| Two more Archos Arnova tablets roll through the FCC Mar 27th 2012, 16:48 When it rains Archos tablets, it pours Archos tablets. A day after The Arnova A9 G3 tablet strutted its way through the commission's approval process and into our hearts, two more members of the line the are ready for their cold, governmental closeups. Archos's Arnova 7F G3 and 8C G3 have also found their way onto the the FCC's site, carrying on the company's long standing policy of making a heck of a lot of tablets -- these ones, most likely, are set to serve as the seven and eight-inch counterparts to their slightly larger, slightly older sibling. Two more Archos Arnova tablets roll through the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  FCC (1), (2) | Email this | Comments | | Hon Hai Precision snaps up 10 percent of Sharp in display tie-up Mar 27th 2012, 15:44 For those unaware, going at it alone in the cutthroat display business isn't exactly a recommended business approach. To wit, Sharp -- once a mainstay in the LCD industry -- has just sold an approximate 10 percent stake of itself to Taiwan's Hon Hai Group. Sharp will be issuing new shares worth $808 million to Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., and we're told that it'll go down as the largest investment ever in a Japanese company by a Taiwanese one. Moreover, Hon Hai will grab half of Sharp's 92.96 percent stake in its LCD panel factory in Sakai, Japan. Though it may not be obvious, seeing Sharp accept this fate is hugely symbolic, and it's happening just as the company gets ready to eat "multibillion-dollar losses" for this fiscal year -- which just so happens to be the 100th anniversary of its founding. Sharp executive managing officer Takashi Okuda said this during a news conference in Tokyo: "We have tried to do everything by ourselves, but the environment is tough." Here's hoping for a better tomorrow, though. Continue reading Hon Hai Precision snaps up 10 percent of Sharp in display tie-up Hon Hai Precision snaps up 10 percent of Sharp in display tie-up originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  Reuters | Marketwatch | Email this | Comments | | RIM's latest patent details automatic volume adjustments based on handset placement Mar 27th 2012, 15:23  That moment when you physically hurt your ear by mashing your cellphone up against it in a futile bid to hear the person on the other end. That's the very moment that RIM's gunning to make history with its latest patent, which was filed way back in November of 2007 but just granted today. The BlackBerry-maker's patent describes an adjustable acoustic speaker output "based on an estimated degree of seal of an ear about a speaker port" -- effectively a system where the volume can automatically increase if a handset jostles further from your ear. Not surprisingly, the description details "at least one touch sensor" used for detecting the distance between one's ear and the device, and the connecting method of adjusting the audio depending on what information the sensor picks up. We're guessing folks who walk and talk would be keen on taking advantage, but then again, you could just walk around with a Bluetooth headset on. (Keyword being could, not should.)
RIM's latest patent details automatic volume adjustments based on handset placement originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | USPTO | Email this | Comments | | OnStar's Family Link tracking package launching in mid-April (updated: hands-on) Mar 27th 2012, 15:01  Looks like OnStar's finally ready to go live with the Family Link program it was talking up last summer. The service, which lets family members track vehicles for the low, low price of $3.99 (on top of an existing OnStar package), is set to begin a phased rollout next month. Family Link revolves around two primary, similarly named features: Vehicle Locate and Vehicle Location Alert. The first lets concerned relatives view the vehicle's location on a map and the second sends an alert at a chosen interval, letting the vehicle's location be known via text or email. The initial roll out will be open to select subscribers in April, with more invitations hitting in June and a more complete rollout later in the year. We went hands-on with the service at an OnStar demo in New York City, tracking vehicles in both New Jersey and Detroit. Family Link was able to locate a connected truck in Detroit in a mere five seconds, zeroing in on the vehicle's precise location at OnStar HQ in Michigan (note: we had tracked another vehicle in New Jersey a few minutes before -- that time with a roughly 20 second delay). It's not designed for constant tracking -- you won't see the car icon moving down the map as you drive -- but it appears to be an excellent solution for keeping tabs on your kids as they drive OnStar-equipped vehicles. We also took a look at those handy text vehicle location alerts, that OnStar will push directly to any mobile device or email address at user-selected intervals. Jump past the break to see our hands-on with both Family Link components. Zach Honig contributed to this report.Continue reading OnStar's Family Link tracking package launching in mid-April (updated: hands-on) OnStar's Family Link tracking package launching in mid-April (updated: hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | 30 million NFC-equipped phones shipped in 2011, could reach 700 million by 2016 Mar 27th 2012, 14:55 Those working on life-changing uses for NFC in phones will now find it even harder to explain why life still hasn't changed. According to Berg Insight, annual global sales of NFC-equipped handsets increased ten-fold to reach 30 million units in 2011 and are forecast to grow to 700 million units by 2016. The analysts attribute this rise to general smartphone adoption rather than to demand for NFC as such, which makes sense from where we're sitting. Aside from a few proximity-based apps, Google Wallet and some other handbag-spurning payment schemes, there's still no overwhelming reason to gear up. GPS and WLAN, on the other hand, remain must-haves, and the PR below looks at their prevalence too. Continue reading 30 million NFC-equipped phones shipped in 2011, could reach 700 million by 2016 30 million NFC-equipped phones shipped in 2011, could reach 700 million by 2016 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | |
