. More »
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Wednesday, October 20, 2010
First Impressions of the New MacBook Airs [MacbookAir]
The new MacBook Airs are slimmer, snappier, and better suited for cutting cheese than ever. Here's what people are saying about actually using them. More »
Messenger Connect leaves beta, makes sharing things with your Live Messenger friends easier
Filed under: Microsoft, Social Software
Microsoft's beefed-up social networking integration in Live Messenger isn't all about the Messenger app itself. There's also some back-end social magic going on with publishers and sharing services like ShareThis and AddThis.
Messenger Connect is the Activity Stream glue that ties it all together, and the service finally left beta testing today. Connect makes it easy for content providers and sharing services to add a "share with Messenger" function to their websites and apps -- it works the same way as "tweet this" or "share on Facebook" buttons and widgets do.
Want to integrate Messenger Connect into your own project? Microsoft has made it pretty easy, offering ActivityStrea.ms templates for actions ranging from publishing a status update to sharing a photo, video -- or even that amazing high score you just posted on your favorite Time-Waster.Messenger Connect leaves beta, makes sharing things with your Live Messenger friends easier originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Microsoft's beefed-up social networking integration in Live Messenger isn't all about the Messenger app itself. There's also some back-end social magic going on with publishers and sharing services like ShareThis and AddThis.
Messenger Connect is the Activity Stream glue that ties it all together, and the service finally left beta testing today. Connect makes it easy for content providers and sharing services to add a "share with Messenger" function to their websites and apps -- it works the same way as "tweet this" or "share on Facebook" buttons and widgets do.
Want to integrate Messenger Connect into your own project? Microsoft has made it pretty easy, offering ActivityStrea.ms templates for actions ranging from publishing a status update to sharing a photo, video -- or even that amazing high score you just posted on your favorite Time-Waster.Messenger Connect leaves beta, makes sharing things with your Live Messenger friends easier originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
iHome's iA100 iPad stereo speaker system now on sale for $199
Took 'em long enough, huh? iHome's iA100 was actually introduced way back in July, and at the time, it was essentially the only iPad-friendly home stereo system on the planet. Now, iHome has a bit of friendly competition out there, but at least it's getting this guy out on store shelves long before the holiday shopping season hits full swing. For those who missed it the first go 'round, this here docking system touts Bongiovi Acoustics' DPS technology, an inbuilt alarm clock, Bluetooth and support for the iPad, iPhone and iPod via a 30-pin Dock Connector. Too bad it'll set you back a full $199.Continue reading iHome's iA100 iPad stereo speaker system now on sale for $199iHome's iA100 iPad stereo speaker system now on sale for $199 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 03:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | iHome | Email this | Comments
Zotac Zbox HD-ID34 Blu-ray playing nettop reviewed, scores well for non-audiophiles
Little PCs are wonderful things, and those that can handle Blu-ray playback and do so while sucking down less than 45 watts are doubly delightful. Zotac's Zbox is such a machine, an Atom D525 and ION2 nettop with a Blu-ray all built into a lovely sliver of brushed metal. AnandTech found its performance to match its looks the majority of the time, able to play most HD footage without issue either from the network or straight from the optical drive. However, there's one problem: surround audio. The box cannot bitstream DTS-HD MA or Dolby TrueHD and comes with playback software that's not capable of delivering 5.1 channel surround over the box's HDMI output. So, it's perhaps not a home theater audiophile's dream, but at $399 without memory or storage, or $499 with 2GB of RAM and a 250GB HDD, it is at least a heck of a good bargain.Zotac Zbox HD-ID34 Blu-ray playing nettop reviewed, scores well for non-audiophiles originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 06:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | AnandTech, Hot Hardware | Email this | Comments
People Spend 927 Million Hours Per Month Playing Facebook Games [Facebook]
This is truly crazy data: 290 million people play Farmville and other Facebook games—five of the top 10 are by Zynga—every month. Combined, that's 4,406 years worth of play time—or 105,878 man-years milking virtual cows. More »
Barnes & Noble holding a 'very special event' next week
Can you believe it's almost been a year since the Nook was announced? The reader was first shown to the public on October 20th last year, and started shipping to the public in limited quantities in December. We don't know if Barnes & Noble is planning a follow-up just yet, but this mysterious invite we just got in the ol' email inbox might hint at such an occasion. Last year's event in NY was at a much larger venue, while this year B&N is hoping to cram people into its Union Square store in the area it typically hosts authors for book readings -- that could be a hint at something less impressive, or maybe they just wanted to cut costs. Maybe Chairman Leonard Riggio is going to read a book to us! Hopefully it's a little more exciting than that, and we'll be sure to tell you all about it either way.Barnes & Noble holding a 'very special event' next week originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Gear Wheel IQ Cube ? A Rubiks Cube for Gadgeteers
Remember the Rubiks cube? I used to spend hours trying to solve that puzzle when I was a kid. Brando is offering a new puzzle challenge. It’s the Gear Wheel IQ Cube. As you turn the sides, gears cause other pieces to rotate. I was never any good at figuring out the Rubiks cube (till [...] Filed in categories: Kid Gadgets, News, Spotlight GadgetsTagged: PuzzleGear Wheel IQ Cube – A Rubiks Cube for Gadgeteers originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 18, 2010 at 9:00 am.
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Is the Internet Safe for Kids? Taiwanese Animators Hilariously Investigate [Video]
A flashmob organized by Pedobear. Google CEO Eric Schmidt vaporizing a child's mind from the window of his robot car. Charlie biting his brother's finger off. Just some of the scenes found in Taiwan's latest (and perhaps greatest) animated report. More »
Feds to Telecoms: Stop Upgrading so We Can Wiretap More Easily [Wiretapping]
Current law mandates that telecoms allow the government to snoop on you when deemed necessary. But with blazing advances in what telecoms offer, the government is left behind. They want to catch up. Their solution? Tougher law. More »
Daily Crunch: The Rat Edition
Meta Mouse: A Rat-controlled Car CEATEC 2010: ?Augmented Reality Walker? From Olympus (Video) Logitech Revue First Hands-On! Cisco Announces ?mi HD Home Video Calling System For $599, $25 Per Month Chevy Volt 240V Home Charging Kit: $490 (That?s Without Installation Taken Into Account)
Playboy Goes Non Nude For iPad
Soon the official Playboy iPad App will be revealed but certain other elements won’t be. What we’re trying to say is that in order to follow Apple’s very strict anti-obscenity rules Playboy has agreed to keep their app for the iPad tablet device entirely non-nude and tasteful. With no nudity allowed Playboy may just have [...]
Mega Hub vs Giant Peripheral Pile
So you say you already have a hub with what, 4, 7, 16 ports? �Obviously you’re not serious about your USB needs otherwise you’d have this 24-port �monster! Coming at at roughly 6″ wide and a inch and a half tall, the majority of the ports are piggy-backed on each other around the diameter, with [...] Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptop Gear, News, Spotlight GadgetsTagged: USB hubMega Hub vs Giant Peripheral Pile originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 17, 2010 at 9:13 am.
Monday, October 18, 2010
AT&T offering a free month of Zune to folks who buy a Windows Phone 7 handset this year
We already knew AT&T was giving away ilomilo and a free month of U-verse Mobile to folks who buy one of its glorious Windows Phone 7 phones. What else? Well, AT&T is tossing in a free month of Zune Pass for good measure. Now, Microsoft already offers 14 day free trials to the Zune-curious, and there's nothing stopping other carriers or Microsoft itself extending this deal to the rest of the world -- we think the "first one's free" method of addiction generation is particularly great for subscription music. Still, it's nice to know AT&T has such an offer sewn up. Now that the Xbox is getting a native Zune UI at long last, how about a free month of Zune for Xbox Live subscribers as well? Microsoft can afford it.
[Thanks, Morgan G.]AT&T offering a free month of Zune to folks who buy a Windows Phone 7 handset this year originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | AT&T | Email this | Comments
[Thanks, Morgan G.]AT&T offering a free month of Zune to folks who buy a Windows Phone 7 handset this year originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | AT&T | Email this | Comments
Pleo Reborn detailed by Innvo CEO, one lucky fan finds and buys the tiny dino (video)
Innvo Labs wasn't sharing a single detail about its new Pleo at CES last year, but the company's being a bit more forthcoming now -- not only did CEO Derek Dotson grant the baby dino community a lengthy interview detailing most every improvement last week, but its Hong Kong parent is apparently already selling the robot abroad. It's called the Pleo Reborn (or "RB" for short) and the primary features are these: a lithium-polymer battery good for two hours of continuous use, a much tougher hide, and an RFID "sense of smell" that lets it interact with a variety of optional accessories to "eat," take medicine for virtual injuries and learn new tricks as you go.
The little creature's also got four additional touch sensors, a temperature sensor, a gravity sensor and an internal clock to tell the time of day, improved motors, and basic voice recognition -- and the Hong Kong packaging suggests the dinos will even come in two different sexes. User marcimarc444 claims to have paid roughly $500 for the one pictured above at the Hong Kong Electronic Show, and though we don't have US pricing or availability at this point, the CEO did suggest that "very, very limited" quantities would be available later this month. Find the full interview and a testimonial at the links below, and watch the Pleo RB in action right after the break.
[Thanks, Michael W.]Continue reading Pleo Reborn detailed by Innvo CEO, one lucky fan finds and buys the tiny dino (video)Pleo Reborn detailed by Innvo CEO, one lucky fan finds and buys the tiny dino (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 17 Oct 2010 22:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Bob The Pleo Forums (1), (2) | Email this | Comments
The little creature's also got four additional touch sensors, a temperature sensor, a gravity sensor and an internal clock to tell the time of day, improved motors, and basic voice recognition -- and the Hong Kong packaging suggests the dinos will even come in two different sexes. User marcimarc444 claims to have paid roughly $500 for the one pictured above at the Hong Kong Electronic Show, and though we don't have US pricing or availability at this point, the CEO did suggest that "very, very limited" quantities would be available later this month. Find the full interview and a testimonial at the links below, and watch the Pleo RB in action right after the break.
[Thanks, Michael W.]Continue reading Pleo Reborn detailed by Innvo CEO, one lucky fan finds and buys the tiny dino (video)Pleo Reborn detailed by Innvo CEO, one lucky fan finds and buys the tiny dino (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 17 Oct 2010 22:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Bob The Pleo Forums (1), (2) | Email this | Comments
Futurama and The Simpsons In Three Pixels [Image Cache]
Imagine how much hard work and pain could be saved if they animated the series in three pixels. More »
Sleek Metal Cover Replaces Glass iPhone 4 Backplate
Replacing your iPhone 4’s rear glass plate with a metal panel turns out to be ridiculously easy and, in the word of the wise Derek Zoolander, ridiculously good-looking.
The brushed-aluminum and plastic panels are straight swap-ins for the breakable glass backs that come as standard. To fit it, you remove a pair of screws either side [...]
The brushed-aluminum and plastic panels are straight swap-ins for the breakable glass backs that come as standard. To fit it, you remove a pair of screws either side [...]
Wacom Cintiq 12WX Interactive Pen LCD Display
Graphics tablets are much easier than trying to use a mouse, but I can still have trouble using tablets because of the disconnect between the tablet and the screen displaying my work.� Wacom has a couple of interactive pen displays that let you work directly on an LCD screen.� The new Cintiq 12WX has a [...] Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptop Gear, NewsTagged: Graphics tablet, Graphics tablet with LCD displayWacom Cintiq 12WX Interactive Pen LCD Display originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 16, 2010 at 2:00 pm.
TomTom App for iPhone hits version 1.5, adds further iPhone 4 support and 'navigate-to-photo'
TomTom was quick off the mark with multitasking in its iPhone app -- and it's hard to think of an app other than Pandora that benefits more from its inclusion -- but TomTom isn't stopping there. The new 1.5 version adds enhanced graphics to match the new iPhone 4 screen resolution, along with "faster, more-responsive navigation" on that handset. Not good enough for you? Try the new navigate-to-photo feature, a not-a-gimmick-at-all addition that allows you to select a geotagged photo as your destination instead of messing around with pesky addresses and facts. The update is free for existing users, newcomers will have to shell out $50 for the US version.TomTom App for iPhone hits version 1.5, adds further iPhone 4 support and 'navigate-to-photo' originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Oct 2010 06:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink TUAW | TomTom for iPhone (App Store) | Email this | Comments
Sunday, October 17, 2010
CrunchGear Week in Review: Saturn Club Edition
Here are some stories from the past week on CrunchGear: Review: Mint Floor-Cleaning Robot Build-A-Bear Workshops Now Doing The Star Wars Thing Beautiful ?Naked Radio? Repurposes Parts, Looks Amazing Video: Panasonic?s Mini Robot To Travel 500KM On Batteries Sunday Afternoon Read: History Of Game Controllers Netflix Adds Every SNL Season Ever To Watch Instantly
Chromium bumped to version 8
Filed under: Google, Browsers
There's been plenty of yawning about Chrome v7 -- which Google themselves admit isn't necessarily much for user-facing changes. In reality, though, there have been quite a few important additions and tweaks. The about:labs page, for example, now includes features like side tabs, instant, tabbed settings, and outdated plug-in blocking.
Two not-quite-ready-for-primetime features are there as well: remoting and cloud print, both of which will be significant additions. Additions, it seems, which may be slated for Chrome version 8.
The most recent Chromium builds have already been bumped, as you can see in the screenshot. As always, we'll keep you posted on feature additions and updates as they appear, but one thing's for certain: Google's accelerated release schedule means we're going to see Chrome version numbers leapfrog Internet Explorer and Opera very, very soon.Chromium bumped to version 8 originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
There's been plenty of yawning about Chrome v7 -- which Google themselves admit isn't necessarily much for user-facing changes. In reality, though, there have been quite a few important additions and tweaks. The about:labs page, for example, now includes features like side tabs, instant, tabbed settings, and outdated plug-in blocking.
Two not-quite-ready-for-primetime features are there as well: remoting and cloud print, both of which will be significant additions. Additions, it seems, which may be slated for Chrome version 8.
The most recent Chromium builds have already been bumped, as you can see in the screenshot. As always, we'll keep you posted on feature additions and updates as they appear, but one thing's for certain: Google's accelerated release schedule means we're going to see Chrome version numbers leapfrog Internet Explorer and Opera very, very soon.Chromium bumped to version 8 originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Keyport Review
How many keys are on your keychain?� One?� Two?� Three?� As for me, I carry 10 keys at any given time.� It might sound a lot but it?s actually the bare minimum for me.� Daily I carry 2 car keys, 2 PO Box keys, a house key, garage door key, 3 office keys, and a [...] Filed in categories: Car Gear, Gear, Miscellaneous, ReviewsTagged: Keychain, keyport, keysKeyport Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 14, 2010 at 10:00 am.
The Swiss Have the World's Longest Tunnel and They're Proud of It [Tunnels]
Today, after 20 years of digging by some 2,500 workers, 8 of whom lost their lives, Swiss engineers blasted through the last bit of rock to create the world's longest tunnel. The accomplishment even made macho Swiss miners cry. More »
Video now online for Bloomberg Presents Game Changers: Steve Jobs
Bloomberg has aired their Game Changers special featuring Steve Jobs and now the video is available online. In it, you will learn many things about Steve Jobs, Apple, iPod, iPhone, iPad and everything else that comes with starting one of the most influential technology companies in the world.
Check out the video via the link below [...]Video now online for Bloomberg Presents Game Changers: Steve Jobs is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Check out the video via the link below [...]Video now online for Bloomberg Presents Game Changers: Steve Jobs is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Gadget Deals of the Day [Dealzmodo]
Today's another one of those days with an outstanding crop of #dealz on everything from Big Screen TV's to Laptops to Mobile Apps. Don't miss out. More »
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Mark Zuckerberg On Facebook?s Strategy For China (And His Wardrobe)
Today at Y Combinator's Startup School, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg sat down for a lengthy interview with Jessica Livingston. The topics discussed ranged from Facebook's beginnings (including a brief discussion of The Social Network) to the social network's strategy in China, which has proved to be problematic for other Western tech companies like Google.
Zuckerberg says that for years Facebook didn't have a strategic plan for international growth ?�each month, the site would take off in a seemingly random country with no apparent pattern (obviously this approach paid off). But there are still a handful of countries that Facebook isn't winning in, or isn't on a path to win: China, Japan, South Korea, and Russia.
Zuckerberg says that for years Facebook didn't have a strategic plan for international growth ?�each month, the site would take off in a seemingly random country with no apparent pattern (obviously this approach paid off). But there are still a handful of countries that Facebook isn't winning in, or isn't on a path to win: China, Japan, South Korea, and Russia.
Opera Mobile landing in Android Market soon -- with hardware acceleration!
Filed under: Browsers, Mobile, Android
Hardware acceleration seems to be the one feature all the cool kids are working feverishly to implement in their browsers right now. And we're not just talking desktop browsers, either -- Opera has announced that Opera Mobile for Android will be hardware accelerated when it arrives in the Android Market.
As Opera's Aleksander Aas puts it, hardware acceleration in Opera Mobile "allows us to have a more fluid interaction with the phone." Opera Mobile will also feature pinch-to-zoom on Android, and perhaps most importantly, the browser is going to run on all versions of Android -- not just 2.1+. That's excellent news, considering that about 30% of Android users are still running slightly behind.Opera Mobile landing in Android Market soon -- with hardware acceleration! originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 09:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Hardware acceleration seems to be the one feature all the cool kids are working feverishly to implement in their browsers right now. And we're not just talking desktop browsers, either -- Opera has announced that Opera Mobile for Android will be hardware accelerated when it arrives in the Android Market.
As Opera's Aleksander Aas puts it, hardware acceleration in Opera Mobile "allows us to have a more fluid interaction with the phone." Opera Mobile will also feature pinch-to-zoom on Android, and perhaps most importantly, the browser is going to run on all versions of Android -- not just 2.1+. That's excellent news, considering that about 30% of Android users are still running slightly behind.Opera Mobile landing in Android Market soon -- with hardware acceleration! originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 09:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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